Katie Martin is the 4-H Youth Development agent in Smith County, and we frequently share her “4-H News” articles on Smith County Insider.
4-H meetings and activities have been interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Katie hasn’t missed a beat in connecting and engaging with her 4-H’ers.
Through the use of the Smith County Extension’s Facebook page, Katie has hosted virtual judging for county-wide contests, posted fun activities for local 4-H’ers, and even allowed some 4-H’ers to share their projects and demonstrations virtually.
Katie has also uploaded several videos to the Smith County Extension’s YouTube channel, like this one about planting tomatoes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ff_wKTyS4w
Katie is originally from Cookeville, where she lives with her husband, Douglas, and their Australian Shepherd named Addie.
“Growing up in a family involved in agriculture, it became my passion from an early age,” Katie said. “I was involved with 4-H and FFA growing up and continued my involvement in the agriculture industry by graduating with a degree in Agribusiness Management from TTU in 2016.”
Katie just completed her Masters through UT’s Agriculture Leadership, Education, and Communication Program last December.
When she’s not spending her time coaching judging teams or organizing 4-H events, she enjoys riding her horses, kayaking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Katie has been with UT Extension Smith County since January 1, 2017.
To give our readers an opportunity to get to know Katie a little better, we asked her a few questions about herself and the work she does at the Smith County UT Extension Office.
SCI: What made you decide that you wanted to be an Extension Agent?
KM: I have always known I wanted to stay close to agriculture in some way in my career, and being a 4-H agent lets me do that while also feeling like I’m making a real impact with our youth. My grandfather, A.C. Clark, also had a long and successful career in Extension from 1949-1986. Knowing that I get to do something for a living that made him proud and that he truly believed made a difference in the lives of those in our community makes me thankful to get to carry on the family tradition.
SCI: What is something someone might not know about your job or the Smith County Extension Office in general?
KM: Many people don’t know just how much 4-H offers! What started as a corn and canning club has evolved into a youth organization that serves over 184,000 young people in our state. We have 26 project areas covering everything from Veterinary Science, Nutrition, Health, and Fitness, Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, Clothing and Textiles, and so much more. There is truly something for everyone. Also, all youth can be involved! If you are a 4th-12th grader in our county, you can participate in any contest, judging team, or activity we offer, and we offer a lot of them! Sometimes the hardest part of the job is keeping everyone in the loop about all the awesome opportunities.
SCI: What is your favorite part about what you do?
KM: My favorite part by far is seeing the growth and accomplishments of our outstanding 4-H members. I get to watch them grow, year after year. I get to see how much they improve at the speech contest or at the archery jamboree. I get to help them try new things, perfect their skills, and watch them develop into outstanding leaders and citizens. The best part of the job will always be the outstanding youth who are involved in 4-H. I am proud of the high quality of youth we have in our county. They are kind, thoughtful, respectful, and intelligent, and I am proud to get to work with them. Knowing one day they might look back fondly on their 4-H career, the memories made and the lessons learned makes it all worthwhile.
You can learn more about UT Extension Smith County by visiting smith.tennessee.edu, visiting the UT Extension Smith County Facebook Page and YouTube Channel, or giving the office a call at 615-735-2900.
Check out Smith County Insider’s spotlights on the other Smith County Extension Agents, Chris Hicks and Mary Parker Draper.
[wdca_ad id=”11484″ ]
[wdca_ad id=”11404″ ]
