Hello everyone! My name is Nyla Bennett. I’m an intern based in Wheeler County. This is my
second summer working for this enriching program and I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to
return to this position. Since my previous blog post, I have finished my first year of higher
education at Eastern Oregon University, I was accepted into Oregon Health Sciences
University’s 3-year nursing program, and I am one year closer to obtaining my Bachelor of
Science in nursing with a minor in business. I can’t even begin to describe how thankful I am for
this past year; everything I learned and experienced.

Now looking forward, I am eagerly anticipating the antics of a busy 4-H summer. I started
working only recently, but I’m already about to dive into some of our most intense projects. Tri-
County 4-H Camp started the same week I did. So, I drove over to Heppner to help organize
campers and guide counselors. I jumped from this camp to my county’s Cloverbud Day Camps
shortly after. We created curricula and crafts that centered around life sciences and basic
chemistry concepts in the hopes of curating curiosity for future scientists. And with the number
of questions I was asked, I think we did just that!

Last summer, I was a large part of planning and organizing events like these, as well as leading
the hands-on activities with youth. I hope to expand on those responsibilities by being less
dependent on superiors. That’s actually my biggest goal for this summer: working more
efficiently independently. The reason I applied for this position, and am so happy to be back, is
the pure dedication to this program that so many people share. I was in 4-H for nine years, and
the effort I devoted to the projects paid me back tenfold with the knowledge, skills and
friendships I gained. I love seeing the same growth happening with the next generation of
youth. As 4-H’ers face responsibilities and requirements, they flourish. I hope to continue
working as a scaffold for future leaders, helping promote scientific questioning, independence
and, of course, 4-H fun!

As for specific projects I’ll be facing over the future course of this summer, I have a menagerie
of duties ahead. Along with working in the Extension office on materials to make the 4-H
program run smoothly, I also have many event responsibilities. I tutor 4-H youth, providing one-
on-one assistance. I plan and teach clinics with topics such as record books, photography and
animal science. I am so excited for our county fair and leading the community service
opportunities presented to 4-H youth. Thank you for reading!