I started 4-H when I was nine-years-old (the age limit to start), and it quickly became one of my favorite activities. 4-H did help me become the person I am today and it taught me some very valuable lessons.

Since I was not able to take an animal project, I took the still projects instead. The still projects I decided to take were from cooking, canning, sewing, gardening, veterinary projects, and build your own project. I became very successful with each of the projects, never scoring below third place (and that was only one time) and I attended the Ohio State Fair 22 times in the 13 years of 4-H, and I also received an Outstanding of the Day three times (top 20 percent of all interviewed in the project). The different projects taught me many things one including how to learn things and look things up when you are not sure.

I learned that in order to do well on these projects I needed to put the time into working for what I wanted, and if I didn't know something that I needed to look it up to learn more about my project and how things worked. For example, I took a genealogy project and this project forced me to look up my family history and take the time to research where my heritage is from. This also got me over any fear of talking to anyone about where to find things in a library and where I should be looking next, it also got me used to calling around on the phone to discover what records the local libraries had, the courthouse, and the health department records.

4-H taught me how to become a leader and how to take a leadership position and make the best out of it. I was the vice-president of my club and, at one point, I became the treasurer and then the secretary. I held a leadership position for the last half of my 4-H career, and it taught me how to run meetings and how to work with the other members of the executive board. I learned how to lead the meetings since our president (at the time, I was vice-president) was highly involved in other things and could not always make the meetings. I also became a leader through being on Junior Fair Board. I was in charge of a committee for two years and I was the co-chair for one of the animal barns for one of the years. During the fair, I put a lot of time and effort into working with the other members of the Junior Fair Board and leading the fair. We all got along and together we helped the fair fun smoothly.

I also learned how to work well with others. Junior Fair Board helped a lot with that because it was a group effort between the members of the Junior Fair Board and the senior Fair Board. I had to make sure that the fair was run smoothly and that all of the shows were well staffed. Also, being an executive member of my club helped me to work well with others.

4-H was additionally great at teaching me interview skills. I still use these skills today and they have never failed me. When you take a still project in 4-H, you have to do well at the interview and really sell yourself and all that you have learned with the project. It is something that is gradually learned over time and something that will always stick with you. It taught me that no matter how nervous you might be, speak about what you know when the questions are asked and if you do not know an answer do not try to talk yourself around it. Do not be afraid to say that you do not know the answer.

There are so many aspects of 4-H that have stuck with me over the years and have helped shape me into the person I have become all while teaching me valuable life lessons that will never be forgotten. 4-H is one of the things that I encourage everyone to join and you don't have to take an animal if you do not have one available to take. I have made so many memories and friends through 4-H that I will never forget.