Mail Call: November/December 2011

Enlarge Image Image Gallery This year, Mariah tried robotics for the first time, building two robots by herself. Mariah Shultz

Benefits of 4-H

My name is Mariah Shultz, and I am a 12-year member of the Burlingame 4-H Club in Osage County, Kansas. I started 4-H when I was 7 years old, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I live in town, and I never had the opportunity to take on any type of livestock project, but that certainly hasn’t kept me from having an incredible 4-H experience.

At 7 years old, I took projects like foods and nutrition, photography, reading, and clothing buymanship. I kept several of these projects throughout my 4-H career, and I learned many life skills. I also added several projects along the way. My dad is an electrician, so I started taking the electricity project a few years ago. One year I built a coin-operated siren, and another year I built a Jacob’s ladder.

We work hard to come up with fresh ideas that will be interesting and hopefully get younger members excited about trying a new project.

I also built a multirocket launchpad with warning lights and an alarm. The launchpad was an electricity project that complemented another project I have enjoyed for several years, rocketry. I built more than half a dozen rockets myself and, true to 4-H form, my entire family has gotten into rocket building and launching. This year I am helping my little brother and sister build their first rockets.

I have a goal of trying as many new things as possible in 4-H and in life, so this past year, I tried robotics for the first time. I built two robots myself, and then my brother and I teamed up to build a programmable robot. It was a new and interesting endeavor. The little robots were easy to build and fun to play with. The programmable robot wasn’t that hard to build, but the programming proved to be a bit of a challenge. We had a great time, learned so much, and now we are driven to try it again this year.

While projects are great, 4-H is about so much more than the projects in which you choose to participate. Among other things, 4-H is about service and learning the importance of giving back to your community. I’ve grown up doing club food drives, adopting needy families, doing clean-ups at the local parks and museums, and one year we even kept flower gardens going at three locations in town.

I also spend time volunteering with younger club members. I teach the first-level foods and photography projects and help wherever there is a need. I’ve served as a club officer, and this year I’m the club president. I’ve also held almost every office in the County Junior Leadership program and on the County 4-H Council. All of these activities have given me opportunities to learn and put to use my leadership skills.