From cooking to poultry to leadership, Codie Koester has gained lifelong experiences that has named her a 2023 Illinois 4-H Young Alumni Award winner.
As a third generation 4-H alumna, Codie’s blood runs deep for 4-H. She began her 4-H career as a Cloverbud in the Top Notchers 4-H Club and excelled in her 11-year 4-H career. Codie’s love for food and nutrition was sparked when she enrolled in the Cooking 101 4-H project. There she found new skills and continued challenging herself to learn more. Do More. And Teach Others. Codie attended National 4-H Congress and the National Poultry and Egg Conference. She even met her future husband participating in poultry judging. 4-H helped her find her passion for food and inspired her to attend culinary school and then she received her bachelors in Family and Consumer Sciences from Illinois State University.
Codie is a valued volunteer of the JoDaviess County 4-H program. She serves as a 4-H club leader, fair superintendent, fair judge and is active on numerous committees and she recently joined the Unit 1 Extension Council.
Codie serves as a Family and Consumer Science teacher at Warren High School. She has designed her classroom much like her 4-H experience, hands-on and with student-led experiences. Codie’s students learn about farm to table and work closely with the agriculture teacher to provide these experiences.
Codie also volunteers for the JoDaviess County Farm Bureau and FFA chapter to host poultry judging clinics and workshops. She is active with community service organizations including the Special Olympics, American Red Cross and her local church.
Codie is sharing her passion of “learn by doing” with future generations.
Congratulations Codie!