Andrea Majewski, who graduated from Keene High School, is majoring in animal science at the University of New Hampshire.
Majewski was involved in numerous aspects of 4-H – from showing beef cows to participating in County Activity Days and the Dairy Cattle Project Area.
As she got older, she took on several public speaking and leadership positions including as the communications chair for the State Youth Leadership Team and serving with Teen Commission, which planned the Teen Conference.
4-H also provided professional opportunities for her to travel and meet teenagers from across the country at national events like the National 4-H Dairy Conference and the National 4-H Summit for Agri-Science.
Because of her involvement with 4-H, she was able to earn a $500 scholarship for each year of active New Hampshire 4-H participation, up to a maximum of $5,000 per year of UNH enrollment ($20,000 total). This scholarship is available every year a student is enrolled at UNH (Durham and Manchester campuses).
Extension caught up with Majewski to find out more about her 4-H involvement and path to UNH.
How long did you participate in 4-H?
I began with 4-H when I was eight. My older sister Hannah was also in 4-H and my dad Carl works for UNH Extension in Cheshire County. The town I grew up in is very rural – my club leader lived down the road.
How did participating in 4-H help you acquire life skills?
I’m very extroverted, but 4-H gave me a place to channel that energy. I always naturally took on leadership positions. I was able to develop my resume, discover my love for agriculture in an applied setting and gain communication tools to talk about my passion for agriculture.
How did 4-H help prepare you for college?
Growing up in NH 4-H, I visited the UNH campus a ton of times for events, including Teen Conference. We stayed in the dorms and got to use HoCo Commons dining hall, which made me super comfortable. The financial aspect was a massive incentive for me as opposed to attending other state universities that have similar animal science programs. I knew I would be able to build a strong foundation for animal science knowledge by taking intro level courses.
What is your favorite 4-H memory?
My favorite experience was going to the National 4-H Conference in D.C. for a week. At the conference, each group was given a challenge to workshop and that allowed me to think about ag in a larger perspective, beyond training cows.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about joining 4-H?
The biggest appeal is the fact that there are so many different project areas – culinary, public speaking, civic engagement, leadership – anyone can find their niche topic that they love. 4-H is made up of supporting adults and volunteers who help kids succeed.
Why did you choose to attend UNH?
I chose UNH because of the animal science programs – there are cows and horse barns within walking distance from campus. I knew the UNH 4-H community that existed here. I’m President of UNH Dairy Club. In the fall we help host UNH Youth Dairy Day, which includes workshops for youth to learn about dairy cattle.
Learn More About 4-H to UNH Scholarship
UNH offers a $500 scholarship for each year of active New Hampshire 4-H participation, up to a maximum of $5,000 per year of UNH enrollment ($20,000 total).
