PLATTSBURGH — Many teens are concerned with themselves, says Emily Morrison, spending their time on social-networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook.
The Beekmantown High School student admits that she, too, was more self absorbed than she should have been.
But after attending an international leadership conference, she's ready to devote more time to helping others.
"I want to be part of my community," said the 16-year-old.
INSPIRING SOPHOMORES
Morrison attended the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership World Leadership Congress, which is dedicated to developing and nurturing tomorrow's young leaders. Its mission is to inspire the world's youth to a life of leadership, service and innovation.
American actor Hugh O'Brian founded the organization in 1958, with seminars held in all 50 states, as well as 16 countries and regions.
Today, the Leadership Congress boasts more than 375,000 alumni worldwide.
Students who attend are chosen out of their high school's sophomore class.
"A student who went spoke about it one day in our social-studies class," said Morrison. "I knew I wanted to go."
She wrote an essay about her leadership experiences as a captain on the soccer team and later learned she had been chosen to attend the event.
"I just thought it would be an amazing experience."
NEW OUTLOOK
Morrison first attended a statewide, three-day leadership program in May at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy.
She was nervous about meeting new people and didn't know what to expect. But she instantly fit in, as students learned about respecting themselves and others.
Morrison found herself writing cards to nursing-home residents and making pillows for St. Jude's Hospital.
"I was concerned with community service but didn't know how to get involved, and now I do. It gave me a different outlook on how to treat people and helped me to realize that materialistic things are not important."
She began to understand how desperate some people's situations are and how consumed others are with themselves.
"I realized it's not right to fake how you are so people like you."
HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS
Next, Morrison headed to the Hugh O'Brian Youth World Leadership Congress, which was held for six days in July at George Washington University in the District of Columbia.
The program provides leadership training, service learning and motivation-building exercises. Students meet with leaders from business, government, international affairs, science and technology, medicine, media and education.
"There were 400 student ambassadors there," Morrison said. "They came from so many places."
In fact, one of her best friends today is a student from Thailand, whom Morrison met there.
'THEY NEED HELP'
Morrison learned more about self respect and goal setting at the Leadership Congress. She was trained by Save the Children and lobbied for that group on Capital Hill and also participated in a scavenger hunt through the nation's capital that took her to an array of historic sites.
She met the people she was helping, including an 18-year-old whose mother had died of cancer and brother had been arrested. The girl was helping her cousin take care of a baby.
"They are working hard to get out of their situations, and they need our help," Morrison said.
She wants to be an orthodontist and knows that, no matter where she is, she'll think of those less fortunate and do what she can to help.
"I want to make community service part of my life."
E-mail Stephen Bartlett at: sbartlett@pressrepublican.com
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Beekmantown student learns about leadership
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