From the County Fair to the Crater of Mt. St. Helens, I’m a Product of 4-H

Mt. St. Helens erupted in May 1980. At the time, I was a high schooler in small-town Minnesota. On TV, I saw US Geological Survey [USGS] geologists flying into the crater to study the volcano. This seemed like a good career, so I “declared a geology major.”

My 4-H geology project for the county fair was obvious – a science-why exhibit on volcanoes. I poured myself into research and was awarded a trip to the Minnesota State Fair. There, I was judged by a real geologist (wow!) of the Minnesota Geological Survey [MGS] and received valuable feedback.

I also brought exhibits to the State Fair about glaciers (junior year) and the glacial geology of Carlton County (senior year). My State Fair trip as a junior was especially impactful. My MGS judge discovered I wished to become a geologist and asked about my college plans. He urged me to attend the Univ. of Minnesota-Duluth (UMD – excellent faculty, rocks, and personal attention). He had credibility, and I followed his good advice. Without 4-H, this small-town kid wouldn’t have received such timely input.

After completing my degree at UMD, I received a paid USGS-NAGT internship at Mt. St. Helens! Now I was flying into the crater of Mt. St. Helens with geologists I had seen on TV! Three years later, I was studying modern glacial processes in the Alaskan wilderness (chronicled in my book, Adventures in Glacier Bay). Ultimately, I became a Professor of Geology at UW-Eau Claire.

See the connection? 4-H geology projects on volcanoes and glaciers? Experiences at Mt. St. Helens and on Alaskan glaciers? From the Carlton County Fair to the crater of Mt. St. Helens, I am a product of 4-H.

What about you? What is your story? If you are a product of 4-H, what is that worth to you?

A 4-H extension educator told me it costs ~$150 to send a youth to a 4-H general encampment at the State Fair--an amazing bargain. But what if youths are unable to have this life-changing experience because of finances?

If you are thankful for your 4-H experience, would you join me in funding a 4-H youth’s State Fair trip? In Minnesota, search for your local county’s 4-H program at this website to support a deserving 4-H youth. https://makingagift.umn.edu/give/fund.html?id=23098. For other states, Google the state’s 4-H federation or contact a 4-H extension worker in your county of interest.

I’m extremely thankful for my 4-H experiences. 4-H helped me “dream big” and opened up the world to me (and perhaps for you as well). If so, please help other young people have the same opportunities!

Kent Syverson is a glacial geologist from Barnum, MN. He is a Professor of Geology and Environmental Science at the Univ. of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Syverson published a book in 2020, Adventures in Glacier Bay, about his PhD adventures in Alaska - full color, available from Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/author/kentsyverson