Livingston County 4-H had the opportunity to act as a chaperone for an additional student at the 2021 Kentucky State Teen Conference held annually in Lexington, Kentucky. During this conference, students are able to live on campus and get a taste of college life. 2021 was a challenging year for programming, as we were able to host programs in a hybrid model. This allowed students to attend the conference but resulted in necessary changes to the structure. Due to a block of time and a need to social distance, Livingston County 4-H CEA Sharee Rushing & University of Kentucky Alumnae conducted a personalized tour of campus buildings and arboretum. A student who was on the fence about traveling further from home from college was able to experience the parts of campus she was most excited to see in a personal and intimate way. This helped her decide that the campus and surrounding city was much bigger than what she wanted to deal with and it changed the trajectory of her senior year.

While this may not be a traditional success, the student in question was able to practice her own process of decision-making and self-discovery. She hadn’t previously been able to tour campus due to geographic distance. 4-H opened the door for this student to experience campus and cultivate her personal decision-making skills.