Kheica’s prepared public speech at county events her senior year
I will never forget the day Kheica and little sister walked into the Jefferson County Extension Office interested in doing a 4-H Demonstration at County Events. Two shy and very timorous little girls. Perhaps they could organize their presentation, but the thought of presenting it in front of an audience- no way! They proved me wrong. They organized their demonstration and presented it at County and District Events. Receiving both blue 1st place ribbons and blue quality rosettes. Since her demonstration at age ten, Khecia made a lasting impression in Jefferson County 4-H. She embraced 4-H slogan “Learning by Doing” wholeheartedly as a member.
Khecia’s first 4-H team demonstration, as a junior
As a junior and intermediate 4-Her, Kheica was a member the Elite Sewing Club. She also served as president of the Jefferson Elementary School Clubs (both 3rd & 4th grade years). She also participated in consumer choices judging contest and received the highest individual score at the North Florida Fair.
As a senior 4-Her, Kheica served as president and vice-president of the Jefferson County Teen Council. Last year, she participated in general public speaking at the county, district & state levels. This year Kheica will be doing a team demonstration at 4-H University entitled: Creamy Shrimp Linguine. She served on the 4-H NW Teen Retreat Planning Committee. This summer will also be her fourth year as a camp counselor at the day and overnight summer camps.
Khecia has helped plan several community service projects, including a roadside clean-up this spring.
Giving back to her community is paramount to Kheica. She has accumulated over 400 hours of community service hours from roadside cleanup, the 4-H Nature Trail Clean up, northwest Florida service project (Chemo Kits for Cancer Patients), nursing home visits, and landscaped the senior citizen center.
When I asked Kheica what life skills she learned that she attributes to 4-H, she shared: “I have learned life skills such as teamwork, dedication, and perseverance. I have also learned the important of community service.” Kheica said her most memorable moment as a junior 4-Her was participating in 4-H Tropicana Public Speaking and doing her demonstrations at County & District Events.
Khecia Jones, an exemplary student, achieved top honors as Valedictorian of the 2017 graduating class. After graduation, she plans to attend FAMU on a full scholarship and major in Biomedical Sciences.
Our heart is content knowing that Jefferson County 4-H equipped this young woman with tools necessary to be successful post high school. Jefferson County 4-H takes pleasure in wishing Khecia Jones much happiness and success in her future endeavors, and we invite her to join 4-H as a volunteer to help other youth benefit from 4-H the way she has!”
If you are interested in joining 4-H to learn leadership and communication skills, or if you would like to help teach youth in your community as a 4-H volunteer, contact your local UF IFAS County Extension Office or visit http://florida4h.org.
Russell and Julie McMillian, Gulf County 4-H Alumnae and 4-H Leaders
Russell and Julie McMillian both grew up in Gulf County and together have established a thriving business based on their love of horses. They now own a small farm in Dalkeith, just south of Wewahitchka, and their business Rockin’ M Ranch, consists of horseback riding lessons for beginners and beach rides for tourists and locals alike along the beautiful beaches of Cape San Blas.
How did this all begin? Russell and Julie both grew up as Gulf County 4-H members of the Big River Riders 4-H Club. They both participated in a variety of 4-H programs; including Horse Camp, Camp Timpoochee, Congress (now known as 4-H University), District Events, North Florida Fair Ag Judging, Area A and State 4-H Horse Shows, etc. They both learned the values of 4-H through learning how to raise and compete with their animals, agricultural commodities, leadership skills, public speaking, community service, good decision making skills, and much more…
As adults, they both went in separate directions, but still maintained their love of horses and the farm life. Russell began his career in flooring and tile work, while Julie received her education degree and taught Kindergarten at Wewahitchka Elementary School. After reconnecting as adults, they married on September 25, 2010 and turned their passion for horses into a full-time love by creating their own business, Rockin’ M Ranch. Russell still does flooring, tile work on the side, and helps his grandparents with their hay business. Julie decided to leave the teaching field, and she manages their business full time. She began giving beach rides on the Cape at the age of 14 and still loves it as much today.
Julie and Russell McMillian pictured with Brooke (left) and Hayleigh (right).
Russell began his time with 4-H at the age of 12 and Julie was 8 years old. As members of the Big River Riders 4-H Club, they adored their 4-H leaders, Mr. Jesse Eubanks and Ms. Jean McMillian (Russell’s grandmother), and the Gulf County Extension Director, Roy L. Carter (now retired), whose passion for horses was contagious. Julie explained that she was a very shy child and that participating in public speaking for District Events really helped her come out of her shell. They both loved learning the values of the four H’s: Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. They feel 4-H has helped them develop into productive adults with good decision-making skills and in-stilled in them the importance of giving back to their community. They have served as 4-H volunteers for the Big River Rider’s 4-H Club since Russell’s daughters joined 4-H years ago; Brooke (17) and Hayleigh (15) also ride horses and have competed in a variety of Gulf County 4-H programs throughout the years. Russell and Julie have also taught a variety of horse riding classes at multiple Gulf County 4-H day camps.
As 4-H and community leaders, their most important goal is to give back to the community that gave to them as 4-Hers growing up here. They really love introducing new riders to the love of horses and 4-H. On any day, Russell and Julie can be found throughout the county at various events supporting 4-H members and any youth for that matter.
When asked what advice she has for someone thinking about becoming a 4-H volunteer she said, “Do not have regrets…just do it. Do not be scared off by the fingerprinting and application process. It is quick and easy, and maintains the safety for you and the children. Get started! 4-H is a great opportunity for youth and adults.”
“As a 4-H extension agent, you can only hope to find 4-H volunteers as dedicated as Russell and Julie McMillian. Their passion and love of 4-H is infectious and draws in youth looking for a place to belong.” -Melanie Taylor, Gulf County 4-H Agent
For more information about Rockin’ M Ranch, please go to http://www.therockinmranch.com/. For more information about how to become involved in 4-H, either as a youth member or adult volunteer, visit florida4h.org or contact your local UF IFAS County Extension Office. 4-H offers a variety of roles for volunteers to share their passions, skills and interests.
4-H youth participate in service projects at the club, county, district and state levels throughout the year. As adults, 4-H youth are more civically active.
Each year, teens across the Florida panhandle convene for a weekend to practice leadership skills, learn workforce skills and participate in service to their communities. This years’ event will be February 24-26th at 4-H Camp Timpoochee. Teens plan and lead the weekend retreat. Last year, teens cut out and donated more than 200 pairs of shoes for Sole Hope, an organization that provides shoes for children in Africa in order to prevent foot related diseases. This year, the project they chose was to make Chemo Kits for cancer patients. Over the next six weeks, teens will be collecting items for the kits and will bring them to the retreat to package them up. Each county will be partnering with local hospitals and hospice groups to distribute the kits.
We are asking clubs, alumni and other 4-H supporters to please donate items for the kits so that we can serve as many cancer patients as possible. You can drop the items off at our local 4-H Extension Office. Here’s a list of items that are needed:
Did you know that you can extend your 4-H experience through your college years? If you plan on attending college consider joining Collegiate 4-H. Collegiate 4-H is an organization that provides its members with a sense of identity on campus, enriches their lives through group projects and recreation, and develops confidence and leadership skills. At the University of Florida, Collegiate 4-H provides service and support to Alachua County 4-H and the Florida 4-H State Programs. Collegiate 4-H is not only a professional organization, but also a service and social organization. Some of the ways they support 4-H include serving as judges, mentors, and volunteers. Recently, the executive officers of the UF Collegiate 4-H supported our district-wide Teen Retreat. Last year, the Collegiate 4-H chapter at UF hosted the National Collegiate 4-H Conference in Gainesville, FL. Earlier this spring, they were invited to attend and present at the National STEM Conference in Washington, DC. Being a Collegiate 4-H member can open lots of doors for scholarships, awards, internship opportunities, and careers. It also helps you connect with other young people who are passionate about 4-H Positive Youth Development and who want to continue to make a difference in their “club, community, country, and world.”
Membership
Collegiate 4-H is open to all college students who wish to support youth and the 4-H program. It is not necessary to have prior 4-H experience, only to have an interest in the 4-H ideals and in serving your community. Prior membership in the 4-H organization is not required. If there is not a Collegiate 4-H Chapter at your local college or university, contact your local UF IFAS Extension Office to inquire about securing a faculty advisor.
Questions?
To find out more about the Collegiate 4-H Program at the University of Florida, contact Joshua Clay Hurdle, UF Collegiate 4-H President jchurdle@ufl.edu
To find out more about Collegiate 4-H in general, visit http://www.collegiate4h.org/ or contact Dr. Kate Fogarty, Ph.D. Youth Development Specialist, Florida 4-H kfogarty@ufl.edu
Clear evidence of mastering a skill is being able to employ it in one’s everyday life. Knowledge is only as good as how we are able to use it. 4-H dedicates itself to educating youth with research based curriculum not only for their own benefit but also so they can share that knowledge with others. When we “pledge our hands to larger service”, this can take on many forms. It may look like teaching youth in a community center about robotics or gardening, making meals for the military and first responders, or cleaning up trash in local parks. In all our service, it is important that regardless of what this looks like that we focus on meeting a need in our community. Identifying these needs is sometimes difficult if they are not part of what we see around us regularly. Talking to people who do not have the same life experiences we do is a good way to start seeing the world in a different way and thinking about ways you can help others who haven’t had the same opportunities. In Escambia County, around 30% of our youth population lives in poverty (US Census). Outcomes of living in poverty are hunger, poor housing, poor health, and lower educational scores, just to name a few. Our 4-Hers are learning to use the skills they have gained in 4-H in creative ways to help address some of these issues. One club has received a grant to raise a hog that a youth will show and have processed so the meat can be included in food boxes for local families. Another club raised funds to help support the Council on Aging to provide air conditioning units to the elderly, who are more likely to be impoverished, during the hot summer months.
Escambia County 4-Hers assemble food boxes for local families at this year’s Farm to City event.
Whether poverty, pollution, safety, education, healthcare, or another issue is one that effects your community, the skills youth learn through 4-H can help address it. Not only does this help those around us live healthier and more productive lives, but it helps those who serve connect to their community and learn to give back. As with all 4-H projects, our goal is to help youth become more engaged and knowledgeable citizens that contribute to their world in positive ways. We encourage our youth to embody the spirit of generosity all year long, but during this season, be sure to explore the needs in your community you can help to change, even in the smallest way. If you need help thinking of how to best give back, contact your local 4-H Agent, local non-profits, or look up your county’s information in a database such as the US Census’ QuickFacts (http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12000.html) and think about what kinds of problems might arise from the information you find there.
4-H also offers many Leadership and Citizenship projects that can help youth navigate assessing the needs of their community and putting their skills to use. You can find a few such project guides at the following links:
If you are interested in helping guide the next generation to be compassionate, active citizens for tomorrow, consider becoming a 4-H Volunteer. 4-H offers a wide variety of roles to fit your interests and schedule. Visit http://florida4h.org or contact your local UF IFAS Extension Office.
US Census. 2015. American Community Survey 2009-2013 five-year estimates, Children Characteristics: Escambia County, FL. Accessed November 18, 2015.
