Four rising MPA juniors were among a select group of students chosen for the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference (HOBY), one of the nation’s premiere leadership conferences.

Jada, Sam, Logan, and Ethan participated in the HOBY Illinois North leadership conference at Loyola University Chicago in June 2026.

HOBY seminars bring students together across different backgrounds, cultures, and communities, and help students discover a newfound sense of awareness, confidence, connection, and purpose.

Morgan Park Academy students participated in facilitated dialogue and abilities-based workshops to develop awareness of their leadership strengths and an understanding of their leadership values. Through these dynamic activities with their peers, they honed their skills and learned to recognize, amplify, and collaborate with the diverse strengths of others.

“We are tremendously proud of these students for being chosen as HOBY ambassadors,” said Em Joseph, the school’s Director of College Counseling. “A core part of our school mission is preparing global leaders to make a positive difference in the world, and participating in a HOBY seminar helps unlock that for students.
“I’ve also found that when a college admission office sees a student participating in HOBY, it’s a huge deal in the application review process. This will have a big impact for our students.”

These are the latest of many students that Morgan Park Academy has had selected for HOBY conferences in recent years.

This year’s conference leaders included Cecelia, an MPA rising senior, and Rachel, an alumnus.

“Since I went to HOBY as an ambassador last year I knew I needed to go back as a staffer,” Cecelia said. “HOBY has taught me that it is truly OK to be your genuine self in everything you do. As a junior facilitator it was enlightening and rewarding to see how an ambassador can go from being unsure, to being the most confident version of themself in just one weekend.

“I will always be grateful to what HOBY has done for me. I learned a lot there, including the fact that everyone has the possibility to be a leader, and sometimes all you need is another leader to break them out of their shell.”