Williams is teen leader, camp counselor

Since I was 8 years old, I have always been a member of the 4-H community in Lawrence County. 

I had become a member of the Kitts Hill Willing Workers 4-H Club and, for years I had thought that 4-H wasn’t as fun as everyone made it seem. 

In my club, we still had meetings and did activities, but, outside of those meetings, there wasn’t a whole lot for me to do. 

As I got older, I remember going to the fair as a kid and seeing all of the teen leaders who helped run the fair. 

They kept everything running smoothly and made sure everything was correct. They made me realize what I wanted to be for Lawrence County 4-H. 

When I was 14, I went to my first Junior Fair Board meeting. 

I walked in the door being extremely nervous, I had no idea who any of the people were, but they welcomed me with open arms and made me feel at home. 

After the meeting, I realized all the hard work and stress that the teen leaders go through throughout the year. They are constantly preparing for the next thing. 

When I became one of those leaders, a weight went on my shoulders. I had become the leader that I had once

looked up to. I made it my goal to be a good influence for the next wave of teen leaders.

Through the Junior Fair Board, I also found out about 4-H camp counselors. 

They were teens who went to Canter’s Cave every summer to counsel younger kids and teach them the ways of 4-H. I always looked up to those teens and wanted to become one myself. 

I went to my first camp counselor meeting the same night as the Junior Fair Board meeting. Much like the other meeting, a wave of stress and nervousness came over me as a new group of people walked in. They also welcomed me in a great way.

As for becoming a camp counselor, I wanted to be a role model to the younger generation in Lawrence county 4-H. I had become the teen who the kids would look up to. 

For the past four years, Junior Fair Board and camp counseling has become one of the most important events in my life. 

I came to every meeting willing to make a difference for my community. I wanted our 4-H members to have a great 4-H season and fair. 

The rest of the teen leaders and I work diligently over every year, making the fair that much better. 

Over the past four years, soon to be five, I’ve gone to Cloverbud, beginner, and junior high camps for multiple weeks away from home, not seeing my family for days and weeks at a time. 

However, I did it for the kids.

I wanted to make an impact on their lives. I wanted them to feel welcome and have a good time at camp. 

And, over the years, I believe that I have truly made a difference in the lives of the younger 4-H members. Not only have I made impacts on their lives, they have also made impacts on my life. 

I go to the fair and camps every year, extremely excited to see the kids who I’ve seen over the years. I get so happy when they come to me and say what they’ve done with the year and how they are doing. 

That is what has the biggest impact on me — seeing the kids grow and knowing that I am a part of it all. 

Along with that, the Junior Fair Board and camp counseling have led me to meet some of my greatest and lifelong friends. 

They are all caring and hardworking people who will do anything to better the community. 

By being involved with these two groups. I have found out many things about myself. 

First is that I am a leader. I can show people the right way of things. I have turned myself into the role model who I saw the teens before me as. 

Second, is something that I didn’t see right away, but I quickly turned into a much more social person. 4-H taught me that everyone is different and to not be afraid to show yourself to people. 

4-H has influenced my future plans by showing me to be more confident in my abilities. 

I will take that with me for the rest of my life, college career, and my future after college of becoming a veterinarian. 

4-H has had the most drastic impact on myself personally, my actions, and my career plans.

— Trenton Williams is a Teen Leader and member of the Lawrence County Junior Fair Board.

For more about 4-H, see our issue of Profile 2023.