Molly Foley never imagined the path her past five years has taken. What started as a summer internship in Washington D.C. brought her to now work for the Governor of Iowa. What’s more evident in her story is the foundation 4-H built to help her succeed on a daily basis.
Foley was a member of the Palestine Peppy Pushers in Huxley,
IA. She was active in many project areas including horse, beef, sheep, food
& nutrition, communications, citizenship and leadership. An initial standout
memory for Foley was the Junior Sheep Showman class in 2003 at the Story County
Fair. She had been practicing sheep showmanship all summer and was disappointed
to be the first one pulled out of the line-up by the judge. (Normally means you
are not in contention for the top of the class). After lining up the rest of the
junior showmen, the judge began explaining to the crowd about the class.
“The last sentence out of his mouth is one I still remember
to this day: ‘I’m going to go with the young lady all the way on the end.’ I
quickly looked down to the other end of the ring, and to my giant surprise, the
4-Her on the other end of the line was a boy. It was me - he was talking about
me!”
Foley says, “That moment, that feeling; that lit a spark in
a young 4-Her’s heart and that is a memory I take with me wherever I go.”
Foley has several 4-H memories that have left an impact on
her life. Time at the Iowa State Fair is one of them.
“I’ve always had a love for music and singing, which meant I
also spent time in the 4-H Building at the State Fair as a part of “Share the
Fun” performances,” says Foley.
Her love of singing also brought her to a unique venue on
the Fairgrounds – the main livestock pavilion. For several years Foley sang the
Star-Spangled Banner at the 4-H Beef Parade of Champions. “I can still picture
it - standing in the middle of the massive ring, microphone in hand, cowgirl
boots and 4-H shirt on, signing for thousands of Iowans. Definitely a memory
for the history books.”
Foley firmly believes that her time spent in 4-H made her
the person she is today – personally and professionally. “One of my favorite
4-H activities was Communications. It was actually one of the driving factors
when I pursued my Agricultural Communications degree at Iowa State!”
She started doing working exhibits with fellow Palestine Peppy
Pushers and then found her niche in educational presentations. “The impact of
the 4-H communications project was strong. From a young age, I learned how to
confidently speak in public which eventually grew into a major career interest
of working with others and helping to educate and engage.”
Foreshadowing her current career, Foley was selected to
serve on the State 4-H Council for two terms and attend National 4-H Congress
in Atlanta, GA. Both large leadership and citizenship experiences.
“With a passion for agriculture and public service, 4-H gave
me the tools I needed to be able to communicate effectively, educate others on
important topics, and be able to think quickly on my feet in any situation -
all skills I now use on a daily basis!”
Like mentioned, Foley went on to Iowa State and earned two
degrees from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Agricultural Communications
and Public Service & Administration in Agriculture. The summer before her
senior year she interned for Senator Charles Grassley in his Washington office.
“Ask any DC resident - our Nation’s Capital is one of those
places that you either absolutely fall in love with, or a place you only want
to visit on vacation. I, of course, fell into the former category and made
Washington, DC, my home the summer after finishing my undergraduate degree.”
Before graduating from Iowa State in 2014, Foley knew she
wanted to pursue a degree specifically in public service and policy. She earned
her master’s in public administration from George Washington University in
2016. She had the opportunity to work for Senator Grassley full time as she
went to school in Washington D.C., working for his office until December 2017
when she was offered a job with the United States Trade Representative.
As a part of the Executive Office of the President and the
White House, Foley spent more than two years working on U.S. trade negotiations
and trade policy. Foley says, “Two of the biggest moments in recent trade
policy history both happened in the same week this past January. It was an
absolute honor to be a part of the amazing team of negotiators that were able
to accomplish both agreements.”
In March 2020, Foley’s career path brought her back to Iowa.
She now serves as the Director of Boards and Commissions for the Governor of
Iowa. “I’m honored to be a part of the Governor’s team and excited to be back
in the great state of Iowa,” said Foley.
Foley adds the 4-H program is a great way to learn what
sorts of industries you might be interested in when you graduate. She
encourages 4-H’ers to use their time in 4-H to figure out what they are
passionate about or what they enjoy doing.
“I had the chance to meet some of my closest friends through
4-H. We’ve graduated from college together, we’ve made career accomplishments
across the world, and we’ve even celebrated weddings and children together! The
opportunities in 4-H are second to none, we all know that. But also remember
it’s the people that make the organization one of the best in the country.”
To see a snippet from Foley’s past, check out this short
story IPTV did when she was a senior 4-H’er: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8Hgqdux6GI
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