Dawson County High School sophomore Miranda Abe was named the 2011 Hugh O'Brian Leadership Award recipient Monday.

Presented annually by the Dawson County Woman's Club, the award recognizes outstanding students for their leadership and service to community.

Addison Welch, also a sophomore, will serve as the alternate for the conference that the O'Brian youth leadership development organization puts on each year.

The pair was chosen from among nearly a dozen students who applied to participate in the leadership opportunity.

Mary Mullineaux, woman's club co-president, made the presentation during Monday's meeting of the Dawson County Board of Education.

"We were looking for students who were good leaders and who could enhance their leadership capabilities by attending a conference of this nature," she said.

"Miranda and Addison showed in our interviews they had that leadership ability and wanted to pursue how to be better leaders."

As a member of student government and the yearbook staff, Abe said she is honored to receive the award.

"I'm really thankful for this opportunity, because I feel it's going to give me something that hopefully I'll be able to take back with me to school and apply it to my every day," she said.

Welch is also involved with the yearbook, serves as chaplain with the Y-Club and is active in her church as a small group leader.

"My faith is very important to me," she said. "That's where I get the basis of my leadership skills.

"I'm so honored to have the chance to go to HOBY, and I hope I can use the skills I learn to better my leadership skills. I think it will better me as a person."