By Debbie Carter

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Chelsey Schell Kuester, who spoke to a 4-H youth leadership forum on the UAF campus earlier this year, said 10 years of 4-H gave her the confidence to try new things and the message, "You can do it!"

"It's that simple seed that they planted," she said. "It's a huge confidence builder."

Kuester, 26, started participating in 4-H at age 5 when an older sister joined a sewing class. The leader encouraged her to sew also, and she made a doll, then doll clothes, and her own clothing by the time she was 7.

Growing up in Michigan, her 4-H experiences revolved around arts and crafts projects, including sewing, macramé and glass etching -- skills that leaders and parents contributed. During the summers, she canoed on rivers at 4-H camp, despite being nearly blind in one eye (and not being allowed to wear glasses while in a boat) and practiced shooting sports.

After graduating from college, Kuester became a television journalist in Fairbanks, where she reported on a variety of 4-H camps and activities that rekindled her interest in the program. This past January, she stepped into new territory by becoming the community development director for the Downtown Association of Fairbanks, which promotes the downtown area.

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