My capitol conference with 4-H 

In elementary school, I was the kid who read a lot of books and seemed to know everything. If someone had told me then that I would become so good at public speaking that I’d win a competition for it and go to Washington, D.C., I probably would have stared at them like they were crazy. Yet, here I am, 10 years later, now a first-year student in college, having done exactly that. 

I was awarded a trip to Washington, D.C. from Mar. 12 through the 16 for winning a public speaking competition through 4-H last summer. It was a rather unique experience. 

The event, Ignite by 4-H, was a conference hosted at the Marriott Marquis, about a 20-minute walk from the National Mall. Thus, in addition to several opportunities to explore the city, much of my time was dedicated inside the hotel. 

I traveled with 28 other 4-Hers from Louisiana, 11 of them from my parish, who also won their respective competitions last summer. There were 4-Hers from 49 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, Italy and Spain, over 1,400 attendees in total. I’ve become friends with amazing individuals from Virginia, Alabama and Florida. 

The conference’s primary feature was the Lead to Change Project. Everyone was encouraged to draft a service project of their choice to impact their community and present it to the other attendees on Mar. 15. The delegation from my parish chose a project on raising literacy rates in disadvantaged communities. Through one-on-one mentoring with elementary students, community book drives and free book fairs, we aimed to raise test scores and create more well-rounded individuals. 

The incentive to pitch is that if the group decides to pursue the project back home, they can apply and compete against the other applicants for a grant from the National 4-H Foundation to fund it. It’s also generally good exercise in building teamwork and communication skills. 

With a wide array of workshops to choose from, most of mine were about developing leadership skills and community service projects. We learned how to educate youth in our communities about managing their stress, how to develop an effective resume and agricultural literacy. 

One of the more fun features of national 4-H events is the pin trading. Each state brings lapel pins to trade with other states. Idaho’s is shaped like a potato. Georgia’s often features peaches while Maine’s is a lobster. The unique part about being from Louisiana is that we bring Mardi Gras beads as well, which many people were happy to trade for. 

I also listened to numerous inspiring guest speakers. Jenna Bush Hager, the daughter of President Bush, spoke about her activism to end poverty around the world. Emily Calandrelli, astronaut and award-winning author, told us about her setbacks as a woman in the STEM field. 

I was blessed to be able to listen to Kevin Olusola, a member of the a cappella group Pentatonix, beatbox and play the cello simultaneously. He then discussed the importance of sharing one’s skills with the world as a means of cultural exchange. 

Outside the hotel, we had an evening to tour the national monuments between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. I saw the wall of names in remembrance of Americans we lost in the Vietnam War and appreciated the beauty of the Korean War Memorial. I walked up the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and stood where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addressed thousands in the March on Washington in 1963. 

We stood in awe in front of many of the federal buildings, including the Library of Congress, The Supreme Court and Capitol Hill. I also saw the White House from the South Lawn. If you’re wondering: no, the president was unfortunately not there. 

We traveled to the National Arboretum, one of the nation’s largest agricultural research and conservation centers. Unfortunately, it was still too early in the year for most plants to be in full growth. However, we still learned a lot about their operations, such as the various uses and history of herbs in medicine and cooking. We also saw their Bonsai garden, and learned that Bonsai is just as much of an art form as painting or singing, and can be used to tell a story. 

My journey to this point requires some context. Although 4-H is commonly stereotyped as just a livestock and agriculture organization, I was a member of it from third through 12 grade and never ventured far into that branch. In middle school, I focused primarily on cooking activities before getting into woodworking and leadership. All the while, I was participating in community service activities and organizing my school club meetings as an officer. 

In high school, I was awarded trips to Jacksonville, Memphis, Atlanta, Orlando and another trip to Washington D.C. in my junior year all for being an active club member at the school, parish and state levels. To win this trip, for instance, I presented on the importance of funding the arts in the education system against 15 peers. Honestly, without 4-H, I don’t believe I’d be pursuing a degree in political science or active in my community. It’s taught me the value of contributing to my community and being optimistic for change. 

It’s helped me develop resilience, time management, self-esteem, work ethic, teamwork, punctuality, creativity, problem-solving and critical thinking skills. I’ve learned about woodworking, cooking, leadership, finances and budgeting, STEM, communication and civic engagement. 

Having such a long history in 4-H, this conference was a rather bittersweet moment as it was my last event as a youth 4-H member. I made sure to savor every minute of it. So, although going to Washington, D.C. is a once in a lifetime experience, the lesson I want to pass on is that the effort I invested into 4-H was rewarded back to me by the skills I’ve learned.