Degree earned:
Bachelor's in Agricultural, Environmental, Communications and Education
Master's in Agricultural Education
Career: K-State Research and Extension
Lawrence , KS
4-H Youth Development Agent
I manage the county 4-H youth development program, which reaches approximately 1000 young people per year. I am responsible for the marketing, volunteer development, outreach programming, and traditional community club program.
Describe the NOYS Meetings you attended, what organization you represented, and memories of those events:
I represented the National Safety Council youth division from 1999-2001. I attended close to 7 meetings and during my term the big focus was creating the video for the Speak Out and Make NOYS project. Being able to work with amazing youth from all over the United States and caring adults who mentored us during the process was an absolute highlight with the cap note being able to help plan the National Teen Collaborative Conference in Hawaii and the Youth Diversity Summit in Los Angeles in 2001.
Describe why youth safety and health is important to you:
To be able to keep youth safety and healthy is a priority for me in working with young people in the 4-H and outreach programming. To be able to help those youth achieve goals is part of what motivates me in my job. Because they are safe and healthy, they too can make a difference!
What are you doing now to address youth safety and health concerns?
I work with a team of agents that focus on youth development in various areas of the 4-H program. Many of our programs encourage healthy lifestyles, critical thinking and decision making skills. It is my hope that we give them the skills necessary for them to be able to make safe and healthy choices that will benefit them for a lifetime.
What was college peer pressure like?
I didn't surround myself with people who I felt would pressure me into doing the wrong things, I surrounded myself with people I thought would pressure me into doing fun and amazing things!
Share some lessons learned and advice with current NOYS youth:
Take risks. Do something that you are passionate about and that will challenge you to make you a better person. The first board I ever broke was at a NOYS training to break down barriers that were holding me from achieving goals in my life- so break down those barriers that you may be facing in your own life and use that to reach out to others and make a difference.
I never knew what I could accomplish by being a part of NOYS until I attended the meeting and was able to develop life long friendships. Being able to work collaboratively with adults and young people is serving me well in my current position today. |
