Feature in Somerset County 4-H Alumni Spotlight on Social Media

It fills me with gratitude to share my feature in the Alumni Spotlight for Somerset County 4-H! This is part of a larger social media campaign, 4-H Beyond Ready, in which former members of 4-H discuss their experiences in the organization and how these continue to support their current endeavors. My county’s 4-H decided to follow suit, and I was excited to have been among those selected to participate! I am thankful to Jill Brochinsky, Program Coordinator of Somerset County 4-H, for reaching out to me and facilitating this awesome opportunity!

To the left is a photo of me, aged 12, at the first 4-H Fair in which I participated. I’m wearing the designated shirt for Movie Making Masters, the first iteration of my film club that I belonged to for much of my 4-H membership. The right photo is of me, aged 23, with “Prayer for Peace”, one of my mixed media artworks for my senior B.F.A. thesis exhibition in the Mueller Gallery at Caldwell University. To this day, at age 25, I hold my 4-H endeavors in high regard as instrumental to my enduring commitment to my creative pursuits and my community. 🍀🛜🙏🏻

I’m sharing below the full bio that I wrote, and which was included in Somerset County 4-H’s post on various social media platforms:

As a Somerset County 4-Her, I applied my passion for the arts into my roles as president of multiple arts clubs, primarily The Advanced Art of Filmmaking and 4-H Imaginarium. I cultivated my leadership and creative skills as I assisted my fellow club members with their projects, organized club outings and community showings of our films, and led the development of award-winning interactive club display booths at the county 4-H Fair. Additionally, I am grateful to have initiated several county-wide community outreach endeavors, including a series of annual promotional videos for the fair in Somerset County, as well as the designing and marketing of T-shirts to benefit the 4-H arts clubs. I also was profoundly honored to represent my county at the New Jersey 4-H State Public Presentations competitions (for which I won Best in Room several consecutive years), and my state at the National 4-H Youth Photography Summit as one of three NJ delegates.

As a result of my experiences and achievements as a 4-H member, I strengthened my ability to take initiative and my confidence in public speaking. These skills served me well at Caldwell University, where I graduated summa cum laude, with Honors, receiving a B.F.A. in Studio Art with a concentration in mixed media, and a minor in Art History. I currently maintain my own studio practice as a mixed media artist, for which I have participated in solo and group shows at galleries and local venues, conducted artist talks for community groups, and directed outreach initiatives through the gifting of artwork. I additionally assist with art programs and exhibitions at multiple centers for people with special needs. Amidst my ongoing creative endeavors, my family and I remain actively supportive of 4-H. My continued dedication to giving back to such important cornerstones of our community was influenced by the many extraordinary opportunities I pursued in 4-H, which will always remain a part of me and all that I do.

The post design for my spotlight