This interview reflection was written by PRYDE Scholar, Abigail Morales ‘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.

As part of my work with PRYDE, I had the honor of interviewing NYS 4-H Program Leader Susan Coyle. Susan’s family has a long history with 4-H; her father was a director, and both Susan and her sister grew up as 4-Hers. Susan recalls that when she saw her older sister partake in program activities, she couldn’t wait to turn 8 and be eligible for 4-H as well. Susan participated in 4-H for 4 years, served as a camp counselor, and worked with 4-H throughout college. She served in youth nutrition education for 15 years before becoming a program leader for CCE Monroe County, where she has been working for the past 6 years.

For a 4-H program leader, each day is different. Today, Susan started the day teaching class at a local high school, then conducted two employment interviews, held this interview with me a PRYDE scholar, had a 1 on 1 meeting with a 4-H staff member, picked up activity kits that teams were using, and assisted parents interested in enrolling their children in 4-H. The activity kit she picked up is for  Agriculture Innovators, a virtual college-bound student program focusing on lessons about climate change that involves working with first-gen teens from across the country. The slogan for 4-H is “learning by doing,” alluding to the fact that many programs, activities, and events, such as Agriculture Innovators, are hands on. Susan mentions that 4-H encourages collaborative and active experiential environments to facilitate the learning process. Susan is hopeful that teens will develop a better understanding of real-world issues such as climate change, while simultaneously learning facilitation skills and achieving developmental milestones.

Another unique program that Susan is involved with is the teen leadership model CHAT: Choose Health Action Teens where youth learn how to develop nutrition education programs for even younger children. Through this model, teens aged 14-16 are fostering leadership skills in an informal setting that offsets power dynamics. Youth of all ages, genders, and identities collaborate together in this program. CHAT’s program design illustrates how 4-H makes an active effort to be inclusive, particularly in New York State. Susan says that while not perfect, the 4-H program is aware and improving its spaces in a proactive way. For example, enrollment forms have open ended spaces for listing identities such as nonbinary or other nonconforming gender identities. Susan’s county is also in the process of hiring a bilingual coordinator that may act as a strong liaison between families who are Spanish speaking and can communicate to parents effectively throughout programming.

Through my conversation with Susan, I learned that being involved in 4-H is a lifestyle, where the work is dynamic and requires dedication. Leaders like Susan hold personal missions to uphold the values of community, connection, and courage. Prior to the interview, the assumptions I held were that 4-H was made up of a rural, Caucasian demographic with a curriculum focused on agriculture. To my surprise, Susan mentioned that a large portion of 4-H youth in her county are from Spanish speaking families, and the activity kit she described entailed a climate change awareness curriculum, which moves beyond the agricultural stereotype I held. What I learned from Susan can be applied to my future career endeavors as I am interested in working in the intersection between mental health, youth and community development, and education. When I asked Susan for advice to encourage someone to pursue a career in this field, she responded that 4-H youth empowerment is done differently from classrooms or regular program settings. 4-H honors youth voice and interests, has a flexible schedule, offers unpredictably exciting days, and consists of an awesome support system of role model colleagues. Overall, I am very grateful for the opportunity to learn about 4-H from Susan Coyle and the invaluable work that is being implemented to promote positive youth development in New York State.