Heart of 4-H Award Winner: Kala Ball

Kala has been leader of the Young Riders 4-H club for three years, leader of the Wee Amigos club for two years, Horse Judging coach for seven years, Hippology and Horse Bowl coach for three years, County Fair 4-H Horse Judging superintendent for two years, and has coached many speeches and demonstrations.

Four 4-H members and one parent nominated Kala:

• Frances Anderson said, "I nominate Kala because she has taught me many skills I can use my whole life. She always encourages me and pushes me to be the best that I can be!"
• Schyler Kerns said, "Kala has helped me become a better rider and really understands me. She is the greatest 4-H leader there ever was or will be."
• Lindsay Kerns said, "She has been an incredible 4-H leader for the past three years because she really puts her whole heart into the job."
• Kelli Kerns (4-H parent) said, "She not only has given a tremendous amount of time to them during the 4-H season -- taking vacation days to be with them during shows, etc., but also has encouraged them to try other experiences in 4-H to have a well-rounded experience."
• Katy Cockerill said, "She is there, encouraging us, at local weekend shows, and 4-H district and state shows. Coming to our school plays and graduation parties, she is more than a leader, she is our close friend and mentor."

"I like being a 4-H volunteer as I have been surrounded with the most amazing 4-H families -- they make all of the time and effort that I put into the clubs seem effortless," Kala says. "Kids will amaze you if you challenge them to learn. They absorb so much knowledge so quickly, it is often a challenge for myself to keep them learning. Lancaster County has some of the brightest horsemen and women in the nation."

She continues, "Coaching judging teams is my passion and has been so much fun in the last seven years! I love working with students teaching more than just basic horsemanship skills. Judging has so many complicated rules and learned subjectivity to master. Oral reasons, while scary at first, become my students' favorite part of the contest. It is one of the only areas that youth can go into a room and tell an adult WHY they have made their decisions. We have had a lot of fun traveling Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas practicing theses skills. The success that we have had in the past is just the icing on the cake. If any of you are around any past members of the teams, talk to them -- you will be amazed at the knowledge and poise that they have gained."

Kala lives in Lincoln and works at Pfizer. Her favorite way to relax is working with her horses and taking dressage lessons at Stewart Equestrian Center.