Lancaster County 4-H presents a Heart of 4-H Award to a Lancaster County 4-H volunteer each month in recognition of outstanding volunteer serice. The purpose of this award is to recognize volunteers who are, indeed, the heart of 4-H.
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Pat has been a 4-H project leader (mostly in photography) for 17 years and has been a County Fair 4-H Photography co-superintendent for many years (this year she was superintendent). Pat regularly opens her darkroom to kids from Lancaster and surrounding counties for instruction in developing and printing photos and in making photograms.
Pat says she likes being a 4-H volunteer because, "I love to teach about photography and gets kids interested -- maybe even to the point of photography being a career choice some day -- but mostly to share some of the satisfaction that photography gives as a creative outlet -- how you can capture or create a feeling or emotion with a camera." She enjoys seeing the look on a kid's face as an image begins to appear in the developer in the darkroom.
Her favorite part of the County Fair is, "seeing the finished products and wonderful creativity of so many kids." She also enjoyed designing and setting up the photography exhibit in the new Lancaster Event Center last year with co-superintendent Galen Madsen and his wife, Jan.
Paula Peterson, leader of the Rock Creek Ranchers and member of 4-H Council, nominated Pat for the award. Paula wrote, "Pat has given her time every year to help with photography in her home and on field trips. She not only helps with the club which Kelly and Cory were part of, but any clubs interested."
Pat and her husband Wayne have two children, Cory and Kelly, who are former 4-H members and currently attending UNL. Pat works at Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway as a Claim Manager. She is also active on the Waverly United Methodist Church building committee and District 145 Foundation for Education.
She says her favorite vacation spots are golf courses, preferably those in mountains. Many people don't know she was a member of the Varsity (Men's) rifle team in college -- there was no "women's team" at that time -- and it was a sanctioned sport (part of the Big Eight Conference).