Family raising funds for leader’s conference
June 16, 2009
ECO Staff – Laure Cioffi, senior journalist
 ELLWOOD CITY – When Ashley Hobbs was notified that she had been selected to represent Pennsylvania at the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C. it came as a surprise.
The 16-year-old Lincoln sophomore didn’t even know she had been nominated for the honor, said her mother, Leslie Carpenter.
So the family wasn’t prepared financially to send Ashley to the conference, which is estimated to cost about $2,200. The tuition for the program is nearly $1,500 and the extra money is needed for meals and other expenses.
Carpenter, who works in the photo department at Rite Aid, and her husband, Joshua Best, who works at Auto Zone in Franklin Township, say they doing all they can to raise the money to send their daughter on the trip.
A car wash is planned for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 27 at Auto Zone and the family is accepting donations. Carpenter said they tried to set up a bank account for the trip, but the bank will only accept deposits from Ashley or herself.
Carpenter said she will personally accept donations or they can be mailed to her home at 501 Line Ave., Ellwood City, Pa. 16117, and they will be deposited into the bank account. Carpenter said any additional money raised over Ashley’s expenses will be donated to a local charity.
She must register for the conference by July 17 and have a $500 deposit.
Carpenter said her daughter is excited about the prospect of going to Washington, D.C. and meeting national leaders.
While Ashley isn’t involved in politics, she does enjoy meeting new people, her mother said.
She said Ashley hopes to go onto college after high school and become a child psychologist.
Her mother said early on she encouraged Ashley to do well in school. That commitment is evident from the host of recommendations from her teachers.
“Ashley is a phenomenal student and over-achiever,” wrote Tara Lombardo, English teacher at Lincoln High School.
 “Ashley is very mature for her age and is always the team leader and organizer whenever we do group activities,” wrote Scott Timmerman, Lincoln science teacher.
Algebra teacher Frank Keally wrote that he envisions Ashley in a leadership role in the future and Felicia Greco, choral director, wrote that she is self-directed, hard-working and creative.”
Ashley intends to do presentations for anyone interested about the trip when she returns in the fall.
The Color Center, an affiliate of EllwoodCity.org, is making a $100 donation toward Ashley’s trip.
(Laure Cioffi can be reached at LaureCioffi@EllwoodCity.org)
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