Callie Mueller

Community Service Reflection

2/12/2022
Caring for Youth in My Community
The crowd is waiting with anticipation, the rodeo announcer is saying the next
name on the list. I crouch down to get eye level with the next mutton buster. Looking
through the protection wires of the helmet, I give a quick pep talk: “take a deep breath
and hang on tight; you’ve got this!”
Seeing the nerves in a young child’s face, giving them support and guidance, and
then seeing the smile and confidence after they have accomplished the goal, makes my
soul fill with happiness. I have had a wide variety of community service experiences
through my many years as a 4-H and FFA member, however the experiences with
children fulfill me the most. My experiences with volunteering at rodeos, being a 4-H
mentor, mentoring youth in the Watertown Saddle Club, and serving as Co-President of
the Watertown Saddle Club is teaching me leadership, organization, and time
management skills.
During rodeos I am actively involved with the children’s activities. These include
boot scrambles and mutton busting. While each rodeo is different, there is always a high
level of excitement. My job is to get the children lined up in the correct order, have them
stay there, and prep them for the activity. At one boot scramble, I saw a little child’s
confidence shift from shy to bold in one setting. At the beginning, he was not confident
and wanted me to hold his hand as we ran across the arena. Through pep talk and
guidance, his confidence grew, and as we started our trek back to the finish line, he let
go of my hand and finished all on his own. Remembering the joy I felt in that moment
gets me excited as I think of the experiences I will have watching my own students grow
in their educational skills.
My community service with the Watertown Saddle Club is mentoring the youth
members and serving as the Co-President. I have learned management, organization,
and leadership skills specifically from this role. I gather all club sponsorships as I visit
with local businesses, share about our club, and ask for their support. I am responsible
for tallying year-end results, ordering ribbons and awards, and purchasing items for the
pee-wee prize box. I also help schedule meetings and shows. I personally mentor youth
who participate in the Watertown Saddle Club. I guide them by giving advice, answering
their questions to the best of my ability, and support their horsemanship skills and
horse knowledge through sharing information. I have shown horses since I was five
years old and being active with horses is a personal passion of mine. Volunteering with
the saddle club and its youth members gives me enjoyment as I watch their passion for
horses grow, too.
 Lastly, I am a mentor to three teenage girls in a 4-H club. They participate in
animal projects, arts and crafts, photography, baking, and giving speeches and
demonstrations. Volunteering to help 4-H members is special to me because I had
eleven years of experience in 4-H myself. I enjoy giving them guidance and coaching
them through their projects. Coaching in speeches, demonstrations, and radio talks are
a personal favorite. In these areas they choose a topic to talk about and can create a
poster that corresponds to the speech/demonstration. I have taught them how to talk
with enthusiasm and set up an engaging speech with an attention getter, introduction,
main points, and finish strong with a conclusion. I have learned they learn best through
an example and then applying it to their own project.
Through my community service experiences and volunteering, I have learned that
a teacher is not just a person in a classroom. A teacher is there for all youth, to guide
them, encourage them, and lend a helping hand when they get stuck. I have learned
what it takes to be a leader; to have a patient mind, give positive reinforcement, and how
to guide youth in the right direction. Watching one’s growth because of my support and
involvement, brings me great joy and satisfaction. Through these experiences I have
grown myself and I am excited to take what I have learned and apply it into a classroom.