Not unlike the benefits of job shadwoing for career exploration, youth engaged in 4-H project work get to try out and develop specific skills and interests.  Many times this helps them narrow down the career clusters that they would like to pursue in post-secondary education and eventually employement.  This very thing has happened for 14 year old Chloe.  Five years ago, Chloe signed up for the 4-H foods prep classes.  She entered her completed foods project in the county and onto the State Fair.  The next year she was back in the 4-H Foods Lab and in addition attended all the classes in Super Star Chef. By the 3rd year, she added a Home Environment project of table setting to her foods project entry.  The following year she recurited a partner and entered the first county 4-H Cupcake Wars and finsihed as second place team and again this past year, came in second place team.  Chloe has decided that culinary arts is the career path she wants to follow.  She and her family are now researching her options of post secondary education in this field.  Her mother reports that the knowledge and confidence she gained from her 4-H experience, including her work as a team member in the County 4-H Avian and Poultry Judging teams, has ignited her passion for food preparation, including the grading of eggs and RTE poultry!  4-H- making the best, better.