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Two Generations of 4-H Passion
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A mother and daughter’s shared passion for serving youth has created a dynamic duo within the Oklahoma 4-H program.
Daughter Cathleen Taylor serves as the assistant state specialist for leadership and civic engagement. Mother Liz Taylor serves as the extension director and educator for 4-H and youth development in Grady County.
“Our jobs often overlap,” Cathleen Taylor said. “We have worked together on several different leadership projects and have taught workshops together about leadership and civic engagement.
Working together puts an interesting spin on this duo’s relationship, Cathleen Taylor said. They often joke about Cathleen Taylor being her mother’s boss, although that is not necessarily true, she added.
“Mom really shaped me and opened the ‘4-H door’ for me when I was 12,” she added. “But I never would have imagined it would one day lead to us working together in extension.”
Liz Taylor said she never anticipated her daughter’s 4-H involvement would lead to an extension career, but she is thrilled with the position Cathleen Taylor has now.
“We talk about everything and have many things in common, but we do sometimes have to make ourselves turn work off,” Liz Taylor said. “It has made us grow closer together because we have the same passion for youth and education. We fully understand each other’s position with that passion.”
Cathleen Taylor said they often problem solve together and bounce ideas off of each other about various projects.
4-H events and programs are often a reunion for the Taylor family, as most of their family is involved to different extents, Cathleen Taylor said. Liz Taylor’s other daughter, Emily, served as an intern with the Oklahoma 4-H this summer. Matt Taylor, Liz Taylor’s son, was an Oklahoma 4-H president and recognized as an outstanding 4-H volunteer in Pittsburg County.
“If we go to a national meeting, I have a built-in roommate, traveling partner and presenter,” Cathleen Taylor said. “We’ve been to four meetings together, and I’ve been able to see these places with my mom, my friend and my co-worker. I wouldn’t trade these experiences or the person I do it with for anything.”
