National 4-H Week comes only once a year, but many feel the impact all year long. ISU freshmen choose to go to Iowa State for many different reasons, but there are some who come as a direct result of the impact 4-H had on their lives.

According to the ISU Extension, 4-H is a program that can prepare youth for public speaking, public service, community leadership and social responsibility as much as it prepares youth for any one career choice.

Name: Krista Frazee

Hometown: Emerson

Year: Freshman

Major: Public service and administration in agriculture

Frazee said she credits her aunt and uncle for encouraging her to pursue a major in public service and administration, but she wants to use the knowledge she gets from Iowa State to pursue a career in the Extension Office, either in an agriculture-related field or back to her roots in 4-H.

“It has a lot of options out of college,” Frazee said. “That, and it sounded cool.”

Frazee said she had been very actively involved in 4-H for nine years and the program has played a huge role in her life.

“I’m a fourth-generation Iowa Stater – I already knew the area – but I decided to come here because 4-H showed me it had a good background,” she said. “It’s been a fun process along the way.”

Name: Theodore Masker

Home Town: Neola

Year: Freshman

Major: Agricultural engineering

Masker said he grew up on a farm and became involved in 4-H to show livestock.

During his time in 4-H, he became interested in finding the right environment for livestock and decided to major in agricultural engineering at Iowa State to pursue a career in designing livestock buildings.

“I had three older sisters come to Iowa State, but I knew it was a great school for agriculture and a great engineering school,” he said. “I think a lot of 4-H’ers end up going to Iowa State because it has a great agricultural background.”

Masker said 4-H not only helped him decide on his future career and university, but has helped him develop leadership skills.