Meet Tracy Zurfley! – 4-H is a wonderful way to get your kids involved in their community. Today we meet Tracy Zurfley, a senior who tells us exactly why 4-H has helped shape her into a respectful, hard-working citizen of her community! Learn more about Tracy Zurfley and the benefits of 4-H for your child right here on Newsymom!

If you’ve ever been to the Tuscarawas County Fair, you may have seen lots of kids from 4-H in action showing the animals they’ve worked so hard to raise all year. There’s no exception for Tracy Zurfley, a 4-H senior who embodies the pillars of character that 4-H teaches and reinforces: Respect, responsibility, caring, citizenship, trustworthiness, and fairness.

She talks to us today about the impact 4-H has had on her life. Read on to learn more:

Meet Tracy Zurfley!

How long have you been involved with 4-H?

Thirteen years.

What animal(s) do you raise?

Hogs and turkeys 

What are the biggest challenges you face when raising your animals?

Ideal weights and feed management. Also, training for show!

Has 4-H taught you something that you apply in your life?

4-H has taught me so many life lessons I apply to my life today, and will continue to apply in the future. Most times when it comes to answering this question you can refer back to the pillars of character we are taught through all our years in 4-H which include: respect, responsibility, caring, citizenship, trustworthiness, and fairness. Through the projects you do, you learn to be responsible for and care for your animal. You also learn to respect your animal as well as the many people involved in the fair and 4-H program. 

You also learn many of these through older youth experiences. I have had the opportunity to be a part of these experiences: camp counselor, junior fair board, food and fashion board, and junior leaders. These experiences also instill leadership skills for future jobs, as well as teach the process of how to go through interview processes and fill out applications. These opportunities and the fair have taught me so many great things throughout my years in the program and have helped mold me as a well-rounded person and my abilities to go through life.

Is there anything more people should know about 4-H?

A lot of people don’t know that the 4-H program has miscellaneous projects for kids who don’t have housing for animals or are unable to care for one. These types of projects allow kids to learn and have club experiences, without having to take on an animal project!

Outside of 4-H, what do you like to do?

Outside of 4-H, I enjoy playing sports. However, I am currently a newly registered EMT at Strasburg Fire Station, and I’m attending Stark State College to get my Level 2 Fire this fall, while also going to Kent State Tuscarawas for my nursing degree. While going to school, I’m also working at Texas Roadhouse as a server and casually at a nursing home to help pay for expenses. Besides school and work, I really enjoy going to church, going to the gym, and spending time with family and friends.

Thank you so much for allowing us to learn more about you, Tracy!

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4-H is an incredible opportunity to get your kids involved in their community, build character, and enhance skills they can apply to their everyday life. Tracy is a perfect example of that, but your child could have the same experiences, too!

To learn more information on getting your child involved with the Tuscarawas 4-H program, reach out to Kiersten Heckle at heckel.13@osu.edu.

Melissa Klatt

Reporting