Home Grown: Meet the students of 4H

Last week we talked about the positive impact the 4H program has on students in the Yuma community.

In this week’s Home Grown, we get to meet some of those students that view 4H as a step in the right direction.

Jaisyn Wolfe, is a senior this year at Gila Ridge High School.

She has been doing 4H for about 9 years not only showing goats but also getting involved in photography.

Since she was young, Jaisyn had been familiar with the fair and what it’s like to be around animals.

Also, inspired by her Dad who has been in the agriculture community, being in 4H was an easy decision for Jaisyn .

” My favorite part is definitely learning the different aspects of agriculture when it comes to either livestock or photography. I definitely love working with animals the most, ” said Wolfe.

Danielle Monroe is also a senior at Gila Ridge High School.

” So I started in 4H when I was nine years old. I was really inspired to start by my dad. I really thought a pig was the place for me and it definitely is, I love it now, ” said Monroe.

For Danielle, she believes having her family’s support is crucial when it comes to the success of her project.

For 10 years now, Danielle has loved the competition side of showing her pigs.

“I think it’s the memories made and honestly, the people in the show ring that we are showing with are some of your best friends, and no matter who wins, you are always so proud of them and it’s always so fun to see,” said Monroe.

Karsten Hanson is a senior at Cibola High School and has been in 4H for about 13 years.

Having followed in his siblings’ footsteps, Karsten says joining just made sense.

” Joining 4H was probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve made so many friends and so many great memories that I’ll never forget, ” said Hanson.

Karsten is the perfect example of just how many things you can do as a 4H member.

” Currently I show rabbits, guinea pigs, and steers. I also do entomology, and I’ve also done a couple of different welding projects, ” said Hanson.

With smaller animals like rabbits, Karsten can prove he knows his stuff.

” You’re not just showing the animal or the quality of your animal, you are also showing off your knowledge of the animal and the project. So there is everything from vocabulary terms to diseases to how to show the animal, ” said Hanson.

Kailey Faulkner is a senior at Cibola High School who got involved in 4H 13 years ago after being inspired by her sisters.

For Kailey , showing sheep is a unique task.

” The thing with sheep that people don’t always realize is that we only use our hands. We don’t have a show stick, we don’t have a halter, we don’t have anything, we just have our hands and the animal, ” said Faulkner.

Not only has she learned about sheep, but Kailey has also broadened her knowledge of the agriculture industry.

” You learn so much. I have learned how to take care of animals, how to give shots, and how to do all sorts of things with animals, ” said Faulkner.

When asked what they would tell a student who is on the fence about becoming involved in 4H, all these students had a similar answer.

“It’s a good opportunity because you also learn leadership skills and being involved with your community and learning different things about agriculture,” said Wolfe.

“No matter what, we have a project for you, and we would love for you to come be our friend because we love friends at 4H,” said Monroe.

“There’s the trips that you can take, but there are also the friendships you can make, which I definitely will remember a lot longer and a lot better than the animals that I have shown,” said Hanson.

” You get to make so many friends and it’s just so great being in 4H because I don’t even know where I would be if I wasn’t in it. I have so many friends because of it and I am super grateful for that, ” said Faulkner.

As for what comes after high school, these students were confident in their plans.

Jaisyn wants to be involved in animal nutrition or in the ag business community.

Danielle will be attending the University of Arizona with a major in animal science.

Karsten wants to attend the University of Arizona or Arizona State University to pursue a degree in agriculture engineering and then join the Air Force.

Kailey plans on pursuing a degree in physical therapy but says she wants to stay involved in agriculture by maybe being on the 4H leader board.

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