This interview reflection was written by PRYDE Scholar, Aliza Saunders ‘23, as part of an assignment for the PRYDE Scholars’ Translational Research Professional Development Course. The interview was conducted as an exercise to connect students and leaders in 4-H to better understand the practice of positive youth development work in NY.

When Kelly Campbell, the now Volunteer and Club Management Coordinator at NYS 4-H, was seven years old, her dad started a dairy farm. As such, instead of playing sports afterschool, she was milking cows. And that was something the other youth in 4-H could really relate to her on: her rural homelife. However, dairy farming wasn’t her calling or “spark,” the 4-H term for a youth’s passion for something. Her spark, she learned, was working at a summer preschool program as a teen, where she later became the assistant director.

Kelly’s overall 4-H journey -- from a youth involved in the dairy program, to working on the front-end as a preschool director, to now working on the back-end in management -- highlights the diversity of programs and interests that 4-H has to offer both youth and its staff. I was really intrigued by Kelly’s journey and how she was able to find a career path that met so many of her personal and professional needs, specifically revolving around the importance of positive youth development.

Going into the interview, I had minimal understanding about the breadth of 4-H, which was similar to Kelly’s initial understanding of 4-H as a child. She held the perception that 4-H was solely for farmers, as it is funded by the USDA, but now, as an adult who works for 4-H, she knows it's so much more than that: it’s giving youth the opportunities, resources, and confidence to find their spark. Moreover, I found it really interesting how Kelly still feels like she’s making a direct impact on youth even when working within program management. Personally, I went into the interview thinking that by working with all of NYS 4-H in a larger role, Kelly would feel more removed from the youth, but she expressed otherwise. She knows that the behind the scenes work she’s doing has a great impact on 4-H across the state. For example, she is working as part of an Enrollment and Reporting Working Group to help bring alignment to 4-H practice and common language to better share the impact. She is also helping streamline the process of volunteer recruitment and retention, both of which are essential to program maintenance.

Lastly, without me even mentioning it, Kelly expressed her interest in PRYDE and the work we’re doing, specifically around youth development and youth finding their purpose. She potentially sees herself moving into a more research-based role in the future, as she is interested in applying observations to actual conclusions and research. Kelly was very interested in the Youth Investigator program and connecting youth to research. She mentioned that she sees the greatest challenge to the Youth Investigators program to be effectively disseminating program information to youth across the state and locating youth who wish to participate. She is nonetheless excited about this opportunity and hopes her work with the Enrollment and Reporting Working Group can help streamline the process of recruitment for Youth Investigators. Talking with Kelly was truly eye-opening and allowed me to get a better grasp of the work 4-H does and the ways in which PRYDE can partner with 4-H to help youth find their “spark.”