EMPORIUM – A widening circle of Cameron County High School
graduates are taking the Beach Boys’ classic, “Be True to Your
School,” to a whole new level.

They’ve launched the Hometown Mentors Organization (HMO).

Professionals and others who have succeeded in their careers
will soon be donating their time and expertise to serve as personal
guidance counselors for high school students.

“I love the Emporium area and want to help motivate students
here to do their best and look to the future,” said Cathy Ostrum, a
1971 Cameron County graduate who laid the groundwork for the HMO
launch earlier this year.

Ostrum, now of Alexandria, Va., unveiled her ambitious plan at
an alumni banquet. She was thrilled to have about 60 people
volunteer.

She’ll be returning to Emporium later this week to meet with the
high school faculty and administration to lay the final groundwork.
Freshmen would have the option of working with an HMO volunteer to
meet requirements for their senior project.

Ostrum thinks she’s on to something. If she has her way, the HMO
concept that’s being hatched in Cameron County will spread across
the entire country.

“We can connect engineers with prospective engineers,
missionaries with people who are considering doing mission work,
and so on,” she explained. “Talent that was developed here in
Emporium and moved out into the world can return to help future
generations. And, thanks to the Internet, the alumnus doesn’t even
have to live here.”

Ostrum will be registering doctors, lawyers, business owners,
pastors, accountants and alumni from other fields to counsel
students. She’s looking for donors to cover the program’s modest
expenses and volunteers to assist her with administrative
details.

She developed the HMO concept based on her belief that
small-town living has many advantages, but can also deny a young
person access to critical information about career choices. Ostrum
still wears her class ring to remind her of her roots.

“I’m passionate about Cameron County- it’s a wonderful place to
grow up,” Ostrum said. “But we also have to be realistic about
preparing our young people for the outside world. Our HMO
volunteers can be a part of a young person’s extended family, in a
sense, sharing what we’ve learned through experience and passing it
on.”