Friday Spotlight: Caitlin Clineff 4-H Alumna

— Written By
en Español / em Português
Español

El inglés es el idioma de control de esta página. En la medida en que haya algún conflicto entre la traducción al inglés y la traducción, el inglés prevalece.

Al hacer clic en el enlace de traducción se activa un servicio de traducción gratuito para convertir la página al español. Al igual que con cualquier traducción por Internet, la conversión no es sensible al contexto y puede que no traduzca el texto en su significado original. NC State Extension no garantiza la exactitud del texto traducido. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que algunas aplicaciones y/o servicios pueden no funcionar como se espera cuando se traducen.


Português

Inglês é o idioma de controle desta página. Na medida que haja algum conflito entre o texto original em Inglês e a tradução, o Inglês prevalece.

Ao clicar no link de tradução, um serviço gratuito de tradução será ativado para converter a página para o Português. Como em qualquer tradução pela internet, a conversão não é sensivel ao contexto e pode não ocorrer a tradução para o significado orginal. O serviço de Extensão da Carolina do Norte (NC State Extension) não garante a exatidão do texto traduzido. Por favor, observe que algumas funções ou serviços podem não funcionar como esperado após a tradução.


English

English is the controlling language of this page. To the extent there is any conflict between the English text and the translation, English controls.

Clicking on the translation link activates a free translation service to convert the page to Spanish. As with any Internet translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not translate the text to its original meaning. NC State Extension does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text. Please note that some applications and/or services may not function as expected when translated.

Collapse ▲

4-H was a big part of my life growing up in the Westfield area of Stokes County. Some of the big highlights of my 15 years as a 4-Her were winning national titles in horticulture and public speaking, hosting Japanese students and visiting Japan through the 4-H International Exchange Program, sewing outfits for the State Fashion Revue, serving as the North Central District 4-H Vice President, being inducted into the NC 4-H Honor Club, and making lifelong friends and connections with whom I still keep in touch. Beyond all of my achievements though, the most important things I gained were the skills that I use consistently in my professional life today.

Being involved in the 4-H horticulture program allowed me to experience and learn about different aspects of the horticulture industry that I knew nothing about—I got to meet people and tour facilities all over the country through the 4-H partnership with the National Junior Horticultural Association, and I learned about the Horticulture Department at NC State through 4-H summer programs. It was these experiences that eventually led me to major in Horticulture at NC State and start my career in the landscape industry. After graduation, I started out working on a grounds crew in a public garden, then went on to become a landscape designer and horticultural consultant in Washington, DC.

Today, I live in Durham, NC and work for Myatt Landscaping & Construction in Fuquay-Varina, right outside of Raleigh. My job title is Recruiting Specialist & Company Ambassador, and I handle employee recruiting and retention, marketing, social media, and public outreach. I enjoy teaching students about the great career opportunities in landscaping, whether they decide to get a college degree, or start working right out of high school. There are a huge number of high-paying jobs with benefits for anyone willing to work hard, no matter what their background is.

I cannot express enough the appreciation and gratitude I have for every 4-H volunteer leader and professional who helped me on my journey, because all of those experiences I had as a youth prepared me for what I do today. Not only did I discover my interest in working with plants, I also gained critical skills in public speaking and networking, especially through participating in the 4-H presentations every year. It helped me become comfortable organizing my thoughts, preparing presentations, speaking in front of large crowds, and answering questions from an audience. In 2019, I was invited by the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) to speak at a conference in Washington, DC about the work I was doing for Myatt in high school outreach, and because of my 4-H experiences, I was able to deliver a well-received speech in front of a room full of CEOs from all over North America. Because of that speech, I was invited to become an advisory board member for the NALP Women in Landscape Network, which strives to recruit, promote, and support women in the landscape industry. I am currently starting my third year serving the advisory board.

I owe my professional success in my career largely to my 4-H experiences, which would not have been possible without the support of my parents, Mike and Pam Davis, my 4-H Agents, April Bowman and Terri Bost, and the state 4-H staff, Shannon McCollum and Sarah Kotzian, and NC State Extension Specialist Liz Driscoll. To all of them, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart. To anyone considering getting their kids involved in 4-H, I recommend it without hesitation.

Woman speaking

Speaking during a roundtable discussion during the NALP Workforce Summit

Woman at podium

Giving a speech at the NALP Workforce Summit

woman teaching a class

Teaching high school students about plant identification during a field trip at Myatt Landscaping.

Four people singing on stage

Performing the 4-H Centennial Song in 2008.

People in rainforest

Touring the rainforest in Puerto Rico on a 4-H Plants and Soils trip in 2007.

For more information about the Stokes County 4-H program, please contact Taylor Furr at taylor_furr@ncsu.edu or (336) 593-8179.