No time like the present! I suffer from #analysisparalysis. I want things to be right and perfect before I go forth and prosper. But that can be a hindrance. For example, the idea for this blog has been floating around in my head for years. I even went so far as to create the shell of it about a year ago, but then never wrote my first entry. So in an effort to kick this thing off let me introduce myself, and my vision for this blog....

Hi! I'm JoLynn Miller and I'm the 4-H Youth Development Advisor in the Central Sierra Nevada region of California. This area covers four counties from Lake Tahoe to Yosemite (El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, and Tuolumne) so I basically live and work in paradise! In January of 2012, I drove myself, my dog, and my horse from Montana, across the Sierra's and down 49 to a town that I had never been before, Sonora. This is where I'm headquartered from my position with UCANR. It's been a wonderful, interesting, hard, humbling, fun, exhausting, and fabulous nine years.

I feel like my life's experiences have led to me to this job and my purpose is being fulfilled here. I'm so lucky for that. I grew up riding horses on a competitive equestrian drill team that on the side taught leadership and life skills. Little did I know that while I was riding horses I was also honing my skills of leadership, public speaking, teaching, perseverance, decision-making, timeliness, respect, etc. and that they would be key concepts that would get me through life. After high school I went to Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo) and majored in Agriculture Education with an emphasis on crop and soil science. This is where I learned the basis of lesson planning, evaluation, and youth engagement. The plan was to grow up and become a high school FFA Advisor, but I soon quickly realized this wasn't quite my jam. I had imagined teaching agriculture, but not in a formal setting like a classroom. I just didn't know there was a job that existed like that.

After a three-year detour working in leadership positions at a small ski resort in Southern California, I found a Master's program in Montana that was perfect for me. It was also in Agriculture Education, but it's focus was EXTENSION. I learned I could meet the local needs of the community I was living in, by teaching what they wanted/needed! While at Montana State, I was a Teaching Assistant in non-formal teaching methods and guided undergrad students in bringing agriculture education to youth in fun, out-of-the-box ways. We did an “agriculture pizza” lesson at the Boys and Girls Club one year that was a big hit. I was also able to intern at Montana Outdoor Science School where I created an adult gardening program that was less intense that the MSU Master Gardener Program. We called it Produce Your Own and we were able to gather data on this endeavor and then write a journal article on it. My experience in program planning, research and evaluation, and extension education deepened while in Bozeman.

During graduate school, I was able to secure a position with Gallatin County 4-H as their Military Programs and Mentoring Programs coordinator. I worked part time in creating various events and activities for the youth and families in these programs. Then one day in fall of 2011, I applied for the position at UCANR in the Central Sierra and the rest is history!

My passion for volunteer development really grew while in this position. Our volunteers are the meat and potatoes of this organization, having the direct interaction with our youth. My main focus for research and programming has been expanding the reach of the 4-H program and volunteer development. Over the years, we've worked on various ways to support our volunteers including local and regional Volunteer Development Days. Last year I created a Facebook group for our Central Sierra 4-H Volunteers as a way to connect and learn from each other. I also started a newsletter with ideas for icebreakers, engagement tips, and relevant research. And then….dun dun dun COVID consumed our lives. We've provided COVID safety training, online resources, 4-H at Home guidance, and more to help our volunteers stay engaged.

And now, we have this blog. Most entries won't be this long. My intentions are to give you short, relevant tips/tricks, research, or anecdotes that my help you in your volunteer service. Please reach out, suggest topics, and ask questions. We're all in this together TO MAKE THE BEST BETTER.