The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

Wahkiakum 4-H has awarded Haley Depoe a scholarship in the amount of $1,600 to continue "making the best better" in our world. She has been a 4-H member for seven years and participated in Foods and Nutrition, Food Preservation, Swine, Clothing and Textiles, Garden and Creative Arts.

When asked what she has learned from her time in 4-H Haley responded, "4-H has done a lot for me throughout the years, and I think it's safe to say that my 4-H experience has been nothing less than life changing. Through 4-H, I was given many amazing opportunities, including the opportunity to work as a leader on a state level. Being a State Ambassador was such a blessing in my life. It led me to a position of leadership I had never imagined being able to be in, because before this program I was terrified of even going into a store by myself, let alone speaking in front of rooms full of people. It kinda turned me from a caterpillar into a beautiful clover green butterfly."

One opportunity that Haley spoke of in her essay was her time as a Washington State 4-H Ambassador. She represented the Southwest District and served for 1 ½ years. Traveling several times a year for weekend long meetings hosted by other 4-H State Ambassador families, she worked on leadership summits preparing workshops for 4-H members. Their purpose is to promote 4-H through cooperation and communication with leadership and training as a bridge between state and local 4-H events while teaching valuable life skills such as communication, critical thinking, teamwork, service learning, planning, and responsible citizenship. This often comes in the form of conducting teen leadership programs, summits, Super Saturday events, and fairs. When reflecting on time served, Haley said, "Something that I think is important to remember about that program specifically, but 4-H in general, is that even though it's a lot of work sometimes, all that work is worth it when you get to see the results."

Haley will finish her AA at Grays Harbor College before attending Seattle Pacific University to complete her Bachelor's Degree in Nursing. "I have chosen nursing as a major/career because it has been a dream of mine since I was young to do something in the medical field. My mom lived with chronic health conditions for my whole life, so I want to be able to care for other people's family members. I also feel like I can make the best life for myself in a nursing career."