Roselle woman among honored 4-H volunteers

Four 4-H volunteers were named University of Illinois Extension finalists for the 4-H Salute to Excellence Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer Award.

The finalists are Terrie Carso of Roselle; Pam Dierks of Randolph County; Jeanna Ohda of Bureau County; and Linda Thiele of Champaign County. Pam Dierks was named the Illinois winner.

The Salute to Excellence Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer Award honors 4-H volunteers with 10 or more years of service. These four individuals will be honored at the 2012 Illinois State Fair as part of the 4-H Clover Celebration. National 4-H Council, through funds from the Monsanto Company, provides this recognition for 4-H volunteers who provide exemplary service to 4-H.

4-H volunteers are vital to the success of the Illinois 4-H program.

Volunteers “provide the opportunity for youth to feel a sense of belonging, to develop independence, to practice generosity, and to experience mastery,” said Sheri Seibold, Extension specialist, 4-H Youth Development, University of Illinois Extension. “We appreciate their time and knowledge invested in 4-H members, their families, and their communities.”

The Salute to Excellence Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer Award allows the extension service to recognize important individuals who have succeeded in helping youth develop life skills through positive youth development experiences in 4-H.

Terrie Carso

Terrie Carso, a 13-year leader of the Roselle Go Gettem 4-H Club in DuPage County, has shown that hard work and enthusiasm pays off. She also has been a member of the DuPage County 4-H Foundation for more than a decade.

Carso works well with the members in her club. She discusses projects with the youth and helps them brainstorm ideas and solutions by asking questions and listening well to their answers. She encourages them to enroll in new projects each year. Her acceptance of everyone creates a safe and inclusive environment not only at club meetings but at all 4-H events.

Carso has been a key fundraiser for the DuPage County 4-H Foundation. She recruits volunteers from all areas of her life to help raise money for 4-H. She helps raise money because she knows that 4-H provides the opportunity for youth to showcase their talent in many different ways. Her kindness and generosity set an excellent example for youth and adults alike.

Carso was selected to represent the counties in northeastern Illinois before being named a finalist for the state award.

Pam Dierks

Pam Dierks is a 12-year leader of the Wine Hill Toppers 4-H Club in Randolph County. Dedicated, dependable, professional and very nice are words used by members and parents to describe her. She includes everyone in the club in discussion and decision-making. She communicates regularly with parents and recently created a Facebook page for the club to keep everyone informed and up-to-date on club activities.

Dierks credits the parents in her club with keeping the club active. She found the best way to find volunteers to help carry out activities voted upon by the club was to ask parents to help. She encourages parents to take on additional responsibilities within the club to help avoid burnout.

The Wine Hill Toppers are active in a variety of community service projects: The group has adopted a Chicago classroom through the Illinois Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom Project, adopted the National Guard unit from Randolph County that has been deployed to Afghanistan, shipped Christmas ornaments to Hurricane Katrina survivors, and presented a live Nativity in the Steelville City Park. In addition members tied fleece blankets for the St. Louis Children’s Hospital, paid monthly visits to nursing home residents, and raised funds for Relay For Life and Toys for Tots.

Dierks encourages members to reach beyond their comfort zone as well as being on the lookout for ways members can use their 4-H experiences to benefit themselves and others. Dierks was selected to represent the counties in southern Illinois before being named as the Illinois State Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer.

Jeanna Ohda

Jeanna Ohda is a 23-year volunteer with the Bureau County 4-H program. Her main area of service is within the 4-H horse project area. She has provided leadership to the Horse Bowl and Hippology Teams as well as 4-H Fair Horse superintendent. She also has served as a 4-H club leader, on the Fair Review Committee, as a workshop coordinator, and as an Extension Unit Council member.

Ohda does what is necessary to ensure all 4-H members, regardless of residence, have opportunities to participate in 4-H. When a 4-H member from another county was without a Horse Bowl team, Ohda invited her to the Bureau County team. Ohda fostered such a strong sense of belonging among the group that she stayed for the remainder of her 4-H career. As a caring adult, she has provided leadership to members in their development of mastery and engagement in learning of large amounts of technical information related to horses. With Ohda’s respect, encouragement and praise, 4-H members spend countless hours studying materials and practicing for horse competitions.

Ohda understands the 4-H mission and objectives and dedicates her time and talent to help young people develop into mature, responsible adults. Ohda was selected to represent the counties in northwestern Illinois before being named as a finalist for the state award.

Linda Thiele

4-H has been a part of Linda Thiele’s family for many years. Thiele is the organizational leader of the Champaign Mixed Clovers 4-H Club in Champaign County for 22 years. She was also a 10-year 4-H member as a youngster. The Champaign Mixed Clovers have members from different schools, ethnicities, and from both rural and urban backgrounds. She provides a safe and welcoming environment for each individual member.

Thiele encourages members to not be afraid to try something new. She provides guidance as youth participate in the 4-H Expo, complete record books, and write for scholarships or special awards. She devotes an incredible amount of time and opens her home outside of regular club meetings to personally mentor youth on their projects and records.

The Champaign Mixed Clovers have been involved in the Warm-the-Kid project in which 4-H members and other volunteers have sewn hats and scarves that have been delivered throughout the county. Members are generous and caring and have a strong commitment to their community service projects.

Thiele was selected to represent the east-central counties in Illinois before being named as a finalist for the state award.