Asked why she had encouraged me to be so active, my mom said it was to help me grow into a well-rounded person. She knew intuitively what a 1999 Cornell University study verified: 4-H has a positive impact on kids. It gives them assets that make them less likely to get into drugs and other risky behaviors and more likely to be healthy and successful in school.

It wasn't clear to me at first what 4-H was all about. But my fifth-grade teacher made it attractive, and I was hooked. I was having fun and learning to feel good about myself.

My Head

In developing my head, 4-H improved my managing and thinking skills. In competitive events, I've set goals for myself and learned to manage my time and resources to achieve them.

Of course, the goal is to be the best you can be. Sometimes I'm rewarded by earning a win. At other times, I learn how to be better next time.

I first competed in communication as a Cloverleaf. I've continued in this project, learning more about the topic and refining my speaking and presentation skills each year.

My Heart

My parents say 4-H has helped improve my heart, specifically in building my social skills. Painfully shy in middle school, I signed up to attend Junior 4-H Conference and found I was the only one from my school planning to go. I could have dropped out, but I opted to go, and it was a turning point in my life.

I was forced to become acquainted with students from other schools in my county and made friends from other counties, too. That weekend showed me I shouldn't shy away from events because my friends weren't there. Since then I've made many friends from across the state through 4-H.

My Hands

Working and giving involves my hands. Our 4-H leader offers us opportunities for community volunteering each year. Community service projects have always been part of my Girl Scout experience, too.

The basis of these projects was giving, either specific items or our time and effort. We had projects to help less fortunate people through the local homeless shelter and emergency food bank.

I've learned to work together with my peers. We always feel good about ourselves after a job well done.

My Health

Learning through the successes and failures of competition, my understanding of my strengths and weaknesses heightened my self-concept. Through social interaction with other 4-H'ers, I gained self-confidence. Through teamwork and community service, I enhanced my feelings of self-worth.

These experiences together have helped me build a positive self-esteem, making my health and healthy living better.

My family, friends and teachers all say 4-H has been a positive influence for me. I know this to be true.

I know how to organize materials for a project now, and I'm comfortable giving oral presentations. This is a great help in my schoolwork.

I've gained social confidence and am comfortable in many situations. This should help me make wise choices when confronted by peer pressure to participate in risky behavior.

While I strive to be the best I can be, 4-H is the vehicle to help "make the best better" every day.