On Wednesday, January 18, 2023, Loudoun 4-H members traveled to Richmond, VA for 4-H Day at the Capitol, where they participated in a Town Hall, took part in the State 4-H Rally, and learned about civic engagement. These events emphasized the importance of citizen involvement in the governmental process and gave 4-H members the opportunity to hear from and engage with state leaders, including First Lady of Virginia Suzanne Youngkin, Secretary of Agriculture Matt Lohr, Director of Virginia Cooperative Extension Mike Gutter, and State 4-H Leader Jeremy Johnson.
Of the 15 VCE Loudoun 4-H participants, six members serve in state leadership positions: four members serve as State 4-H Cabinet members, and two serve as State 4-H Horse Ambassadors for the 2022-2023 4-H year.
State 4-H Cabinet Members (Loudoun):
- Northeast District Ambassadors: Stella Pettit, Mary Grace Menuey, & Oishee Sinha
- Youth Mentor: Eleni Kasianides
- Adult Advisor: Carly Wright
State 4-H Horse Ambassadors (Loudoun):
- Alisa Hart
- Alexis Musselman
To kick off the Town Hall, VCE Loudoun 4-H members engaged with stakeholders and shared their 4-H stories.
As state level 4-H ambassadors, six VCE Loudoun youth had additional opportunities to engage with state leaders and participated in a ‘Meet and Greet’ with state legislators. 4-H State Horse Ambassadors even had the opportunity to observe a legislative session at the Capitol. 4-H member Grace Kasianides shared, “I got the chance to learn more about the Capitol and legislation…We got to go to the gallery of the senate and see a member installed.”
To learn more about opportunities for service and advocacy at the state level, State 4-H Cabinet members later visited the Virginia Farm Bureau, and State 4-H Horse Ambassadors visited the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Throughout the day, VCE Loudoun 4-H Members had the opportunity to explore Richmond, including the Dominion Energy Center, the Carpenter Theater, the Virginia State Capitol building and the downtown area.
To learn more about VCE Loudoun and 4-H, visit loudoun.gov/extension.