2017 4-H Youth in Action: Five Things I Learned about the National 4-H Council Legacy Awards

There were several things that I learned about the Legacy Awards after I was named the Citizenship Pillar winner, all of which have made the Legacy Awards an even more memorable event for me.

So, I am going to share with you about the Five Things I Learned about the National 4-H Council Legacy Awards:

• I learned that there are a lot of well-known 4-H alumni who have gone on to use the skills they gained from 4-H to do great things and to help them have a successful future. It was important for me to find out about their 4-H experiences and the skills they have gained, and understanding how they can relate to my 4-H story.
• No matter how much I thought I learned about Public Speaking throughout my 4-H career, I learned even more as a Pillar winner. I was grateful to have practiced my public speaking skills whenever I had a chance, as I used them when I attended the gala.
• The event was designed to bring many influential 4-H Alumni together to help us 4-H’ers have an even brighter future. I took the time to meet them and learn about them. For those that I had the opportunity to meet, I followed by writing them ‘thank you’ cards. After all, they are investing in my future.
• I was fortunate enough to become friends with the other Pillar winners. Like me, they have worked hard to make it this far. 4-H is about belonging, and because our different journeys led us to this one point, we all belong together. We spent time together in DC, taking lots of photos together, and we plan to keep in touch in the future. The Legacy Awards is an amazing experience, but there is nothing more amazing than the friendships I made with the other Pillar winners.
• Another key part of attending Legacy: Learning proper table manners and etiquette. I educated myself on the proper use of tableware for each course. Also, I thought about questions or conversations I can have with Pillar sponsor (U.S. Cellular) and dinner mates. Because I was spending the evening with these individuals, I wanted to make it a fun and pleasant experience for all.

There is so much that I learned from the Legacy Awards, but I believe that everyone’s experience will be different. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, so I made the most of it and savored the moment.