Spotlight on: Nadine Henry
Extension Agent - 4-H
Gunnison County
Greetings from Nadine Henry!
My roots are buried deep in
Colorado but I have had stints in Goodland, KS; Haigler, NE and Boise, ID. I
graduated from CSU with an education degree and spent a couple of years inside
the four walls teaching PE and Social Studies.
Between several
experiences doing "workforce development," I was the program director at an
Outdoor Center west of Boulder. I really loved that place. I had many
responsibilities including directing the high school leadership
program.
I needed something to pull me away from the Outdoor Center so I
hiked the Appalachian Trail for six months and completed an Outdoor Leadership
Training program. By now I had become a passionate experiential educator with
no desire to return to a classroom. I spent seven summers running volunteer
high school trail crews for Student Conservation Association - the more
backcountry the better.
I worked for a time doing customer support and
training for an education software and consultant company in the
school-to-career arena.
I was then hired as the 4-H agent in a dream
location for me! Gunnison is far away from traffic!
An experiential
educator I have remained, so you won't catch me doing much teacher-centered
leaning! I enjoy designing and facilitating experiential activities.
I
have six brothers and sisters who, for the most part, have remained true to the
family agricultural roots, so I am very comfortable and supportive of 4-H's ag
education role. Someday I may have an animal or two but for now I can't find
enough time to bake, sew, landscape, and weave (the new one)!
At the
moment I am trying to complete a master's degree in Youth Development. I like
the program a lot (my grades don't reflect that!)! The restlessness sets in
pretty quick if I am not learning something new, so 4-H and Extension are great
places to be. The youth and families always provide ample goal seeding
ground!