The Faces of Iowa 4-H: Holly Bignall

Name: Holly Bignall

Current Position: 4-H Program

E-SET Coordinator

Birthplace: El Paso, Texas

Other Locations: Illinois, Germany from age seven to eleven, and Iowa

Education: Undergraduate degree in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Northern Iowa. Master’s in Women’s Studies, Philosophy, and Religious Studies from Iowa State University.

Past Work Experiences:

University of Northern Iowa - Cedar Falls, Iowa as a water quality project research assistant

Fort Dodge Animal - Fort Dodge, Iowa as a lab technician

The Imaginarium (hands on science museum) - Waterloo, Iowa as a science education director.

Hobbies/Interests: Being a mom, reading, biking and dancing.

Ultimate Goal in 4-H: Have a positive impact on kids by providing them opportunities to discover the fun and excitement of science, engineering, and technology. Help them become well-rounded citizens of this country, their communities, and their families because of the growth they experienced in 4-H.

I had the opportunity to interview Holly and I was extremely impressed by the way she spoke about her career and the 4-H program. What really left an impression on me was how fascinated she is with her job and how much she respects the people she works with everyday. Holly told me, “I love the people I work with! I work with the best people, and I have the best job. Everybody here genuinely wants to serve the youth, and we all care about each other. Everyone wants to be here, and we all believe in what we are doing and what 4-H is about!”

Like me, Holly was not a member of 4-H growing up and didn’t really know anything about it. She has now been working with 4-H for two and a half years. She helps run the E-SET program which stands for Extension Science, Engineering, and Technology. E-SET provides support to people doing science, engineering, and technology with youth. The goal is for the kids to have positive experiences so that they are excited to learn about and possibly go into science, engineering, and technology fields.

I asked Holly what she liked best about her job and she said, “I like that everything is different. I always have new projects and while it is hard it is exciting to pull it off in the end. It is so rewarding and I love having a part in that!”

What does 4-H Mean to Holly?

It means positive youth development and helping kids become healthier adults!

Holly and Antarctica Climate Secrets

Erika Pletcher

Comments

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Iowa 4-H Alumni & Friends

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