Each year, Tampa Prep selects one 10th grader to represent the school at the prestigious Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Conference in June. This year’s student is Soferri B. ‘26!
TP: Congratulations Soferri! Tell us how this honor came about?
SB: “During a seminar one week, our class was informed about the HOBY conference by Mrs. Harman and Brianna H. ‘25, who attended the conference last year. After reviewing details about the program, I thought for a few days about whether I wanted to participate and came to the conclusion that participating in the program would be beneficial to me. Therefore, I told Mrs. Harman about my interest later on.”
TP: What, specifically, about the program appealed to you and made you want to express interest?
SB: “One of the main parts of the program is about improving personal leadership skills that will help you to understand your leadership strengths and values and gain more confidence to share your values and ideas with others. This appealed to me because I think personally I’m usually a leader by example since I do what I’m supposed to do when it comes to work and school. However, I hardly ever lead by speech, especially in groups. I usually let others express their opinions but don’t feel the need to express mine, and I think that this experience would help me discover that side of myself, identify my leadership style, and find motivation to become more of a vocal leader.”
TP: How did you find out that you had been selected to represent Tampa Prep?
SB: “I received an email from Mrs. Harman, which conveyed that if I was still interested, I was being given the opportunity to represent Tampa Prep at the Hugh O’ Brien Youth Leadership Conference.”
TP: What did you think when you found out?
SB: “At first I was very surprised that I got picked. I expressed my interest in the program but was not sure if I would be selected. However, I soon became excited, humbled, and honored to be selected for this esteemed program and to represent Tampa Prep.”
TP: What are you looking forward to at the conference?
SB: “What I’m looking forward to most is the opportunity to meet other like-minded sophomores in the state of Florida, to possibly make new friends, to learn leadership skills, and to gain confidence overall.”
HOBY’s Mission
To inspire and develop our global community of youth and volunteers to a life dedicated to leadership, service and innovation.
Vision
To motivate and empower individuals to make a positive difference within our global society, through understanding and action, based on effective and compassionate leadership.
Core Values
Volunteerism – Volunteerism is the heart and soul of our organization. We appreciate the myriad contributions of our volunteers, and recognize the power of thank you and of giving back. We seek to promote and encourage service among our stakeholders. We recognize and value the positive accomplishments that volunteers can achieve by working together. We believe that our programs positively impact volunteers as much as the youth and communities we serve.
Integrity – Integrity forms the foundation of our organization. We demand the highest level of ethics. We grow our organization based on interactions that promote mutual trust and respect with our stakeholders and partners. We strive to ensure the highest level of organizational effectiveness by continually reviewing our programs and processes to improve quality and efficiency.
Excellence – We strive to continually raise our programs and business to new levels of excellence. We encourage entrepreneurship and innovation in business, education, and social responsibility. We develop creative solutions to address challenges and to utilize opportunities. We believe that leadership skills can and should be continually improved and refined.
Diversity – We value and embrace diversity. We seek out views that reflect all walks of life, and reflect those views in our programs. We are sensitive to the special needs and diverse backgrounds of individuals. We give all individuals an equal opportunity to be heard and to benefit from our programs.
Community Partnership – We value community partnerships. We recognize the importance of working with community organizations to strengthen our supportive network. We value the input we receive from our community partners, and strive to work together cooperatively and constructively for the betterment of all.
