This picture was taken in 1999, the year that Jessica won the Gold Star Award for Brazoria County in 4-H.  The awards behind her are just some of the awards she won in her eight years in 4-H.  Mostly, I think Jessica didn't care as much about the awards as just being part of something with other kids. 

For all of us, 4-H was one of the most rewarding and yet frustrating things we ever did.  The learning, raising animals, the meetings, the trips....those were all fun.  The politics, the stage parents, the sometimes obviously predetermined outcomes of things--those were very heartbreaking.

Despite the pain involved, I still believe all of it was a good learning experience.  Face it, the kids got to watch some adults at their absolute worst.  Next to those parents, the boss from hell will probably look like a pussy cat.