Warwick Valley High School junior AJ Kobrick shares dedication to leadership and service. (
)
Warwick Valley High School junior AJ Kobrick has built a high school experience defined by curiosity, leadership, and a drive to try new things. That combination led him to try out the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program this past summer, and his takeaways from the experience continue to shape his academic and extracurricular journey.
Learning leadership skills with Rotary Youth
AJ, whose enthusiasm for learning and service impresses peers and teachers alike, is also deeply committed to personal growth. This was especially clear when he participated in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program at Mount Saint Mary College, a week-long camp dedicated to cultivating leadership and life skills among high school students. AJ’s journey began with an essay and an interview, leading to his selection for the program.
“It was a super good experience; every day was packed with getting to know people and talking to people and just getting better at those kinds of communication and, like, teamwork kind of skills,” AJ shared. The program grouped students into teams, fostering collaboration and allowing participants to form bonds with peers from many different schools. “We basically got to meet everyone that was there. The whole thing was centered on building leadership and life skills.”
AJ’s interest in RYLA came from curiosity and a willingness to take on new challenges. “I just saw it as a really good opportunity. I’ve heard from people older than me who did it and said it was a really good experience,” he explained. That openness to trying new things is a theme that runs through AJ’s involvement at Warwick Valley High School.
A passion for agriculture
In addition to his RYLA experience, AJ is an active member of several student organizations, including the Future Farmers of America, the WVHS jazz band, and Mu Alpha Theta, the national math honor society. AJ is especially enthusiastic about his work with FFA. “This year, we’ve already done the citrus sale and the wreath sale. Coming up, as we do every winter, we’re going to start the leadership development events, which are like student competitions. Some of them are team events with other kids from Warwick, and some are individual,” he said. These competitions challenge students in areas such as public speaking, presentations, and on-the-spot problem solving.
AJ also participates in FFA activities at local events like the Orange County Fair, where he and his siblings enter heirloom-grade vegetables grown by their grandfather, a black-dirt farmer in Pine Island. “We enter vegetables into the fair, kind of pick the nicest ones out, and they get judged. FFA also sets up a booth with flower arrangements and educational displays about things like invasive species,” he said. Thanks to these experiences, AJ has developed not only technical knowledge in agriculture but also valuable communication and organizational skills.
Academic pursuits
Although AJ’s academic interests lean toward science—he is currently taking AP Biology and enjoys working at Garden State Koi in the summer—he recognizes the importance of leadership in all areas of life. “I think that comes from me knowing, ‘Well... that’s definitely going to be something that’s going to help me later on.’ Even now, being on teams and leading younger students, I know in life, maybe if I wanted to lead within a company or start a club in college, leadership is always important,” he reflected.
Going forward, AJ plans to attend college and is considering majoring in biology. When asked about his future, he admits he hasn’t narrowed things down yet, but he’s excited by the chances that lie ahead—and confident that the skills he’s building now will serve him wherever he goes.