A local 4-H volunteer with a lengthy history both as a student and leader in the organization will soon be honored with an alumni award, recognizing the time and energy she’s dedicated to the club that has helped shape her life.

Amanda Marquardt grew up in Valmeyer and still lives in the community. Her time with 4-H started when she was 8 as she joined the Moonlight Boys & Girls 4-H Club, the same group her father joined when he was in school.

She spoke positively about her time with the club as it provided her with greater agricultural knowledge beyond what she was already familiar with growing up on a farm.

“My parents introduced me to it because my dad was in it as a child as well,” Marquardt said. “I enjoyed joining it. It was more of an agricultural-based club, so mostly it dealt with livestock projects, crop projects, and when I joined I had rabbits, poultry and goats as my projects… That interest with animals grew after joining that club.”

After graduating from Valmeyer High School, she attended the University of Illinois, ultimately receiving a bachelor’s degree in animal science.

Marquardt’s time with 4-H didn’t stop after high school, however, as she continued in college – even being voted collegiate 4-H Member of the Year at her school in 2006.

Around this time, she also returned to the Moonlight Boys & Girls 4-H Club to serve as co-leader, and she has held a leadership position with the group for roughly 21 years.

Having spent 11 years with the club as a student, Marquardt offered additional insight into her 4-H experiences.

She emphasized the relationships that develop within the club, with students getting to know one another thanks to shared interests and agricultural niches.

Speaking now as a leader and with the Monroe County Fair just concluded, she also noted how kids who go to different schools and hardly ever see one another can bond and get along so well as they come together for the fair’s livestock exhibits.

Marquardt also had much to say about the growth opportunities afforded by 4-H, speaking on how the organization helped develop leadership abilities as she got older.

“Having the 4-H club, you learn about the other members, you become close friends, and then, as you get older, you get moved into that leadership role where you fill officer positions and you gain confidence in having those positions and become more outgoing,” Marquardt said.

Along with leadership skills, Marquardt also spoke about the more obvious benefits of 4-H involvement, pointing to how the work with animals helped direct her education and ultimately her career.

“I enjoyed my time as a club member, learning from my leaders and the opportunities that it gave to me as a member,” Marquardt said. “Having that opportunity to raise these livestock projects led me to pursue the career that I chose in veterinary medicine.”

Marquardt currently works at Bellson Animal Hospital in Columbia, having started as a technician but now serving as business manager.

As a volunteer and 4-H leader, she said much of her work involves conducting monthly meetings and helping organize the annual fundraiser along with other community projects and education tours. Marquardt noted that the club has been in the process of bouncing back into the regular routine after the COVID-19 pandemic halted a lot of regular activity.

On why she decided to return to the Moonlight Boys & Girls 4-H Club as a volunteer, she spoke about wanting to give back, providing today’s students with the same opportunities to build their leadership skills and expand their agricultural knowledge that she had.

“As a leader, I wanted to continue my time in 4-H and also kind of give back and help members pursue the careers that they want to as well if that’s agriculture-related,” Marquardt said.

Regarding the alumni award, Marquardt expressed thanks for the recognition, noting that she hopes current 4-H members understand that their time with the organization doesn’t have to come to an end as soon as they graduate.

“I am very honored to be recognized for this award,” Marquardt said. “I wasn’t sure how hard it would be to receive this award, but it was something I wanted to at least try for. As an alumni, to be recognized for all the time and hard work is always great, but I hope also that this encourages other alumni to apply for it in the future or, at least, people who graduate, who age out of 4-H itself at the age of 18, that they don’t think that’s the end of their 4-H career, that they can still do many great things as an alumni.”

With the local U of I Extension, 4-H Youth Development Program Coordinator Kelly Brandt had kind things to say about Marquardt and her work as one of the area’s 4-H leaders.

“She’s a wonderful volunteer,” Brandt said. “She’s very dedicated to the kids and always puts the kids first and makes sure that they get the experiences that they need to get from 4-H. She’s always there to make sure things get done. She’s very calm and collected all of the time, and I really enjoy working with her as a volunteer.”