A 4-H Member's Perspective

Rebecca Kugler, a Berks County Livestock Club, was recently asked to describe what skills she gained from 4-H and how she uses these skills in the real world. 

Recently, I was asked in an interview, "What would you say to convince someone to join 4-H?"  My response was simple, 4-H is bigger than an individual project; it will give you invaluable skills that will open the doors to many opportunities outside of the show ring.

It's surreal to be near the end of my 4-H career. Throughout the last ten years, I have met some of the most extraordinary people and gained copious skills that will help me in everything I do. This summer has been filled with opportunities that were only made possible because of the skills I gained in 4-H. My summer began with a trip to Lykens Children's Museum, where I brought a couple of sheep to meet some incredible kids and teach them about agriculture. I prepared a quick lesson on the work associated with raising sheep and the importance of agriculture in our world. My visit ended with some very sweet thank you letters for the sheep. Their reactions reminded me of the kids visiting the fair each year. Their excitement and gratitude solidified the importance of taking the time to share our knowledge with others.

Shortly after my visit, I received an email that I would be working at Champions Choice Lamb Camp! I had a great day working with kids and their lambs. The Champions Choice team is devoted to filling the day with knowledge, hard work, passion, and high fives. We spent the day working hard on their showmanship and fitting skills. I was nervous about working with a small group on my own, but luckily, I have had some of the greatest leaders throughout my time in 4-H. Through their own teachings, they have shown me how to encourage kids to dig deep and reach for the stars. It may be a long time until I am able to teach like they are, but it gave me some good guidance to start. My feet were aching by the end of the day, but my heart was filled with so much joy knowing that I got to be a tiny part of each of these kids' journeys.

In July, I spent a couple of weeks showing with some of my best friends and my dad in Massachusetts. I was exhausted and ready to come home by the end, but it made me appreciate the support system I am fortunate to have behind me. This livestock show thing we do is most certainly not a one-man show. It involves lots of family, friends, and mentors behind the scenes, and my support system is a great one. Especially my dad, because the week after we got home, he helped me host a Pennsylvania Corriedale Association Meeting at our farm. It was the first meeting I led as the president of the association, and I absolutely could not have done it without him or my other officers. The best part of it all is that the association, which consists of around 50 members, is led by two other Berks County 4-H Sheep Club Alumni and me. That’s all the proof you need to know that 4-H is creating leaders outside of the show ring (Roger and Nancy Bowman deserve some credit for that too).

For me, raising and showing sheep through 4-H has been one of the biggest passions in my life so far. But as I near the end of my 4-H career, I appreciate more than just the moments in the ring. I truly appreciate all the life skills I have developed during my time in 4-H. Without them, I would have never gotten the incredible opportunities I have had, especially this summer.