Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership: Texas North

Jimmy Walsh’s Story

Alright i never wrote my HOBY story but after this weekend i think it is necessary. I went through HOBY in 2009. I went with my older sister Abbey early in the day and got to meet the whole staff before everyone else. It was incredible. Since I was there early all of the staff knew my name. I remember later in the day when everyone had already arrived Jad Allen remembered that I didn’t the HOBY welcome. So he did it in front of everyone. I remember this moment as the moment I fell in love with HOBY. It was the greatest weekend of my life. I have never met so many amazing people in my entire life. It made me a better person and there is no way I can repay the people who made it happen. The reason I go back every year is to at least try to give back as much as I recieved. When I got home the first time my sister asked me what I thought and I instantly asked her how to sign up next year. The next year of HOBY was then again the best weekend of my life. Better than the first. I thought to myself how incredible HOBY was and how much it has changed me for the better. It has formed what I want to with my life and how amazing it is to help people. It has also brought me so much closer to my sister Abbey Walsh. I don’t know how to describe our relationship before HOBY but after these three years of HOBY I truely know how much she cares about me. She is amazing and HOBY has shown me this. This year for HOBY it was by far even better than the first two times. It brings people together like nothing else. I have become a better person from this experience and have come to look at life another way and I thank HOBY for that.