Hi, my name is Heidi Moran, and I am an Oregon State University intern in Union County.  I am attending Eastern Oregon University and majoring in elementary education.  This summer has gone by extremely fast working for the Extension office and helping with many 4-H events.

This summer I helped with our Iron Chef cooking class through our SNAP-Ed and 4-H programs.  Every Thursday morning, I would help Jamie Cox with the classes and making sure that the kids were being responsible in the kitchen.  I really enjoyed working with the kids and building a connection with them.

I also helped at the Union County Fair the first week of August.  Before fair started, I announced and clerked the horse show for both Union and Baker counties and prepared packets and other things needed for fair. At the beginning of fair week, I helped clerk the art and photography section of our home economics building.   During the fair I helped clerk most of the livestock shows, helped prepare awards for the awards ceremony and helped with what was needed throughout the week.  I had participated in the Union County Fair for over nine years as a 4-H member and helped with many of the events at fair.  I never realized how much work went into preparing and working at the fair.

One of the highlights of my summer was helping with our Tri-County 4-H camp.  I helped prepare for the camp, teach an ice cream class, and help the new counselors learn some of the camp traditions.  4-H camp was something I always participated in as a 4-H member and something I always looked forward to every summer.

From this internship I have learned many new things from helping at all of these events and I will continue to use those skills in the future.  It also helped me grow my passion for 4-H and want to stay involved with it in the future.  This is something that I will continue doing throughout the rest of my college career!