I joined the Fillmore Farmers Boys 4-H Club in 1966 at the encouragement of mom & my grandfather – an act that changed my life forever. Gardening and Flowers seemed appropriate first projects with a two-acre garden to tend. Those projects started me on a path of learning and growing experiences that defined me as a human being.
4-H membership led to degrees in Agriculture/Horticulture Education and Educational Leadership, a career as a 4-H Youth Development Professional, and a lifetime of experiences working together with amazing colleagues, volunteers, community partners, youth and their families.
I learned early that the world was a bigger place than home and 4-H allowed me the opportunities to visit, learn from and experience cultures in 20 countries and as an agent, to introduce young people to the immense possibilities and opportunities before them.
4-H taught me to dream, try, explore, create, and to learn from wise professional colleagues. As I watched leaders, colleagues and mentors, and youth, I learned how to motivate, nurture, inspire, encourage, reward, challenge and honor young people. In 4-H, I learned values of decision making, partnerships, goal setting, inclusion, speaking, demonstrating, volunteerism, record keeping and sharing successes. Partnered with passionate volunteers, community leaders and 4-H colleagues, we worked to teach young people the potential before them, how to articulate and work to achieve their goals and dreams and relished their efforts and successes.
From that first year in 4-H and throughout an amazing career in 4-H Youth Development, I learned that the opportunities were endless, the work rewarding, the value of constant learning and bringing your best every time. 4-H gave me the tools to live a life of service, a life of teaching 4-H principles and a life of gratitude for all the graces bestowed upon me.
