Building a Stronger Community, One 4-H Project at a Time

Every strong community starts with young people who are given the chance to learn, grow, and overcome challenges. For 10-year-old Zy'Keriyah Thomas, those lessons came from an unlikely teacher: a 4-H livestock project.

For Zy'Keriyah, raising a pig wasn't something she wanted to figure out alone. Luckily, she didn't have to. Her older sister, Jaylene, had done 4-H the year before and told her how fun it was. There were monthly meetings, barbecues at the club leader's house, and games of Uno. Having someone who'd already been through it made the choice easier, so when it came time to pick her first project, she followed her sister's lead.

"I just wanted to start off with a pig because I didn't want to start off with a cow when my sister had a pig," she said.

The work was constant. From February to July, Zy'Keriyah bathed her pigs every week, fed them every morning and night, dewormed them monthly, and trained them to move using a gentle touch to the neck and ribs. She kept a record book tracking how much they ate, how much they weighed, and what the vet bills cost.

Her days ran on a tight schedule: feed the pigs, drop off her sister, go to school, walk to her mom's workplace, pick up her sister, come back to feed, water, and train the pigs, then head home to do homework. Every day.

Then everything changed.

One morning, her pig would not put weight on her right shoulder and stopped eating and drinking. The pig had to be put down.

"It was really hard, and I didn't get to say goodbye to her either," she said.

She thought about quitting. For a few days, she grieved and was not sure she wanted to keep going. But then she made a decision.

"I have to get this done this year," she said.

Starting over meant redoing the entire project with a new Duroc pig, an all-red breed with a black nose known for its marbled fat and rich flavor. It was not easy, but Zy'Keriyah stuck with it.

When it came time to sell her Duroc at the fair, saying goodbye was hard. "You've been with them half of their life, and then suddenly you just give it to somebody and then they're gone," she said.

But the sale also taught her something practical. Zy'Keriyah earned money from her project, and she already has a plan for it. She wants to save so she can put money toward college.

By purchasing Zy'Keriyah's hog, St. Mary's Regional Hospital is doing more than supporting a livestock project. It is investing in a young person and their future.

"Programs like 4-H give young people opportunities to build confidence, responsibility, leadership skills and resilience,” said Victoria Grasmick, St. Mary’s Community Health Manager. “Healthy communities don't happen by accident. They start when we invest in young people and give them opportunities to learn, grow and succeed. That's why supporting programs like 4-H matters."

The skills Zy'Keriyah gained extend far beyond the show ring. Through a single 4-H project, she learned to care for animals, manage her time, track expenses, keep records, and work toward a long-term goal. Today she's saving the money she earned and investing it in her future. Those small steps help build the confidence and independence that young people carry into adulthood.

When asked what she learned, her answer was simple.

"It's okay to get back up and keep going until you reach your goal," she said.

She also encourages other children to give 4-H a try.

"Any kids 8 and up should join because it's really fun and you can experience a lot of things."

And with a laugh, she added one more reason: "You get more bacon in the fridge."

The bacon might be a bonus, but the impact goes much further.

This hog will be auctioned at the St. Mary's Foundation Benefit, where proceeds will help create hope, support, and lasting impact for individuals and families who rely on the St. Mary's Cancer Survivorship Program.

Zy'Keriyah plans to do it all again next year, this time buying her own pig with the money she earned herself. Someday she might be a farmer, or as she put it, a "police girl."

Whatever comes next, the lessons she learned through 4-H will stay with her long after fair season ends, shaping the goals she pursues and the future she builds. Investing in young people like Zy'Keriyah helps create stronger communities, one opportunity, one challenge, and one success story at a time.