Each year, North Carolina 4-H elects a team of youth leaders who represent the program for the coming year. As state officers of the North Carolina 4-H Council, they serve as the voice of their peers, represent 4-H at events across the state and help shape programs and experiences for members.

Elected during the 2026 State 4-H Congress, five 4-H’ers have stepped into these roles as members of the 2026-2027 State 4-H Council, bringing with them different interests and perspectives shaped by their own 4-H journeys.

Natalia Estrada, Leah Frick, Promise McCoy, Kendal Thornburg and Galyce Ham each bring decades of combined 4-H experience and backgrounds that span everything from livestock, poultry and presentations to citizenship, cooking, camps, community service and county and district leadership.

But their role over the next year is about more than the green jackets they wear.

In sharing their experiences and goals for the year ahead, a common priority emerged among the five officers: connecting more young people with the opportunities, experiences and sense of belonging they have found through 4-H.

For Natalia Estrada, 4-H has been part of her life for 12 years.

As a Wayne County 4-H'er, Estrada has experienced the program at nearly every level, participating in the Ballet Folclórico de Colores 4-H Club, Wayne County 4-H Council, presentations, summer day camps and numerous leadership and service opportunities. Before being elected, she served as the 2025-2026 Southeast District 4-H president.

Along the way, she has earned multiple district and state gold awards in presentations and placed fourth nationally in egg cookery in 2024. But Estrada points to her growth from a young member into a leader representing 4-H at the county, district, state and national levels as one of her proudest accomplishments.

Now, as state 4-H president, she hopes to help other members discover where their own 4-H experiences can take them.

“My biggest goal as a state officer is to strengthen the 4-H experience for members across North Carolina by expanding awareness of opportunities, building stronger connections between counties and districts, and empowering youth to lead with confidence,” Estrada said. “I want to help create a statewide 4-H community where every member feels seen, supported, and inspired to take the next step in their leadership journey.”

For 12-year 4-H member Leah Frick, some of her earliest experiences have revolved around poultry.

Frick has participated in an embryology or poultry project during every year of her 4-H career. She has shown poultry, taught workshops and helped introduce others to poultry science—including teaching approximately 1,300 second graders each year for five consecutive years.

Her experience extends well beyond poultry. The Davie County 4-H'er has participated in presentations, citizenship programs and AIRE while serving in multiple county leadership positions. She also represented the North Central District as secretary-treasurer, attended National 4-H Congress and was inducted into the North Carolina 4-H Honor Club in 2026. Her election as vice president also made her the first state 4-H officer from Davie County.

Frick credits those experiences with transforming her confidence.

“4-H took me from an observant introvert to someone who can easily snatch up a microphone and entertain or inform a crowd,” Frick said.

During her term, she hopes to use that confidence to embody her role by being a helper to others, extending those same opportunities to even more young people, with a particular focus on Cloverbuds, middle school members and clubs and counties that may not always feel as connected to statewide opportunities.

In just five years, Promise McCoy has used 4-H to explore everything from gardening, cooking and textiles to public speaking, citizenship and civic engagement.

The Durham County 4-H'er's experiences include 4-H Congress, Citizenship NC Focus, YouthVoice, North Central District Teen Retreat, District Activity Day and Kids Voting Durham, where she has helped create election guides and interview candidates for local office.

For McCoy, those varied experiences have provided something particularly valuable: the freedom to explore.

Through 4-H, she says she has developed communication, teamwork, problem-solving, critical-thinking, organization and adaptability skills while also discovering career possibilities she did not previously know existed.

As secretary-treasurer, McCoy wants more young people to have that same opportunity.

“My goal as a state officer is to bring more people into 4-H to get the opportunities that I have had, and encourage and engage current members so that they may learn about those opportunities and have the chance to experience them holistically,” McCoy said.

Kendal Thornburg enters state office in his 13th year of 4-H with experiences ranging from showing Belted Galloway cattle and sheep to presentations, service projects, summer programs and teen leadership.

Thornburg, a Franklin County 4-H'er, has served through the Franklin County 4-H Teen Council, volunteered with day camps across Franklin, Nash and Warren counties and competed in presentations at the district and state levels. Among his proudest accomplishments are being tapped into the North Carolina 4-H Honor Club and serving in county, district and now state office.

Service is also an important part of Thornburg's life outside of 4-H. He regularly volunteers at his community food pantry, helping provide food and household supplies to local families.

That interest in people carries directly into his role as member engagement officer, where his goal is to meet as many 4-H'ers as possible and experience programs throughout the state.

“I cannot wait to meet you and I look forward to the friendship I will have with you,” Thornburg said.

And if you're looking for an easy conversation starter, he's always ready for a game of Uno or Mario Kart.

For Galyce Ham, eight years in 4-H have been about trying new things, making memories and discovering new opportunities.

Ham's experience in Nash County 4-H included participation in the Teen Clovers Club, cooking programs, Dinah Gore 4-H Healthy Food Challenge, presentations, summer internships and overnight camp as a camper, leader-in-training and junior counselor. Her leadership experiences have included serving as Northeast District 4-H reporter and as a member of the National 4-H Congress Design Team.

Those opportunities have helped Ham build confidence, particularly through public speaking and leadership experiences that she says have prepared her for success in school, her community and future careers.

As state 4-H reporter, she wants to help more families discover what the program can offer.

“My biggest goal in 4-H is to give 4-H'ers and 4-H families something that makes them want to be more involved, spread the word and have the time of their lives doing something they love,” Ham said.

A Year of Connection

Although their 4-H stories look different, the five officers begin their terms with a remarkably similar vision.

They want to meet members. They want to hear their ideas. Most importantly, they want more young people to know about the opportunities available to them and feel that they have a place in 4-H.

For Frick, that means listening directly to the people she represents.

“While I am a state officer, and publicly in the highest position a 4-H'er can reach, the power is with the people—I am just someone who has the ability to turn ideas into reality,” Frick said. “I hope to make an impact by hearing what they have to say, and considering it in every choice I make.”

McCoy similarly hopes to be an officer who is visible and accessible to members—not simply someone they see on stage.

She looks forward to connecting with 4-H'ers across the state and being “an example that is present, understanding, and adaptable, rather than just on a podium.”

Estrada perhaps summed up the team's approach best in describing how she hopes members will view her by the end of her term.

“I hope members see me not only as a state officer, but as someone they can talk to, learn from, and feel supported by,” Estrada said. “So, if you ever see me in person, I would love to have a conversation with you!”

Over the coming year, 4-H'ers across North Carolina will have plenty of opportunities to do just that.