Elly is a senior at McCutcheon High School. After high school, Elly plans to attend Ivy Tech community college to study agriculture.
This is her essay entitled, "4-H"
I believe in the importance of 4-H. Participating in 4-H has changed my life. You do not have to do a 4-H project for it to change your life. You can go ride rides, walk around the barns, and watch or participate in annual events can all be a part of the 4-H experience that can be life-changing.
My involvement with 4-H has lasted ten years; many wonderful and memorable experiences are a result of 4-H. First thing that comes to my mind is the lifelong friends I made through showing sheep and doing gift wrapping as a project. I never knew how much gift wrapping can change my life from the friends I have made to being able to wrap christmas gifts perfectly. I have had many friends through school and being on the swim team, but the friends that have stuck around are my 4-H friends.
Another reason I think 4-H is important in life is that it has taught me responsibility with feeding and watering my lambs throughout the years. Which has made me more responsible for stuff out of 4-H. Also, along the line with responsibility is leadership. In the sheep barn if youare an older member that means you are a leader to the younger ones. Since this is my tenth year I am one of the older members so the kids will look up to me this year for help with showing and even help with feeding. Also, through the years of being apart of 4-H it has helped show me what I want to do with my future in the agriculture industry.
4-H has taught me responsibility and leadership. That is why I believe that every child should be able to have an opportunity to be involved in 4-H.