“I told myself not to get my hopes up,” 17-year-old Maddie Smith said about her April trip to the 4-H National Conference, “but I knew that I had a greater chance of making it if I applied than if I didn’t,” she laughed.
The application process to be a delegate at the 4-H National Conference is rigorous and selective, but Maddie was up for the challenge. She has an aunt who had previously attended as a delegate and knew several other people who had the honor as well, so they were able to give her tips when she was filling out her application. Maddie applied along with 20 other candidates from across Minnesota for the opportunity to fill one of the five delegation spots. After her application was accepted, there were interviews, online conference calls, etc., to narrow down the candidate choices. “I was thrilled for my opportunity ahead,” Maddie said about when she learned that she had been chosen to fill one of the spots.
Maddie started out in the 4-H Cloverbuds program and has been an active member of 4-H ever since. “My family is very heavily involved within the county,” she said. She moved to a farm where her family raises beef cattle and sheep outside of Preston when she was around 12 years old. Before that they lived in Rochester, but she spent a lot of time at her grandparents’ farm in Chatfield, which is where she still keeps her horse. In past years, she had completed many 4-H projects in photography, fine arts, crafts, needlework and more, and has also shown geese. This year, she is showing her horse, sheep, and ducks at the Fillmore County 4-H shows during the county fair.
“I love being able to go anywhere within the county and know someone there from 4-H,” Maddie said. She appreciates the friendly, community oriented atmosphere that 4-H promotes as well as all of the opportunities and experiences that 4-H offers.
In total, 323 4-H delegates between the ages of 15 and 19 from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Canada attended the conference this April at the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, Md. Maddie was able to raise most of the money to cover her costs through scholarships and other donations.
Maddie, the other four delegates from Minnesota, and their advisor met each other at the airport for the first time before flying to the conference. They chose to arrive a day before the conference started to allow time for some extra sightseeing. During their time in Maryland, they were able to visit the National Mall, the Capitol, and more, making it a truly memorable experience.
The conference gives the 4-H delegates opportunities to practice and develop civic education, apply what they’ve learned in 4-H to real world experiences, increase their sense of responsibility to their community and their country, and make a difference. During the conference, Maddie participated in a round table group discussion which addressed the United States Department of Labor on the subject of youth in the work force. Despite the members of her group being scattered across the country, they were able to accomplish most of their research and personal interviews using Skype to discuss the project with each other. They then spent about 12 hours compiling their research into an hour long presentation after arriving at the conference.
In addition to the round table group discussion, Maddie attended lectures from a number of keynote speakers. The one that made the most impact on her was given by the Secretary of the USDA, Sonny Perdue. “That was really neat to listen to him as a guest speaker,” she commented. She also had the opportunity to meet Minnesota Senator Tina Smith on Capitol Hill as well as some of the aides for Representative Tim Walz and Senator Amy Klobuchar. Representatives from the U of M campus, including the dean were also in attendance at the conference.
Maddie already has plans to attend a four-year college and, through Post-Secondary Enrollment Option at RCTC, will have completed an AA degree before graduating from Fillmore Central in 2019. She plans to triple major in theater, music, and English education and go on to be a teacher after college.
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