LIGONIER, Ind. – Andrea Weaver says 4-H has made her a more confident leader and public speaker. The Noble County, Ind., teen said she will miss being active in the local 4-H club and seeing the many friends she’s made after she heads off to college this fall.

“(4-H) has also taught me time management and financial responsibility through my many projects,” she explained. “I cannot say enough about what 4-H has done for me. Through my many years of 4-H, I have held various leadership roles in my local 4-H club and Noble County Junior Leaders. These positions have allowed me to help mentor and educate other members and potential members on different aspects of 4-H, whether it be working with livestock, or just assisting other members with their projects and questions.”

This year, Weaver will complete her tenth year of 4-H with 10 years in sewing and cake decorating, nine years in beef and photography, and seven years in swine and archery. She shows cattle on the local, state and national levels, and swine on the local level.

“I enjoy my beef project the most,” she noted. “This is a project which allows me the opportunity to work and show cattle year round. Getting a steer or heifer show ready requires creating a bond with that animal and constant work. It’s not a project you can just show up for. I also enjoy mentoring and educating other kids about the cattle side of 4-H and the field of agriculture.”

Weaver’s parents were involved in 4-H and while not active farmers, they wanted to give Weaver and her brother the chance to raise and show livestock and become active in 4-H. Her older brother started Mini 4-H as a first grader and later chose swine as his livestock project.

“Being four years younger, I had the chance to experience 4-H through him and then joined Mini 4-H as well in first grade, being mentored several years in the beef club. That is the project I have loved the most and still to this day enjoy my time raising and showing cattle.”

As a younger student, Weaver said she participated in Ag Day. As a senior, she said she was able to bring Ag Day to the next generation of school-age children.

Weaver said she plans to attend Huntington University this fall majoring in ag education with an agribusiness minor. After graduation, she hopes to become an ag educator at one of the local schools in the state and share her love of agriculture with youth.

She said she would recommend 4-H to the youth in the state as it allows for the learning of lifelong skills and for making lifelong friendships.

“4-H is not just ‘cows and plows.’ There are so many different opportunities for kids to get involved in 4-H,” Weaver said. “Sure, there are livestock projects but there are Lego projects, robotics, crafts, beekeeping, wood working and models, just to name a few. 4-H also offers many STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) workshops for students.”