Illinois 4-H

What were your favorite 4-H project areas?

I LOVED my cow, Lassie, a Holstein. I had to join a boy's club in order to have her as a project; I also belonged to a girl's club so that I could do sewing and baking!!! At the time I was in 4-H, the two clubs were separate and had "assigned" projects!! I also enjoyed photography -- that I could do in BOTH clubs!!! My sewing helped me later in life. In college, girls would pay me to make formal dresses for them. I later made a sports coat for my future husband and had MANY of his fraternity brothers asking me to make one for them, too!!! I designed my wedding dress which my grandmother and mom made for me. When I became pregnant, I made all my maternity clothes and MANY baby clothes. My daughter and son wore MANY "Mommy-made" clothes. And now my grandchildren benefit from my sewing. While I was a teacher, I was also the theatre director, GETTING to make MANY of the costumes for the shows!!! I have also been able to help a sister-in-law learn some things about baking. When we were younger, she asked where I had learned all of this. DUH!!

Did any of your 4-H project skills, experiences or connections help prepare you for your career path?

Probably the Share-The-Fun, demonstration contests, and public speaking helped the most. I was a HS English teacher who directed the plays and coached the speech team. Much of what I learned during 4-H, I also included in my speech classes that I taught!!!

What advice do you have for someone who wants to enter your career path?

I absolutely LOVED my career in education. I would NEVER change that. HOWEVER, in today's world where parents believe their children over the educators, where administrators often do not back their teachers, and students have become totally out of control since most have no rules/regulations at home any longer, I would think LONG and HARD about going into this field in today's world! I really hate to say that, but that's the case. And this is after 12 years as the principal of an alternative school (expelled/suspended 6th-12th grades) where I had the best 12 years of my career. I had a TERRIFIC staff, kids who understood the concept of rewards and consequences, and parents who really had no choice as to whether or not they were going to support the school!!! (Because of our work with Habitat for Humanity, we have many who became carpenters, roofers, electricians, plumbers, drywallers, etc. And because of the wonderful staff we also have store managers, delivery people, restaurant managers, etc. We even have one -- whose mother wanted her to just drop out and have babies!!! -- who is now a dentist!!! Another one whose principal had no good words to say about him wanted to know how he ended. He ended up an aerospace engineer who works for NASA at Cape Canaveral and send our astronauts into space!!!) Choose your career path wisely. Education can be extremely frustrating, but it can also be truly inspiring!!!

What did you learn through 4-H that benefits you today?

Patience!!! It takes patience to train a calf how to walk properly around the show ring. It takes patience to get a piece of clothing to fit just right. It takes patience to bake a pie so it slices just right and comes out of that pan in one piece. It takes patience to frame a picture just right so it tells a story. It takes patience to grow a garden and actually produce some edible veggies!!! I also learned poise. From giving speeches and demonstrations to my club to taking those same concepts to the county contests, I managed to develop the poise that that I have used to speak at conventions and workshops around the country on the subject of education. AND, most of all, I learned skills to help me raise my family!!!

How did 4-H contribute to your leadership skills today?

By having the opportunity to assume various leadership roles within the club from officers to Jr. leader, I developed the skills that seem to come so naturally to me to "lead" a school of troubled youth as well as being able to address various groups about the methods used to work with "those kids" as well as the need for such programs (alternative forms of education). Today, actually, I have been retired for 12 years. I can use the skills from 4-H to help organize and run a "rescue" for animals, to volunteer in various groups throughout our city to help better the lives of others/those needing assistance.

What advice would you give a current 4-H member?

Become involved just as much as you possibly can and WANT to do. Make the most out of your projects, but also take advantage of leadership roles you may assume. AND have fun and meet as many people as you possibly can!!! (AND, don't forget to go to 4-H camp!!! We have THE very best in our area -- located at Allerton Park just a little west of the University of Illinois!!!)

Do you currently volunteer or have volunteered with the 4-H program? If so, in what capacity.

I have served as a 4-H leader, forming a club in the subdivision in which we lived. I have served as a judge at 4-H Fairs. I have served as a judge for 4-H speech competitions. I even helped our counselor -- a former 4-Her -- to organize a 4-H club in our alternative school.