Senior Project Reflection Paper
By Julie Vincent
After my senior project was complete I felt a sense of satisfaction in all that I had learned and accomplished in 4H. As of right now I am still in the process of completing my senior project. My senior project entailed me learning about 4H, such as what it takes to raise and show a farm animal and what 4H believes in.
I originally started out raising a pig for 4H with the help of my first mentor Doug, and then at the last moment I had to change to sheep. My sheep mentor Madeline, was a great instructor, while learning about sheep we grew to be friends. Senior project was really complicated. I became stressed when I found out that I no longer had a place to raise my pigs. I learned in life you have to keep going even if things don't go your way.
All through my senior project my two main goals were to lean how 4H functioned and to gain general information about raising and selling farm animals. Looking back at what I have accomplished I an very satisfied. I stated out only learning about pigs and in a sudden turn of events was able to learn about two farm animals. Pigs are amazing animals and have their own personalities.
In 4H, pigs are actually harder to raise and show than sheep. Pigs contrary to popular belief are very stubborn creatures. I found it hard numerous times to help my mentor move then from one pasture to the other. It was really exciting when got to experience Doug's pigs giving birth. When pigs are small, they are so cute and I found myself at Doug's house about three times a week just spending time with them.
After I found out that I had no place to put my hogs, I did everything I could to find a place. I had to put my networking skills into action. I talked to countless numbers of people and organizations, with still no luck. The next day I got a call from my mother and she suggested sheep, I liked the idea. I have been working with sheep for the past three months, and I finally got my sheep on April 28. Buying sheep for 4H is very expensive; in order to pay for my sheep I applied for a job. I worked at Frontier Pet clinic and made over a thousand dollars. I learned how to manage my money and started saving little by little. In total raising sheep is expensive it costs two hundred dollars for each sheep and three hundred for food before auction. When the sheep are taken to the fair they are judged on the way there feet are placed, how muscular they are, and showmanship of the handler. Sheep are very shy creatures and it was very hard to get my sheep comfortable with me.
Throughout my whole 4H experience I gained a lot of information that I will use to help further my career. What I really learned was the being in 4H takes a lot of time and effort, every morning and evening I have to go to my mentor's house to feed my sheep because you have to get your sheep accustomed to you so they will do what you want in the showmanship ring.
Technically my 4H experience won't end until August at the Napa County Fair. Raising and caring for these sheep will be hard, the real hard part for me will come when I have to sell my sheep and never see them again. In truth I know that I really shouldn't get attached to my sheep, but I can't help it because I love animals. My senior project ha been a really long journey; I have had some forks in the road, and some hardship. I think I came out a better person, more aware of the really world and my future. I am very thankful that I went through this experience and I now understand why they want seniors to do a senior project.