Spotlight on: Kathy Wolfe
Extension Agent
4-H and Youth Development
Go Big Red! Anyone who knows a Cornhusker knows exactly what that
means. Hi, I'm Kathy Wolfe and am one of two agents who manage a very large 4-H
program in Larimer County. I was born in Nebraska, graduated from UNL and
attended every home football game while I was a student.
In 1970, I got
married and moved to Fort Collins. Luckily, my first job after graduation was
as a Larimer County 4-H agent. Well, that's not entirely true about my first
job. I was a "summer agent" for three summers in Cass and Lancaster Counties in
Nebraska while still in college. After two and a half years on the job, my
husband got a job in Odessa, Texas as a professor at a brand new university,
the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. We only stayed one year and then
moved back to Fort Collins where both of my sons were born and raised. They are
both grown now and live in the People's Republic of Boulder.
After 25
years of marriage I got a divorce and was looking for a job. There was an
opening for a Larimer County 4-H agent, I applied, was hired after a 26 year
hiatus, and have been working at my "old job" since 1996. The biggest changes
from being an agent then until now have been societal. The pace is faster,
there's a lot more stress and the expectations are much higher. If you ever
hear me reference, "when I was an agent the first time," you'll know what I
mean.
In my spare time, I knit, read, sing, listen to music and travel.
I love judging knitting at the Colorado State Fair and am planning to hold a
Fiber Fun Fest on February 28, 2009 to which everyone is invited. At the Fiber
Fun Fest, which runs from 9-4 at The Ranch on I-25, everyone will be able to
experience the joys of learning to work with fiber and fabrics.
Another
of my specialties as a 4-H agent is the Cloverbud program. I've developed 60
Cloverbud kits for leaders to use as a lesson in a box. I conduct a series of
three workshops for Cloverbud leaders and we host a ½ day Cloverbud
Camp. I love working with this age range and my secret ambition is to be a
state Cloverbud 4-H Specialist.
One of the reasons I love being a 4-H
agent is that there are never two days alike. The variety of tasks that need to
be done each day keep things fresh. And the absolute best part is when a
Cloverbud 4-H member graduates from high school and the 4-H program and becomes
the incredible adult that we had hoped they would. That's the reward!