Career opportunities come from people, experiences and programs, such as UConn 4-H. For Tahlia Watson of Bloomfield, Connecticut, it came from her involvement in 4-H and her involvement with animal projects, leadership and civic engagement programs.
“I’ve always loved animals and had many pets, but I never thought about animals as a career until I got involved with UConn 4-H and learned there were so many possibilities beyond veterinary and therapy animal work. Before I got involved with 4-H, I thought of animals as just a hobby.”
Watson, who will be a senior at Northwest Catholic High School, is applying to the University of Connecticut’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources’ animal science program. He won’t immediately declare a pre-veterinary major, however. Instead, Watson plans to complete his degree and explore different animal science career paths before choosing one.
Watson is a member of the Enfield-based Merry Moors 4-H Club and UConn 4-H in Hertford County. Watson started 4-H six years ago after her kindergarten class visited the 4-H Education Center at Auer Farm in Bloomfield. Watson and her mother visited the center many times and volunteered there before joining the 4-H club.
The pandemic has been a difficult time for everyone, but UConn 4-H has found a way to adapt despite the circumstances. Though programming was limited in 2021, Watson showed off one of the beef cattle at the 4-H Education Center at Auer Farm. She was impressed with how 4-H leaders and advisors adapted to a remote environment and accomplished so much for the youth. It made her want to get more involved with UConn 4-H.
“The hardest part of 4-H is working on a project for the first time after your animal assignment,” Watson said. “The first year, the calves were the easiest. The second year, the calves were harder to work with. I learned to adapt to what I was given, and that’s also the most rewarding part of being in 4-H.”
Watson switched from raising beef cattle to raising dairy cattle, competed in public speaking competitions and joined the Hertford County 4-H Fair Association, a group of youth leaders who organize the annual 4-H Fair held the third weekend in August at the Four Town Fairgrounds in Somers. Youth are responsible for all aspects of the fair, from programming the fair to securing more than 60 volunteer evaluators for 4-H projects at the fair.
Watson, who became vice president of livestock this year, has duties that include promoting and managing all livestock activities for the fair. Watson previously served as chair of the program and public relations committee and communications secretary. She loves working with the Youth Fair Association, including people older and younger than her, making friends and seeing it all come together. It’s a lot of responsibility, but Watson says it’s manageable if you plan accordingly. The 4-H program hopes that these important interpersonal and project management skills will serve 4-H members throughout their lives.
“Talia’s journey is a great example of how UConn 4-H provides opportunities for youth to participate in a variety of programs, identify areas of interest and develop skills that will prepare them for the workforce,” said Jen Cushman, UConn 4-H state program leader and Hartford County 4-H educator.
Last year, Watson was elected to serve on the Northeast Urban 4-H Teen Council. This leadership opportunity involved youth from four states and the District of Columbia, empowering them to make a positive impact in their communities. Each youth selected a community service project they undertook and presented their findings to the group. Watson created care kit packages for the Hartford nonprofit House of Bread and presented her findings in June. She plans to continue volunteering with House of Bread and is working with the leadership team to identify areas where she can make an impact next year.
“Because 4-H is a youth-led organization, you have a level of responsibility that you don’t get in school,” Watson said. “I ran community service projects at House of Bread, but I had to learn how to do things on my own and understand what it means to be responsible in a professional environment.”
UConn 4-H continues to provide opportunities for Watson. She will represent Connecticut at the National 4-H Dairy Conference in Madison, Wisconsin this fall and is also a candidate for the UConn 4-H Teen Council. Watson has hosted an Ag Day at the State Capitol on behalf of UConn 4-H and also participated in UConn 4-H Civic Day at the State Capitol this April, an event organized by the Teen Council.
“Seeing what they do and how much they enjoy it has inspired me, and I want to help other youth enjoy the UConn 4-H program, too,” Watson said.
This year’s Civic Day was made even more special as the University of Connecticut men’s basketball team also visited the Capitol, with Watson meeting with Donovan Clingan, University of Connecticut President Radenka Marić and Governor Ned Lamont.
But before her next adventure, there’s work to be done. Watson will be participating in 4-H Fair Work Week, setting up corrals, cleaning the grounds and preparing for the fair. During the fair, she will be interviewed by the 4-H Dairy Program selection committee at the Big E Fair in September. Each of these may pose challenges, but Talia Watson will adapt and succeed.
The Hartford County 4-H Fair will be held at the Four Town Fairgrounds in Somers from Aug. 16 to 18. For information about all 4-H fairs and how to get involved in the programs, visit s.uconn.edu/4-H.
4-H is a community of more than 6 million young people across the U.S. who learn science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), leadership, social engagement and life skills through 4-H project activities. University of Connecticut 4-H is part of Extension in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. 4-H provides opportunities for young people to develop lifelong skills such as social engagement and healthy living.
