NORTHWOOD, Iowa - Every spring, delegates from across the country participate in the National 4-H Conference in Washington, D.C.
Most states have five delegates attend yearly. For Iowa, three of those five this year came from Worth County.
Senior Julia Quisley and Junior Peyton Pangburn from Northwood-Kensett High School, and Sophomore Kelsie Kinne from Central Springs High School all participated in roundtable discussions with lawmakers and agencies ranging from agricultural challenges to healthy relationships, cyberbullying, safe driving, and even mental health.
They feel that the chance to speak with policy makers is a great experience; in addition, it's rare to have more than two delegates from one county per year attend the conference.
"When you think of representatives from Iowa and then three of us get selected from the same county, and two of us happen to go to the same school and live in the same town, it's unbelievable," Quisley said.
"To have some sort of hand in policy and working with these government partners, whether that's the House or Senate, or some sort of agency or department," Pangburn said.
In addition, they say the conversations are beneficial.
"It's very important for them to get our perspective because we have a different insight into it that they don't always get as adults," Pangburn adds.
"There were a lot of things that we brought to the table that they didn't really know about, and things that they could implement into society today, and things that they could start working on," Kinne adds.
The delegates also met with some major political players while at the convention, including Senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley and Representative Dave Loebsack, as well as the staff of Representatives Stevet King and Abby Finkenauer.
