by Heather Kent | Dec 10, 2020
Marley’s love of camping is what drew her to the 4-H program.
With 2020, everything is different and new. When talking with 17-year-old Santa Rosa County 4-H member, Marley Reynolds, she explains just how different 2020 ended up being for her. Marley said, “This was supposed to be my final year, I was really looking forward to doing Executive Board and having one last year as a camp counselor, but for better or for worse I ended up graduating a year early!” Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Marley had to accelerate her homeschool learning. Since she was already home and couldn’t do anything more than her schooling, she decided to go ahead and graduate. It was not something she took lightly and knew that with the change, she would shift from being a last year 4-H member to Alumni just that fast. She said, “It was very sudden but now I’m a second-year student at Pensacola State College and I’m slated to complete my General Education AA in Spring 2021.”
When asked what 4-H has meant to her, Marley replied, “4-H had always been a special place for me. I first joined because I heard about Camp Timpoochee and had been asking my parents to go to an overnight sleep-away camp for a while. It was amazing, and I still have the friends I met at camp that year.” Along with summer camp, Marley participated in the Marine Ecology competition at the state level and served many hours with the program as a teen volunteer. Marley and her family assisted the rest of Santa Rosa County with our annual Veteran’s Day Cookouts. Marley was able to use her leadership skills as a camp counselor for many years and helped to make camp week wonderful for many youth new to 4-H and camping.
With all of the 4-H events that Marley participated in, she said this about 4-H Day at the Capital, “I think it was my favorite event, mainly because I really liked visiting the Florida Museum of Natural History every year.” Marley and several other teens planned a primitive camping weekend and it was very eventful! She remembers, “My favorite memory was the camping trip we went on. It was my 13th birthday and it rained so hard the second day that we had to go home.” One of the other campers said, “It’s not about having fun, it’s about making memories” We definitely made some memories that weekend.
One of Marley’s main passions is theatre. She loves to get in costume and entertain others. 4-H allowed her to have many new and exciting experiences and she hopes to continue her 4-H career as summer camp staff in the future. Marley, congratulations on your early graduation and we are proud to call you a Florida 4-H Alumni! Don’t forget, that you can always continue your 4-H journey as a volunteer or 4-H Collegiate Member!
by Whitney Cherry | Jun 12, 2020
Dartanion worked to make camp fun for everyone.
When I think of Dartanion Hope, I have to smile. His is a life story riddled with challenges, the kind you read about in books or watch on TV docudramas. But he doesn’t focus on the negatives. He’s a happy kid with an infectious positive outlook on life and something of a mischievous nature. If I were to describe him in single words, I’d use ones like helpful, kind, thoughtful, independent, unassuming, nonjudgmental, and amazing – in the truest sense of the word.
Even with a bright future and military career ahead of him, Dartanion, or Dart, as we call him in the 4-H world, is in fact, a true success already. He would thank his mom, but I try to remind him that she can’t make his choices for him. He has chosen and continues to choose to be the person he’s become. I think his mom would agree.
If I’m being honest, it’s hard to measure how much 4-H has meant in determining the person Dart has become. A little? A lot? It’s tough to say, because he’s a measure of so many great experiences and opportunities – track, cross country, church, you get the idea. But 4-H certainly has been a place where we’ve seen the manifestations of a natural leader come into play. I’m definitely going to tell people he’s one of my 4-H’ers, like a proud mama would claim her own son, whenever I get the chance.
Dart works with others at camp to help untangle fishing gear prior to a sports fishing class.
Dart started coming to 4-H day camps when he was young. Eventually I got him to Camp Timpoochee for county camp week. He was a rambunctious tyke with unbelievable stories like having to be extracted from a fork in a tree by the local volunteer fire department using the jaws of life. He’d become so tightly wedged into the gap, he couldn’t get out otherwise. Or the time his front teeth were knocked out when his older brother practiced a wrestling move on him and didn’t realize he’d accidentally rendered him unconscious and dropped him face first into the floor. These stories, which were frightening to a young 4-H agent, I later found out from his parents, attending firemen, and physicians, were not tall tales, but were indeed ALL true. I probably should have been more scared to take Dart so far from home for a whole week, but we made it! And he came back again and again until he became a camp counselor, the best counselor I could have asked for.
Dart as a Senior Counselor at Camp Timpoochee
You see, during Dart’s first year as a Camp Counselor, I had just lost one of the most respected and dependable male camp counselors in Calhoun County 4-H due to graduation. As summer camp approached, I was a little worried how my crop of ALL first-year counselors would pull it off without his leadership. But Dart rose to the challenge. It was one of those rare and gratitude rendering experiences, when a person truly turns on their responsibility gene and shocks you with their maturity and poise. He was such an impressive counselor that he was invited back to state open enrollment camps as a counselor. This is an invite only gig. You have to impress camp staff and the resident director during your county camp week to get the ask, and he got it more than once. He totally deserved it. He was conscientious, fun, and made sure all of his campers were included. He became one of my most requested counselors by campers and parents, and they were sad to see him receive his senior counselor grommet last year.
It wasn’t his last trip to Timpoochee though. Thankfully, his busy schedule worked out so that he could join the NW District Teen Retreat Planning team with three of his camp counselor friends. Not only was he on planning calls with other district teens, but he spent extra hours planning and leading two different workshops for attendees with his county peers. He volunteered the group to stay late after meetings to help me double check plans and make decisions. They made extra trips to the office to help me pack and load equipment. And on that weekend, they did A LOT of running for me to help make sure things went well. He wasn’t the only super star of the weekend by any means. That entire planning committee was chock full of them. But once again, he was a standout leader. I was proud of him and hugely grateful for this last chance to shine with 4-H before his graduation.
Dart logged hundreds of service hours, but he never once acted like it was work.
I’ve been very blessed in my career to be impressed by a lot of young people. And today is no exception. I want Dart to get the praises he so deserves. Dart deserves to hear again that I am proud of him; that Calhoun County 4-H is proud of him; that he has lifelong friends in 4-H regardless of where life takes him; that we wish him all the best; and truly, that he is a prime example of how 4-H takes the best and makes them better. Congratulations Dart! We absolutely wish you the best of luck!
To find out more information about 4-H programs that can offer essential life skills such as independence, organizational skills, and goal setting, to your children or to volunteer with 4-H, please contact your local UF IFAS County Extension Office, or visit http://florida4h.org.
by jgl1 | Jun 5, 2020
Jada Mosley joined 4-H at age nine and has been an active and reliable member to age 18. She has been a proud and energetic member of the Jefferson County 4-H Teen Council. Her bubbling smile and cheerful personality is infectious to other members. Jada was elected Secretary in 2018-19 and President 2019-20 of the Jefferson County 4-H Teen Council. She was past District III Council Sgt-At-Arms. Per my observation of Jada presiding over the club meetings, she clearly demonstrates that she can run meetings in a productive and orderly fashion using Robert’s Rules of Order. Her leadership skills are superb.
1st – 4-H University
In 2017, Jada was recognized for her exceptional communication and presentation skills when she received the first-place trophy at 4-H University (state level) for her team illustrated talk entitled “Stay Alive Don’t Drink and Drink.” The past five years, she has participated in county, district, and state (4-H University) doing various presentations.
Volunteerism is the vital component of 4-H, and this young lady devoted over 300 community service hours. A loyal citizen in her community, Jada spends time working on community service projects. Jada volunteers each year with the 4-H Adopt-A-Road roadside cleanup project. As part of the service project during camp counselor training, she helped remove debris and landscape the Jefferson County Senior Citizen Center. She helped bag toys during the holidays for needy youth by participating in the JOY (Jefferson Outreach for Youth) Project. Jada also makes her visits to both nursing homes in Monticello during the holiday seasons. Jada has served as a camp counselor at both day and overnight summer camps for five consecutive years. In 2019, her peers at Camp Cherry voted her as the most dependable camp counselor.
Jada cleaning up debris
Jada was one of our Hurricane Heroes. When Hurricane Michael caused mass destruction to the Florida Panhandle in 2018, Jada, along with her peers, spent the entire day in Bay County moving and piling tree limbs, garbage, debris, and other miscellaneous materials. These diligent teens worked around utility workers, fallen power lines, utility poles, and even worked in the rain until the job was completed.
Our hearts are content knowing that Jefferson County 4-H has equipped this young woman with tools necessary to be successful post-high school. She plans to attend Tallahassee Community College this fall and major in Early Childhood Education.
“My most significant accomplishment I have experienced in 4-H was getting out of my shell and being myself.”
Jada said “the thing I’ll miss the most in 4-H would be all the camps I have done. I’ll miss the kids and of course the agents.” She, of course, will be missed as well. Jefferson County 4-H wishes Jada Mosley much happiness and success in her future endeavors.
For more information about 4-H in your county, find your local UF/IFAS Extension office or visit http://florida4h.org.
Author: John G. Lilly: jgl@ufl.edu
John Lilly is the 4-H Youth Development Agent in Jefferson County
by Niki Crawson | May 22, 2020
Sarah Crandall, 4-H Senior
I will never forget the summer of 2007. Sarah Crandall’s mom dropped her off at the 4-H Office for the 4-H Cloverbud Day Camp. I introduced myself and tears begin to roll down her face. She would not say a word, even when you asked her a question. The following year she returned. We noticed she became more talkative and outgoing. We would have never guessed she would develop into a mature, bright, and exuberant young woman.
Sarah teaching check writing
Sarah is a proud and energetic member of the Jefferson County 4-H County Teen Council. She was elected president, vice president, and secretary of the Jefferson County 4-H County Council over the course of years. She was the 2019-20 4-H District III Council Secretary and served on the 4-H State Council Executive Board Events Committees. My observation of Sarah presiding over the club meetings clearly demonstrated that she could run meetings in a productive and orderly fashion using Robert’s Rules of Order. Her leadership skills are impeccable! She served on the NW Florida 4-H Teen Retreat Planning Committee for the past three years. This year, Sarah was part of the team-teaching trio of the Living On My Own – Real-Life Simulation. Sarah did an exceptional job teaching the check writing portion of the activity.
In 2017, Sarah received the first-place trophy at 4-H University (state level) for her team illustrated talk entitled “Stay Alive Don’t Drink and Drink.” The past four years, Sarah participated in county, district, and state (4-H University) doing various presentations. In her spare time, Sarah loves photography, which inspired her to also participate in the State 4-H Photography Contest.
Since age 13, Sarah has been a camp counselor for all day camps and Cherry Lake overnight camps. Her peers at Camp Cherry Lake twice voted her as the Most Outstanding Camp Counselor. She is a certified 4-H Shotgun Instructor and does a phenomenal teaching shotgun discipline at the Jefferson/Leon Counties Wildlife Day Camp.
Sarah bags toys for JOY
Volunteerism is a vital component of 4-H and Sarah has proven this. This young woman has devoted over 400 community service hours. Sarah has also been a loyal citizen in her community by giving her time and efforts, working on community service projects. She helped Jefferson County 4-H put the final touches on the 4-H Nature Trail by clearing brush and installing signs to identify trees. Sarah has also assisted the council every year with the roadside 4-H Adopt-A-Road project. As part of the service project during camp counselor training, she helped remove debris and landscape the Jefferson County Senior Citizen Center. Sarah also makes her visits to both nursing homes in Jefferson County during the holiday seasons. She helped bagged toys during the holidays for needy youth by participating in the JOY (Jefferson Outreach for Youth) Project.
Sarah helps clean up debris
Sarah Crandall is one of our Hurricane Heroes. When Hurricane Michael caused mass destruction to the Florida Panhandle in 2018, Sarah, along with peers, spent the entire day in Bay County, moving and piling tree limbs, garbage, debris, and other miscellaneous materials. These diligent teens worked around utility workers, fallen power lines, utility poles, and even worked in the rain until the job was completed.
I asked Sarah, what are you going to miss about 4-H the most? She stated, “I am going to miss being a camp counselor the most. I took a lot of pride in passing on my knowledge to the kids at our camps, much of which I learned when I went to the same camps at their age.”
Our heart is content knowing that Jefferson County 4-H equipped this young woman with the tools necessary to be successful post-high school. Sarah plans to attend Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design in Lakewood, Colorado. Jefferson County 4-H takes pleasure in wishing Sarah Crandall much happiness and success in her future endeavors.
4-H teaches essential life skills to youth through hands-on lessons and real world situations through trained volunteers in a safe, positive environment. If you are interested in becoming a 4-H member or volunteer, please contact your local UF/ IFAS County Extension Office or visit http://florida4h.
Special thanks to John Lilly, UF/IFAS Jefferson County CED & 4-H Agent, for providing this article and pictures.
by Allison Leo | Oct 18, 2019
Natasha Roberts was a member of Leon County 4-H for over 10 years
Leon County 4-H was fortunate to have veteran 4-H member, Natasha Roberts, return this past summer to work as a University of Florida Intern. “I was a member of this program for much of my childhood, so it was exciting to be a part of it again, except as an intern this time!” said Natasha. She is currently attending the University of Florida, majoring in Agricultural Education and Communication.
Natasha remarked “because of my major, I got to apply a lot of what I’m learning in school during the internship. Becoming an Extension Agent is my dream career, so I’m very grateful for the opportunity I had to work with Extension over the summer and learn from the people who have been mentoring me my entire life”. Natasha’s assigned project for the internship was to develop educational teaching tools for 4-H members with the goal of increasing participation in the North Florida Fair Horticulture ID Contest. She did a phenomenal job and we could have not asked for a better intern!
Natasha was able to use the life skills she developed through her years in 4-H to successfully teach youth about horticulture. She developed a variety of study materials, including an electronic identification tool and an interactive bingo game. Natasha led educational workshops for 4-H members in Leon and Washington Counties with the materials she developed. In addition to the development of materials, Natasha created an entire program that can be implemented by Extension Agents and Program Assistants now that her internship is complete.
Natasha teaches a workshop on Plant ID
Natasha put her 4-H leadership skills to work by helping lead multiple days camps and 4-H activities over the summer. She helped lead Plant Science Camp, Culinary Camp, and Mindfulness Camp. She worked with Extension Agents to develop activities for each of the camps. When I asked her what her favorite part about returning to Leon 4-H was she answered “My favorite part of coming back to Leon 4-H as an intern was getting to design educational materials that I had wanted to make while as a member, but simply hadn’t found the time to. It was wonderful to play a part in preparing kids for the competition I had looked forward to every year as a child. I particularly loved getting to play the plant ID bingo games with kids in our county and watching them get excited about horticulture”.
Natasha Roberts leads an activity during Plant Science Camp
During her time with 4-H as a youth, Natasha won the State Horticulture Contest and traveled to St. Louis Missouri where she placed 7th in the National Horticulture Contest. When a 4-H member from Wakulla County wanted help preparing for the State Horticulture Competition, Natasha was delighted to help her fellow 4-H member prepare. She dedicated an entire day to helping her peer prepare and they went on to compete at both the State the National Horticulture Contest!
Natasha attributes her experience in 4-H to inspiring her to become a future Extension Agent. She desires “to help provide the same opportunities to others that the 4-H program gave me.” Natasha attributes her passion for community service and leadership to her involvement with 4-H. We cannot wait to see what is next for veteran 4-H member, Natasha!
Inspired by Natasha? Consider becoming a 4-H Volunteer today! The process to become a volunteer is simple: visit http://florida4h.org to apply online or visit your local UF IFAS County Extension Office for assistance.
