Ink editor represents Sullivan 4-H in Albany

By Zoey McGee | Manor Ink

Albany, NY – Each year, around 170,000 youth across New York State participate in 4-H. Out of those, 28 of us were lucky enough to be selected by our counties to attend the 90th annual New York State Capital Days, an event where 4-Hers from across the state come together in Albany to learn about how our state and local governments work.

For the first time in several years, Sullivan County Cornell Cooperative Extension sent a delegate. And that delegate was me. It was an amazing opportunity, and I’m so glad I got to be part of it.

The three-day event kicked off on May 18, when we arrived at a hotel just outside Albany and met the other delegates. As a homeschooler, I was surprised by how many others were also homeschooled. One delegate from Broome County told me that about half of their 4-Hers are homeschooled, which I found surprising. I didn’t realize 4-H was such a popular activity for homeschoolers across the state.

Monday started with a late bus, but things quickly picked up. We headed to the Empire State Plaza and met Assemblyperson Gabriella Romero, who gave us a tour of the Assembly Chamber and explained how the legislative process works. The chamber was huge. The Assembly’s Sergeant-at-Arms, Wayne P. J., also joined us and was pretty humorous.

Next, we visited the DMV, which was about as exciting as you’d expect. It wasn’t necessarily my favorite place to visit, especially following failing my road test the week before. Still, I got to walk around with other delegates, collect some free stuff and learn about the different roles within the department.

After lunch, we split up into groups for agency visits. I chose the Department of Health because of my parents’ background in healthcare as well as reporting I’ve done for Manor Ink on rural health-care shortages. Even though I am not going into health care as a career, this visit ended up being the most interesting. We spoke with people from different areas of the department and discussed issues like healthcare equity, access in rural areas and emergency response in places with extreme weather.

Later, we visited the Court of Appeals, a beautiful building filled with murals of former judges, including Sullivan County’s own Judith Kaye. But the highlight of the entire trip came when we attended a Senate session. Senator Michelle Hinchey gave a speech welcoming us, and we were officially recognized and applauded by the chamber. It felt really special.

That night, after dinner at the hotel, we all did some activities and games. We got along so well, and I am very grateful for it. We truly all had a fantastic time.

On Tuesday, we toured the Capitol and I met with Assemblywoman Paula Kay. I told her about my 4-H experience, and she shared more about the work she’s doing in the Assembly.

Capital Days was unforgettable. I’m really grateful I got to represent Sullivan County.