#5

Power vacuum- a situation when a government has no identifiable central authority.

Some consider reaching this state is dangerous or destined to fail. In my freshman year of high school, I experienced this lack of leadership in my 4-H club, which prompted me to take responsibility, even though I did not have to. Without assuming leadership of the club, I would not be the person I am today. 

When this happened, I was initially upset and frustrated at the leaders who quit because they were two years older than me and simply abandoned all responsibility. No one had appointed me next to take the president position which made me nervous, but it seemed natural. From then until now, I have been the President of my Equestrians Unlimited 4-H Club which entails leading monthly meetings, taking time to organize and participate in several community service activities and most importantly to educate the younger members about their knowledge on horses and how to be valuable members in their community.

Recently I was told that I “bleed green” because I am completely dedicated to promoting 4-H. This is because being a member of 4-H has helped me grow in many ways and has changed my life for the better. When I first joined the club, I was very timid and did not have many friends. I knew the only requirement of the club was to research a topic related to horses and do a public presentation about it. At first I was very scared, because who is not afraid of public speaking? As the years went on, I conquered my fears of speaking in front of this club, and in other settings, such as in the classroom. 4-H taught me that there is nothing wrong about speaking in front of a crowd, and even messing up in front of a crowd. 

Furthermore, 4-H has enriched my life because of the club’s emphasis on community service. Participation in various drives and events has taught me to be selfless and to be responsible for my club, my community and myself. Every year our club takes on a shift at the Ulster County Fair Snack Bar booth. I began organizing this event for our club the year I took leadership of the club; this past year I was our club’s Chairperson. I gained respect from our club advisers and the staff at the Cornell Cooperative Extension. From this position of leadership, I learned how to get a job done without being bossy or mean, traits that are important in any type of job. Overall, 4-H has been a huge growing experience for me and has allowed me to find confidence within myself, to gain maturity beyond my years and to learn how to be a leader.