BALDWIN PARK – Baldwin Park High School incoming junior Kohle Jackson will represent Los Angeles County and join more than 450 seniors and juniors from 14 countries to harness and expand leadership skills during the Hugh O’Brian Youth (HOBY) Leadership’s 2019 World Leadership Congress (WLC).

Jackson, who was selected from 170 high schoolers in Los Angeles, will travel to Loyola University in Chicago on Saturday, July 20 to participate in the weeklong program that empowers high school students to become leaders and global citizens.

“I am honored to represent everyone in Los Angeles and their individual ideas,” Jackson said. “On a world scale, everyone is different, and I want to gain a larger view on things because I can bring back the lessons to Baldwin Park, and together we can grow.”

At the end of June, Jackson participated in HOBY’s State Leadership Seminar where she worked with high schoolers from across Los Angeles. Students engaged in group activities and performed volunteer work, such as making blankets for hospitalized children and assembling hygiene kits for the homeless.

“It was a beautiful experience and I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Jackson said. “I met with like-minded individuals to share ideas and it opened my eyes to the world around me.”

Jackson said that the three-day seminar helped her open up to others so that she can express herself and teach others how to lead.

At the conclusion of the seminar, Jackson was awarded a $1,000 scholarship from HOBY Los Angeles for her to participate in the WLC.

“The vetting process is very thorough and competitive, so the fact that Kohle was selected to be the LA region’s representative at the World conference is a huge honor,” Baldwin Park High School head counselor Hugh van der Linden said.

The WLC provides high schoolers the opportunity to learn from global leaders through keynote speeches, panels and mentor meetings, and students can experience international diversity and explore leadership roles through interactive workshops.

Since 1968, HOBY WLC has united students from around the world to broaden their perspective as global citizens, and aims to create cognizant leaders who are equipped with the leadership skills needed to make a meaningful impact on society.

“Kohle is the type of individual that leaves a lasting impression when you meet her,” Baldwin Park High School counselor Monica Corona said. “She is talented, very mature for her age, goal-oriented and has a unique sense of style.”

Jackson, a member of Baldwin Park High School’s National Honor Society, is heavily involved in the Baldwin Park community and participates in community service opportunities.

“I’ve always been an artist and I want to show people our world through art,” Jackson said. “Art is something that tends to be overlooked in terms of importance and I want to bring that importance back to the Baldwin Park community.”

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KOHLE_JACKSON_WLC: Baldwin Park High School incoming junior Kohle Isis Jackson has been selected from among 170 Los Angeles-area high school students to represent the county at the Hugh O’Brian Youth (HOBY) Leadership 2019 World Leadership Congress (WLC) from Saturday, July 20 through Saturday, July 27 at Loyola University in Chicago.