Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

“Get out of your comfort zone”… oh this uncomfortable phrase that is supposed to mean something to us when it comes to our professional and personal development. But what does it truly mean? Embracing this phrase as a college student is just about the equivalent to telling a 6-year-old baseball player to keep their eye on the ball. It has meaning to those who already know how to swing the bat ,and make contact, but nothing to those who have little experience on home plate to begin with. I felt like that 6-year-old this summer, with everyone around me telling me to just keep my eye on the ball. I did not grow up with 4-H and have no experience with Extension whatsoever. I was definitely out of my comfort zone this summer interning with Purdue Extension. My experience here was nothing short of a home run by the end and I can say with full confidence that the phrase “keep your eye on the ball” has a whole new meaning to me now. It encompasses determination, grit, perseverance, humbleness, humility, confidence, embracing a fear of the unknown, and knowing that you don’t know what you don’t know and that there is nothing wrong with that. I had the wonderful experience of working with my two supervisors and two other interns and we made a wonderful team. Myself and the other two interns each had our own separate responsibilities, mine was being in charge of the 4-H Jr. Leaders and their schedules for events and the fair Pop Stand and Work Assignments. I created an online registration page from scratch that eliminated the need for the Jr. Leaders to hand submit their time slots for their work assignments and shifts. At the Pop Stand, my networking skills came in handy when I needed to contact over six vendors to provide food, drinks, and ice. My determination led to the Pop Stand raising over $11,000 in just 6 days to help benefit the Jr. Leaders. also hosted a 5K Color Run and Food Drive for 4-H as a fundraiser and it was a huge success. I ended up having over 150 people participate and they were able to donate 2,480 lbs. of food, equivalent to 2,066 meals. This kind of networking for hosting an event was new to me, but it all goes back to keeping my eye on the ball. I learned through this experience that it is not just about the ball, it is about how you carry yourself and how far you are willing to put yourself out there despite the fear of striking out. I had a crash course into the world of 4-H and it was a great experience.