4-H Member Reports on National Congress as a PA Delegate

Meghan Becker is a member of the Mount Joy 4-H Community Club and is an active participant in that club. She is also a teen member of the Lancaster 4-H Program Development Committee and County Team Council.

The 4-H National Congress, as described on their website home page, is a five-day event that engages high school aged 4-H members in leadership, citizenship, global awareness, and inclusion. Participants not only have the opportunity to participate in state-of-the-art educational workshops and hear from world-renowned speakers, they also have the opportunity to network with other 4-H members from across the United States. Delegates are selected through their respective state 4-H Programs.

Becker reports that "it was a thrilling experience!". In her own words she recounts her experience there; "I had the pleasure of meeting 4-Hers from almost every state and Puerto Rico. I traded pins with many of them as it is a National Congress tradition to exchange pins. I made several good friends in the PA delegation who made the trip even more exciting. I was both impressed and amazed at everything that had been planned for the conference! One such example was the international dinner. The decorations were huge and so beautiful, there were decorations and food from China, Italy, Egypt, France and more". She continues, "I particularly loved the tours; I selected the CNN Center tour where I had the opportunity to meet Carl Azus the CNN 10 news anchor and writer. I also attended and participated in various workshops including, Water and How It Works, Think Globally; Agri Science, and several others focused on leadership and taking incentive. The most interesting workshop gave us pills that contained Miracle Berries which essentially link your sour and bitter taste buds to your sweet ones allowing a lemon to taste sweet and be eaten like an orange".

Becker concludes, "I loved every moment of Congress and enjoyed learning about leadership and being an ambassador for 4-H on a national scale. It truly was a once in a lifetime experience".

Congratulations Meghan on such a wonderful leadership learning opportunity, and for being a valued member of the 4-H community!