The confidence to try

When Zoe Engelbrecht first joined 4-H, she would sit quietly in the back of the room with her parents. “I was a super-shy kid,” Engelbrecht recalls. “I didn’t want to participate. I didn’t want to do anything.”

But another member of the Fairview 4-H club in Lexington, Mo., saw something in her that Engelbrecht didn’t yet see in herself. The older member suggested she run for the office of club recreation leader. Engelbrecht was nervous, but she took the advice and ran for the position. This required her to give a speech to her club about why she wanted to lead games. “The thought of getting up in front of meetings just really terrified me,” she says.

During her time in 4-H, Engelbrecht went from leading games such as duck, duck, goose and red light, green light to serving as president of the Missouri 4-H State Council.

Engelbrecht, now a nursing student at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, sees 4-H as a major force in shaping the person she has become.

“4-H gave me the confidence to grow, to lead others, serve my community and just try so many new things,” she says.

Some of the things she tried were sewing, first aid, entomology, photography, food preservation and country-cured ham and bacon. Sewing, in particular, was not something she initially expected to enjoy.

“From an outsider perspective, that looks like something a grandma would do,” she says.

Her grandmother became her sewing project leader, teaching her the basics and insisting that she do things correctly. If a seam wasn’t straight, Engelbrecht learned to rip it out and try again.

At the time, she didn’t always appreciate the lesson. Looking back, she sees how it taught her patience and attention to detail.

Later, she combined sewing with entrepreneurship and started a small business, Sew Into It. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she made more than 500 masks.

She continued expanding what she made, including bucket hats, pencil pouches, key fobs, lanyards, earrings, boo-boo bags and tote bags.

“It really showed me again that 4-H provides you with so many opportunities and just open doors to try something new,” she says. “Because even if it doesn’t succeed, at least you learned from it.”

First aid opens a career path

Another 4-H project, first aid, would have an even more direct impact on Engelbrecht’s future. Her project leader, a teacher at the local technical center, introduced her to CPR, basic medical tools and lifesaving skills.

It sparked an interest in health care. Engelbrecht continued with first aid projects throughout high school, eventually giving CPR demonstrations at the county and state fairs. She remembers being surprised and encouraged when younger children crowded around her demonstrations, eager to learn how to save a life.

“That was so cool to watch, that kids have such broad minds of wanting to learn so much more,” she says.

Her interest in medicine continued to grow. In high school, she enrolled in health occupations at the technical center, completing certification as a nursing assistant, as well as certifications in phlebotomy, EKG and patient care technician.

In addition to her studies at UCM, she works weekends at a nursing home.

Growing beyond the club

As Engelbrecht gained confidence, she began looking beyond her local 4-H club.

She competed in state public speaking and fashion revue, attended National 4-H Congress and National 4-H Conference, and moved through a progression of leadership roles — from club officer to county leadership to regional representative on the Missouri 4-H State Council. Her senior year, she became state council president. At each level, she worked with new groups of young people and learned how to lead meetings, conduct interviews, delegate responsibilities and bring competing ideas together.

As a child, Engelbrecht had looked up to the older 4-H members who wore the distinctive green jackets of the State 4-H Council. What impressed her wasn’t simply their leadership positions. They were encouraging, approachable and genuinely interested in seeing younger members succeed. Years later, she donned the green jacket herself.

That peer support remains one of the things she values most about 4-H.

A culture of encouragement

Emily Bergsieker, a Missouri 4-H youth development specialist who was Engelbrecht’s club leader, had a front-row seat to her transformation.

“Zoe is someone I have had the privilege of watching grow from a very shy 8-year-old into a confident young woman who is not afraid to speak in front of large crowds and take on leadership roles,” Bergsieker says.

Bergsieker’s encouragement was part of a larger network of support Engelbrecht found in 4-H — from parents and adult volunteers to other young people who pushed her to take the next step.

Now Engelbrecht is returning that support as a 4-H volunteer with her local club. She helps with entomology in her local club and assists younger members with projects, speeches and applications for State 4-H Council.

At county fairs, she enjoys seeing young members run up to show her their projects and ribbons.

“It’s always so fun to see that,” she says.

For Engelbrecht, growth has come from doing things she wasn’t sure she could do — giving that first speech, trying an unfamiliar project, taking on a new leadership role and eventually stepping beyond her local club. The encouragement of other 4-H members, along with parents and adult leaders, gave her the confidence to take those steps. Now, as a volunteer, she is helping give younger members the same opportunity to discover what they can do by trying something new.

About Missouri 4-H

Missouri 4-H grows today’s youth and prepares tomorrow’s leaders. With a blend of time-tested traditions and innovative hands-on learning, Missouri youth explore and find their spark in programs ranging from agriculture and conservation to aerospace and career development. Through clubs, programs, camps, in-school and after-school experiences, University of Missouri Extension faculty, staff and thousands of volunteers guide youth in developing essential skills, building confidence and fostering connections. Together, they inspire young people to make a real difference in their communities, their country and the world.