Happy New Year, everyone!
Minnesota 4-H State Ambassador
I am Kaitlyn G., a second-year Minnesota 4-H State Ambassador from Pipestone County.
My favorite part of being a 4-H State Ambassador is watching the team grow as a whole and making new friends.
I hope everyone was able to spend time with those they care about over the holidays.
I’ve been working on my New Year’s resolutions, hoping that this is the year I finally stick with them (probably not). New Year’s resolutions are not my strong suit, but it's ok to take growth at your own pace.
Learning leadership at National 4-H Congress
As a 4-H State Ambassador, I was able to have the amazing opportunity to go to the National 4-H Congress for five days from the end of November to the beginning of December. I am actually the third generation in my family to attend the National 4-H Congress, with my Grandpa and Dad attending when they were in 4-H.
I went with eight other youth delegates from across the great state of Minnesota, and was able to meet with youth from all over the United States, from Oregon to Arkansas to Hawaii, and even Puerto Rico.
I had so much fun learning about the different cultures in Atlanta, doing a service project at a local elementary school, learning more about leadership and hearing from great speakers like John Beede and Dan Clark. It truly was a blast making so many new connections.
Putting the finishing touches on BLU
This time of year, the Minnesota 4-H State Ambassadors are putting the finishing touches on our regional event, Building Leadership and Understanding, or BLU.
This year's theme is “The Art of Leadership." We will be doing art-based service learning, learning about stereotypes, broadening our minds and making tons of new friends.
We have been working hard on this, so we hope you will join us at one of our four locations:
- Feb. 1-2 at Camp Friendship in Annandale
- Feb. 8-9 at Redwood Area Community Center in Redwood Falls
- Feb. 15-16 at Camp Victory in Zumbro Falls
- Feb. 22-23 at Deep Portage in Hackensack
Registration for BLU does close on Jan. 10, so if you aren’t registered yet, make sure to do so before the deadline.
Registration is open for youth grades 6 and up. We hope that you will join us!
This is a great opportunity to take that next step out of your comfort zone, meet new people from across the state, sharpen your leadership skills or just try something new. Speaking on behalf of all the 4-H State Ambassadors, we can’t wait to meet you and hear your story.
I know that sometimes it can be intimidating to go to an event where you don't know anyone, and I’ve been there myself. I went to the 4-H statewide event Youth Exploring Leadership and Learning Opportunities (YELLO), all by myself, six plus hours away from home.
I was terrified to go, but it was definitely worth all of the anxiety I was feeling. I had a great time, felt included and went home with a bunch of new friends from all parts of the state. I have even seen these friends at other 4-H events.
Refocusing, I hope that if you are having doubts about going to BLU, you know that you aren’t alone, and we want everyone to make friends and feel included.
Take a minute for yourself
Once again, I hope that you were able to spend time with others this holiday season. I spent time with my family, friends and those I care about.
As the year starts and we get back into the swing of things, remember to take a minute for yourself if needed.
I run a pretty busy schedule with 4-H, work, school and playing basketball, and I know that sometimes it is difficult to take a moment and reflect on how you are doing. Some of my favorite ways to do this are walking our dog, Ollie, playing cards with my family or reading a book.
Best wishes to all, and Happy New Year!
Kaitlyn G., Pipestone County
Minnesota 4-H State Ambassador