Building Community & Confidence

I am 11 years old and this was my first year in 4-H. I showed a market lamb. His name was Cheddar, and he was a very silly, and spunky lamb that loved to run around and play. I loved him very much, and while I was sad to sell him, I learned that market animals are loved and cared for. I also learned that even though they will eventually be slaughtered, they had an amazing life. The 4-H community is such a nice group of people and were very friendly and patient while I was learning everything I needed to know about raising and showing a market lamb. I learned a ton about what it takes to show and raise a lamb. I also learned what it means to be a 4-H member, and the responsibilities of participating in the group. 4-H has taught me leadership skills, responsibility, and problem solving, such as when we are discussing topics in our club meetings. In addition to that, my year in 4-H taught me communication, and public speaking skills, like when I did my oral report in the Livestock Judging at fair. Last but not least, I learned life lessons like how important community service is, and also how important it is to set goals for yourself.