Each year, Trigg County Schools officials select and fund one student to attend the Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership conference.
Its mission is to inspire and develop global community of youth and volunteers into a life dedicated to leadership, service and innovation — all stemming from its namesake: an actor who, in 1958, visited Dr. Albert Schweitzer in Africa.
Discussions on education and leadership founded the event. It grew nationally in 1968 and later expanded into international gatherings, including the World Leadership Congress. And by 1977, state-level seminars allowed high schools to nominate sophomores for participation.
Today, HOBY, as it’s called, continues to empower youth worldwide. More than 9,500 sophomores from nearly as many schools attend leadership seminars each year.
Lady Wildcat Carly Long was one of those sophomores, traveling to Berea from June 5-8.
During Thursday night’s Trigg County Schools Board of Education meeting, she shared her journey — and what it was like to return a changed person.
One of the most impacting parts of HOBY, she said, were service projects, and her teams was tasked with washing local fire trucks.
Able to make life-long friends, she said she connected with people on a “truly deeper level,” where real trust was built.
Now, she feels like the “tools, courage and vision” to become not just a leader, but a servant leader, something she wants to carry with her for the rest of her life.
In other school news:
— Personnel and Student Services Director Laura James said enrollment, as of this week, stands at 1,904 across the district, and that’s up from the 1,895 reported two weeks ago. It’s extremely early, but average daily attendance is at 99.73%, and of the student body compared to last year: 42 are from out of state, 17 are returnees from home school settings, 27 are from Christian County and 44 are from other in-state arrivals.
— Board members unanimously approved for adult breakfast prices to remain the same, at $3.25, and for lunch prices to increase just a nickel, up to $5.05. Food Services Director Lisa Marsh called this “good news,” considering the increases being observed in grocery costs and other kitchen needs. She noted that teachers and staff often partake in campus meals, particularly lunches, and that students and their families can expect to see a renovated cafeteria floor before the start of Spring 2026.
