Written By Adrianna Meyer
During spring of my second-grade year, my mom enrolled my brother and me in 4-H as Cloverbud members, with hopes that we would stay in the organization and develop lifelong skills that would benefit us throughout the years. Remaining as a member in 4-H was an easy choice for me as I knew it involved agriculture and I have been around some aspect of that industry since the day I was born. When I was young, my dad grew crops and raised cattle, and my mom raised goats.
When I started out in 4-H as a project-taking member, I only took Boer goat projects for three years. With some encouragement from my mom, I began taking “still projects,” which are projects that do not require an animal. My first still project was about the genealogy of my family.
I continued to add on these projects every year since 2016 and it led me to gain the courage to join clubs and councils that had a large focus on leadership. 4-H has led me to multiple national trips, including Atlanta, GA and Washington, D.C., as well as multiple honors, such as being inducted into the 2023 Ohio 4-H Teen Hall of Fame and serving as president of the Ohio 4-H Teen Leadership Council.
When I realized that I wanted to be involved in 4-H as my future career, it was a natural choice for me to major in community leadership at Ohio State ATI, with a specialization in Extension education. Knowing that I am a role model and resource for so many individuals that I have impacted throughout my years of involvement solidified my major choice for me. 4-H has allowed me to find great joy when interacting and educating others on topics within agriculture and STEM. My lifelong career goal is to be involved in an agricultural organization or Extension where I am educating, advocating, and cultivating the next generation of leaders that will take our spots one day.