Orange 4-H is pleased to highlight the accomplishments and contributions of our graduating seniors. Summer intern Robert Goodwin has reached out to the youth and we will share his interview write-ups over the next few weeks. First to be featured is Andrew Gibson.
Andrew Gibson is a senior in 4-H this year. In the fall he will be attending Virginia Tech to study Agriculture Science. Andrew has been in 4-H all his life and done a lot in both the livestock club and community. His involvement in 4-H has ranged from county fair to Stockman's, 4-H Camp, and many community service projects throughout the county. He says that 4-H and the fair was always something that he looked forward to in the summer when he was growing up.
Andrew's work with the club and in 4-H has given him a strong sense of community, something that he would like to carry with him wherever he goes. The best thing about being in 4-H was that "it puts you into new situations and makes you do things that you might not be comfortable with at first but learn to love. Without 4-H to push me out into new situations, I would probably still be a shy little kid afraid to take charge and put myself out there," said Gibson.
Orange County has been home for Andrew all his life. Andrew graduated from Orange County High School this spring and is now headed off to Virginia Tech. 4-H influenced him a lot and is why he chose Ag Science as his major. In showing at the fair and more importantly the feeding and care for his animals, he learned that he loved agriculture. 4-H was also a place where he could learn more about the agriculture industry and more complicated things in the industry that most people don’t see on a daily basis. For example, events like the fair and stockman's taught him a lot about how to judge animals and the value of the animal. Andrew says without going to things like this he never would have learned how much he really enjoyed farming and working with animals.
Showing was not the only thing in 4-H that he participated in. Andrew was a camp counselor at 4-H camp. He said being in a leadership role was very challenging, but something that he loved, living at camp with the kids who depend on you for everything while you're there. Not just that but also the responsibility you have to accept and take on is hard. Andrew said that being a camp counselor was probably one of the biggest leadership roles he has been thrown into and has really helped him in gaining confidence as a leader in not just 4-H, but in many situations in life.
Andrew is going to Virginia Tech in the fall and plans on continuing to volunteer for 4-H and community events. He says that he would like to build on many of the lessons that 4-H has taught him. Looking back on his time in the clubs, he will miss many things about 4-H. He says that what he will miss the most is the friends you make and the fun that you have. Whether it be working with animals or being a mentor to the kids younger than you, 4-H is something that has been a part of his life for longer than he can remember and he will never forget what it has taught him.
