Hadley attends National 4-H Congress

Allison Hadley, daughter of Dean and Sara Hadley of Afton, represented Iowa and the Union County 4-H program in Atlanta at the National 4-H Congress over Thanksgiving break.

Hadley was one of 18 Iowa high school 4-H’ers who applied, interviewed and was accepted to participate in the congress. Hadley is the first representative from Union County to attend the congress since Maddie Moffitt in 2004.

The National 4-H Congress is an elite conference open to actively involved high school 4-H’ers who demonstrate leadership, communication skills and passion within their 4-H careers. This five-day conference included dynamic keynote speakers, community service in the Atlanta area, workshops on leadership, cultural issues and team-building.

While in Atlanta, the delegates got to tour downtown Atlanta, Coca-Cola Factory and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Center. The Iowa delegation also attended Sunday church service at Ebemezer Baptist Church. All delegates attended workshops and heard from motivational speakers throughout the week which focused on ways to improve state and county level 4-H programs, leadership, goal setting and success. Hadley participated in a community-service project with a first-grade classroom in downtown Atlanta.

“We got to go into the classroom and help the kids write a story and work with them on their vocabulary and spelling,” Hadley said. “Bells Ferry Elementary consisted primarily of low-income families from diverse backgrounds.”

While delegates spent time interacting and networking, Hadley said she learned a lot about Atlanta’s culture and how other states run their 4-H programs.

“New Jersey focuses more on the arts and human science project areas in 4-H versus the livestock areas because the state is more urban,” Hadley said. “Also, several states’ programs use 4-H state officers rather than a state council group, which I am currently a part of.”

More than 900 4-H’ers from across the United States were in attendance at the National 4-H Congress. In Iowa, the cost of the trip including the flights, hotels and tours, were sponsored by donors, including Friends of 4-H Foundation in Union County, who support the 4-H program leaving a small portion of the trip to be covered by the delegate.

“Out of all the conferences and trips that I have taken through my various activities, the National 4-H Congress has been my most rewarding, impactful and memorable experience. I’m proud to round out my final year in 4-H with this opportunity,” Hadley said.

Hadley is a member of the Sand Creek Pioneers 4-H club, where she actively participates in the sheep, food and nutrition, home improvement, photography, self-determined and visual arts project areas. Hadley plans to attend Iowa State University to major in dietetics next fall.