Michigan 4-H Alumni Spotlight: Emma Young
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EmailFebruary 1, 2025
On Wednesday, October 9, Michigan State University Extension hosted the second annual Michigan 4-H Day at the Capitol. This event showcases the positive impact of the Michigan 4-H program and brings visibility to its efforts throughout the state.
At the event, a brief program was held. Among the speakers was Washtenaw County 4-H alumna Emma Young, policy analyst for Governor Whitmer. Young shared how Michigan 4-H influenced her life, education and career path and continues to impact her life today. Listen to her inspiring testimonial of how 4-H helped make her beyond ready for her current role and career.
Video Transcript
Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Emma Young, and as mentioned, I'm a proud four H alumni from Washna County. I grew up on a farm in Dexter, where my family has been for five generations. Through my 11 years participating in four H, I participated in every program that I could. I like to say that I showed everything except Lamas. I started my participation in four H, like many others do through growing, showing, and selling my fair animals. By doing this, I learned that hard work and investing in things that you care about pays off. Over the years, I wanted to increase my fog participation. So I signed up for exploration days, which sparked my dream of attending and thriving at MSU. Go Green. Through expo Days, I learned about Catholic experience, where I made lifelong friends and started my passion for state government. Because of those experiences, I decided I wanted a more active role in my club. So I ran and was elected as president of my local four H club, the Rogers Corners Hertzman where I learned about leadership and service. I was then driven to use that leadership to become a four H ambassador, where I gained the confidence to walk into a room and see the value in my contributions. All of these critical life skills that four hers, like the ones here today, learn, help us to live up to our four H pledge of becoming leaders in our clubs, our communities, our country, and our world. Jackie Martin, a four H mentor of mine, recently reminded me about an interview I gave when I was a junior in high school. It was my last year on the state Youth Leadership Council, and when asked about my goals after high school, I stated that I wanted to go to MSU, pursue a degree in political science, get involved in state government, and advocate for four H and youth engagement. Eight years later, I get to stand here in front of you all and tell you that I do just that. I currently serve as Governor Whitmer'sPolicy analyst on education and agriculture policy, working on issues that I and many Fechters are deeply passionate about. As a rural Michigander, I'm proud of the work that our administration has been able to do for towns like the one I grew up in and for families just like mine. We established the Office of rural Prosperity, focused on sustainable economic development in our rural communities. We created the Farm to family program, which helps bring Michigan crops to Michigan tables. And finally, together with the legislature, we created the four H fund raising license plate which will help raise money for four H programs. Every day at work, I get to use my personal experience as a farmer and a proud four H alum to advocate for fog and rural prosperity. I wanted to extend an extra special thank you to all the elected officials who are here today for their continued support and investment in fog, youth engagement, and Michigan agriculture. Your work is helping young Michiganders across the state continue to participate in this wonderful program. I also wanted to thank any parents or four H leaders here today. Your support and encouragement gives four hers the confidence and character to become the next generation of leaders. Now I want to acknowledge all the four H youth here today. Whether this is your first time at the Capitol or you're a seasoned four H advocacy pro, thank you for taking the time to come here and advocate for four H. Finally, I want to thank two women who have made the most impact in my life. First, my mom, Mom, please wave. My mom is also a four H alum and she was my four H leader growing up. I wanted to thank you for pushing me to try new four H activities, which led me to be where I am today. But FH has been a part of my family for a lot longer than that. My grandma is also here. Grandma, Wave. My grandma showed me her Fg sewing projects and use the skills that she learned in Furch to teach me how to sew three generations later. I look forward to continue to working with all of you to carry on the strong traditions of Forage for generations to come, just like my family has. Thank you.