"My experience in 4-H helped lay the foundation for me to learn discipline, attention to detail, confidence in myself and skills along with the importance of serving others. "
North Central College- Naperville, IL - BA in Elementary Ed (1998)
Northern Illinois University- DeKalb, IL- BS in Nutrition and Dietetics (2001)
Benedictine University - Lisle, IL- MPH with focus in Community Nutrition + Dietetic Internship (2003)
Sustainable Nutrition Manager, Midwest Dairy
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Favorite 4-H Projects: Cooking/baking, clothes making, home furnishing, public speaking & volunteering in the community
Did any of your 4-H project skills, experiences or connections help prepare you for your career path?
Yes, most certainly! My experience in 4-H helped lay the foundation for me to learn discipline, attention to detail, confidence in myself and skills along with the importance of serving others.
What advice do you have for someone who wants to enter your career path?
Ask questions. Be open to new opportunities. Learn from your mistakes...they only will make you better. Be humble and open. Love what you do..it makes it all worth it.
What did you learn through 4-H that benefits you today?
My experience in 4-H helped lay the foundation for me to learn discipline, attention to detail, confidence in myself and skills along with the importance of serving others. All of this and more helped prepare me for the workplace and how to be disciplined and work hard to serve my bosses (the 4000 dairy farmers in the Midwest region).
How did 4-H contribute to your leadership skills today?
Discipline. The judging of projects...it was humbling, but showed me that there is always room for improvement. The public speaking was unnerving at the time, but truly helped me become more confident and showed me how important preparation and practice will help in delivering a better speech/presentation.
What advice would you give a current 4-H member?Explore the many opportunities that 4-H has to offer. You may find that one topic/ project was not your favorite, but that's ok. Learn from it and bring that to the next opportunity.