Date: 05/14/2026
Time: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Raised on a small Pennsylvania dairy farm, our speaker’s life took an extraordinary turn after personal loss led her from dairy farming in Pennsylvania to volunteer for international service abroad. While working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, she volunteered to go to Iraq as a dairy specialist on a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT)—and given the freedom to build programs where they were most needed. There, she founded a countrywide 4-H program. These were inclusive 4-H clubs for boys and girls, taught literacy, leadership skills, public speaking, community service, practical skills, and quietly helped change attitudes toward girls’ education. Her work was later highlighted as one of the few successful initiatives in Iraq in a book authored by Peter Benson, We Meant Well. She brings powerful, eye-opening stories of resilience, grassroots leadership, and the lasting impact of empowering young people—especially girls—in challenging places.
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