814-Lanca*ter Farming, Saturday, March 11, 2000
Adams County senior 4-Hers were interviewed about what 4-H has done for them
during last week’s Senate meeting. From left are Jessi Leister, Josh Ramsburg, Tiffanie
Conaway, B.J. Wagner, and Shannon Holtzinger.
Seniors Spotlighted For
Pennsylvania 4-H Week
JAYNE SEBRIGHT
Lancaster Farming Staff
GETTYSBURG (Adams Co.)
Pennsylvania will celebrate 4-
H Week on March 13 through
19. The Pennsylvania 4-H mem
bership was more than 119,000
strong in 1999, with more than
10,000 adult leaders helping
with the program.
4-H offers programs for kids
ages 8 to 19. These programs
range from animal husbandry to
clothing & textiles and even
business entrepreneurship.
Penn State’s mission for the 4-
H program is to help young
people become self-directed,
productive, and contributing
members of a diverse society.
To celebrate Pennsylvania 4-
H Week, Lancaster Farming in
terviewed five 4-H senior
members during last week’s
Adams County 4-H Senate
meeting.
Those five 4-Hers are B.J.
Wagner of Ortanna, Jessi Lei
ster of Biglerville, Shannon
Holtzinger of East Berlin, Tif
fanie Conaway of Abbottstown,
and Josh Ramsburg of Gettys
burg. Here’s what they had to
say about 4-H.
Josh Ramsburg
Growing up on a dairy farm,
Josh’s career goal is to return to
his father’s dairy farm in Get
tysburg. The son of Lee and
Jane Ramsburg, Josh is a senior
at Gettysburg High School and
plans to attend Penn State, ma
joring in Dairy & Animal Sci
ence.
He is a member of both the
Barlow Mt. Joy Community
Club and the Adams County 4-
H Dairy Club. In the dairy club,
Josh has served as the president,
vice president, and treasurer. He
was also awarded the Melvin R.
Durbrow member award.
A member of the 4-H Senate,
Josh has received the Mr. Fred
erick J. Rarics Conservation
Award and attended both the
Colorado and Minnesota state
exchange trips. He is also a
member of his local FFA chap
ter, having served as both vice
president and secretary.
“Since I am planning to milk
cows, 4-H has taught me how to
care for animals, manage a herd,
and keep records,” said Josh.
Having joined 4-H after fall
ing in the footsteps of his older
brother and sister, Josh soon
found that 4-H had a lot to offer.
“I enjoyed showing dairy
cattle and meeting people on the
state exchange trips,” said Josh.
“4-H has taught me a lot of re
sponsibility and skills that I
wouldn’t have learned other-
wise.”
Shannon Holtzinger
The daughter of Kevin and
Karen Holtzinger, Shannon
joined 4-H after watching her
family show cows and partici
pate in 4-H activities.
“I grew up around dairy
cattle all of my life,” said Shan
non. “4-H was an experience
that I wanted to try.”
Shannon is a senior at Bermu
dian High School, where she is
enrolled in college prep courses
and agricultural education. She
is currently the president of the
Adams County 4-H Dairy Club
and has served in many leader
ship roles for the club. She is
also a member of the Adams
County 4-H Sheep Club.
In 1998, Shannon was recog
nized as the outstanding senior
member for the dairy club and
has won many honors, both in
and out of the show ring, with
her 4-H dairy projects. She is
also an active member of the
Bermudian FFA Chapter and
has won several awards through
the FFA.
Even with all of her 4-H and
FFA activities, Shannon still
finds time to play basketball and
run track for Bermudian, as well
as fulfill work responsibilities on
her parents’ dairy farm.
“I enjoy the social aspect of 4-
H,” said Shannon. “I like show
ing cows with all of my friends
and meeting new people.”
Shannon has also gained
work experience and hands-on
training by working with her 4-
H dairy projects.
“I have developed time man
agement skills through 4-H,”
said Shannon. “1 can work
better with both animals and
people.”
According to Shannon, 4-H
has helped her gain a “real
world” experience of work and
responsibility. “This will benefit
my future career because I am
not afraid of hard work.”
Tiffanie Conaway
A senior at New Oxford High
School, Tiffanie is the daughter
of David and Jackie Conaway.
After high school, she plans to
study Sports Medicine at either
Messiah College or Clarion Uni
versity. Her career goal is to
become either a sports therapist
or sports physician.
A member of the New Oxford
Community Club, Tiffanie first
joined 4-H because she enjoyed
doing craft activities and found
that 4-H had a lot to offer her.
“The learning experience is
really neat,” said Tiffanie. “I
have most enjoyed the people
I’ve met and the new skills I’ve
learned through 4-H.”
Tiffanie has attended two 4-H
state exchange trips and partici
pated in many different leader
ship roles through 4-H.
“These activities have helped
me gain leadership skills,” said
Tiffanie. “I able to talk in front
of a group of people and make
friends easily.”
Tiffanie’s involvement in 4-H
has spurred interest in other ac
tivities in both her school and
community. She helps out at the
guidance office and with the life
skills support group. She is also
the head student athletic trainer
and the treasurer of Teens Need
Teens in her school.
In addition to playing varsity
field hockey and being active in
her youth group, Tiffanie also
volunteers at the Teen Care
Pregnancy Center. 4-H has
helped Tiffanie become a role
model and provide support for
many other teens in need.
Jessi Leister
Jessi is the daughter of Mi
chael and Donna Leister. She at
tends Delone Catholic High
School with plans to attend a
four-year college studying agri
cultural business management.
Jessi has attended the Na
tional 4-H Congress and 4-H ex
change trips. She has also been
an overnight camp counselor
and recreational leader. She has
attended 4-H State Days for sev
eral years, being a member of
the first placed air pistol team.
She was also a member of the
first placed potato judging team
at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.
A member of the 4-H Beef
Club, Jessi has served as both a
teen leader and teen assistant
for the Adams County 4-H Fair.
Her 4-H activities have also en
couraged Jessi to pursue other
activities, including being
crowned both the Adams
County Beef Producer Queen
and the Pennsylvania Cattle
men’s Queen.
A leader in both her local club
and the county senate, Jessie has
served as president and vice
president of both in past years.
She was also a teen leader and
teen assistant for the Adams
County 4-H Fair.
Winning several leadership
awards, Jessi credits 4-H to
helping her develop leadership
skills.
“One of my favorite things
about 4-H is that the kids get a
lot of the responsibility in run
ning it,” said Jessi. “I have
gotten to experience being a
leader a lot more through it.”
Jessi started in 4-H when her
aunt, who was a 4-H leader, ap
proached her about joining the
club. “I’m still in 4-H because
I’ve met a lot of people and
gotten more them 100 friends
through my 4-H club activities,”
said Jessi.
Having attended several 4-H
exchange trips and traveled to
many leadership conferences,
Jessi has seen a lot of the United
States thanks to 4-H.
“I met a lot of people through
4-H who have helped open me
up,” said Jessi. “I can talk to
people more now than I could
before I joined 4-H.”
B.J. Wagner
The son of George and Sonja
Wagner, BJ. is a senior at Get
tysburg Area High School. After
graduation, he plans to attend
Penn State, majoring in agricul
tural engineering and minoring
in Extension Education.
While being in 4-H for nine
years, B. J. has found friendship,
new experiences, and new skills.
“I got started in the 4-H pig
club because my grandfather
was a leader,” said B.J. “From
there, I just kept joining more
things and doing more stuff.”
A member of the 4-H Beef
Club and Swine Club, B.J. has
served as president, vice presi
dent, and treasurer for the
Swine Club. He is also the cur
rent president for the Adams
County 4-H Senate and the
news reporter for the 4-H Beef
Club.
B.J. most enjoys the traveling
aspects of 4-H. He has traveled
to Minnesota and Colorado with
4-H exchange trips. He also was
selected to attend the Buckeye
Leadership Workshop and the
National 4-H Congress. He has
been a 4-H camp counselor for
two years and traveled to Penn
State with the livestock judging
team.
“*I met some of my best
friends through 4-H,” said B.J.
“I’ve learned leadership skills
and people skills. I’ve learned
how to keep kids involved in ac
tivities, too.”
According to 8.J., 4-H has
helped him determine his future
career. “I plan to be an ag engi
neer but will study extension ed
ucation so I can come back and
help with future 4-H activities,”
said B.J.
Outside of 4-H, B.J. is a
member of the National Honor
Society and active in his
church’s youth group. He parti
cipates in the church’s softball
team and has worked at a local
orchard since he was in ninth
grade.
“4-H has prepared me for the
real world,” said B.J. “Just be
cause people look different
doesn’t mean they are different.
4-H has taught me that, even
though we all have different
looks and likes, we all have
something that we can share
and relate to others with.”