By Matt B. Walen
Years of hard work in 4-H has paid off for Havres Katie Springer and will continue to pay off once she finishes her last year at the 1999 Great Northern Fair.
Springer, a member of the Sunrise 4-H club, will attend Northwest College in Powell, Wyo., starting Sept. 1 and will major in education. But the lessons learned in 4-H will be used during her tenure at the Wyoming school.
Im interested in becoming a vo-ag teacher, she said, adding she might reconsider and teach elementary children. I really like working with young kids.
Springer is attending Northwest College for the educational opportunities, but also to be a member of its livestock judging team.
Springers leadership and livestock judging skills learned during her years in 4-H have landed her two scholarships to the Wyoming college. She received an education scholarship and a judging scholarship both totaling $2,200.
Springer has years of experience of judging livestock and she has competed at both the KMON and NILE competitions, placing second in both events in past years. She said she is most proud of continually placing in the top 10 in every category at the two competitions for the past two years.
As a freshman, Springer qualified for the national 4-H congress in livestock judging and said she gained a lot of knowledge from the experience.
Russ Boardman, the judging coach at Northwest, wanted Springer to attend the school and be on the livestock judging team.
Russ asked me what he needed to do to get me to go there and I told him Show me the money, Springer said.
The end result was a $1,100 scholarship to be on the livestock judging team.
Springer said Boardman has been keeping his eye on her, especially since Northwest College helps sponsor the NILE judging competition.
Springer, the daughter of David and Kim Springer, has been an active member for 12 years and recently received a grand rosette for her computer cover project in home environment. She also won the grand champion senior horse showman Wednesday and still has to show her market beef.
Springer and her family operate a 4,000-acre farm and run 200 head of cattle near Havre. She said she likes agriculture issues, but prefers working with the animals.
Theres lots to get done between now and when school starts, Springer said. I have the fair and then there is harvest.
Springer said she has already talked with her roommate, a girl from Garland, Ariz., who will be studying photography at Northwest.
Im getting excited (about starting school), she said. The closer it gets, the more ready I am and the scareder I get.
