My 4-H Story

My 4-H journey started because of my dad. He had always talked about starting a club where kids could learn life skills while having fun and socializing with others. One day, he actually did it. After researching non-profit club models and taking inspiration from my uncle's club in New Jersey, he discovered 4-H and decided it was the right fit. He filed the paperwork, and just like that, the Ashland Innovation 4-H Club was official. I was in 3rd grade and had never done any extracurriculars before. I was excited, and a little nervous about recruiting other kids. Rejection was the first fear that 4-H helped me work through.

The club started with neighborhood and school friends meeting at our local library. We learned about electronics, Arduino, programming, and presentation skills. Then COVID-19 hit, and everything shifted online. Our meetings moved to Zoom. Massachusetts 4-H kept youth engaged through a Google Classroom with STEAM activities, and the 2020 4-H STEM Challenge sent a Mars Base Camp kit to our home. That kit kept my brother and me occupied through some of the most isolated months of the pandemic.

In 2021, I gave my first visual presentation on marine life. I competed at the local and county levels and made it to the state competition, where I won a Blue Rosette for first place in the fisheries and aquatics category. That same year, I built the Water Meter, a device designed to track household water usage in real time. I presented it at the 102nd Mercer County 4-H Fair, and it went on to win the Alexander Graham Bell Prize at the 2021 AT&T Inventor's Challenge. In 2022, I presented a new project on the Northeast Region and reached the state competition again.

In the fall of 2022, my family moved to Waxhaw, North Carolina. I joined Union County 4-H and became President of the Lead Think Innovation 4-H Club in January 2023. The transition to a new state and a new 4-H program came with its own learning curve, but it also opened up new opportunities. I presented on Environmental Sustainability at the 2023 Union County 4-H Activity Day and began taking on more leadership responsibilities.

In 2024, my club shifted its focus toward Python and machine learning. I built Heart Rate Buddy, a real-time heart rate monitoring tool using Arduino, and began work on Clear Water, an Arduino-powered device designed to monitor water quality in aquariums by measuring TDS, turbidity, and pH levels. I also attended the 77th Annual 4-H Electric Congress at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC, where I visited booths from Duke Energy, Dominion Energy, Altec, Boston Dynamics, and ULCS. Clear Water was presented at the Union County 4-H Expo in September 2024. I joined the Union County 4-H Teen Council as a Reporter and became North Carolina Chapter Lead for VFF USA.

In 2025, my club continued its focus on statistics and machine learning. I attended the 78th Annual 4-H Electric Congress at UNC Wilmington, where I explored energy careers, met Spot from Boston Dynamics again, and received my delegate certificate. Clear Water was presented once more at the Union County 4-H Expo in September 2025.

In 2026, I became a member of the NC 4-H Clover Crew and a Union County 4-H Counselor-in-Training. My team also competed in the Presidential AI Challenge with our project Civic Compass, winning the North Carolina Middle School Track II award and advancing to Regionals. Six years in, 4-H has shaped how I think, lead, build, and present. It has helped me become the person I am today.