URBANA, Ill. — From his front porch in Bloomington-Normal, with his dog Benson lying off to the side, University of Illinois Extension’s assistant dean and director of Illinois 4-H reflects on his first National 4-H Week since his permanent appointment in December 2025. For him, the week is a chance to reflect on how 4-H shaped his life and the possibilities it holds for young people today.
“Of all the experiences that have shaped my life, being in 4-H remains one of the greatest gifts,” said Kevin Carey, Illinois 4-H program leader, “4-H gave me the opportunity to be myself. I’m forever grateful for my family, my 4-H leaders, the Highland Ag 4-H Club, and the mentors I met along the way, who all believed in me and gave me the space to discover who I was and who I could become. The ability to lead, laugh, and even shed a few tears made me who I am today.”
Illinois 4-H is the flagship youth development program of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Administered in Illinois through the College of Agriculture, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, the program is part of the national 4-H network. According to Illinois Extension, the program reaches 1 in 20 Illinois youth, and independent research shows that participants are 40% more likely to pursue a college degree, twice as likely to obtain technical training, and twice as likely to serve in the military.
For Carey, those positive outcomes are personal. His journey from the Highland Ag 4-H Club to leading the statewide program began with people who believed in him and opportunities that helped him grow.
“I could be myself and grow:” It all started in Grundy County 4-H and the Highland Ag 4-H Club
It all started on the family farm in Kinsman. The son of Tim and Belinda Carey, Kevin Carey was born into a strong farming family where he learned the value of hard work and compassion. His father and grandfather were 4-H members, so it was only natural that the younger Carey would soon follow in their footsteps. Signing his first enrollment form carried that family tradition forward and started him down a path toward a place where he could discover who he was:
“My 4-H club and the Grundy County 4-H program were places where I could be myself and grow alongside the amazing humans who mentored me and my friends,” said Carey. “Every sheep and steer I showed or speech I gave helped me find my footing.”
For most young people, the 4-H experience starts in a local 4-H club. For Carey, this was the Highland Ag 4-H Club. A Grundy County club with a storied history that was established in 1956, Highland Ag has been a steady presence in the communities of Mazon, Verona, and Kinsman. When Carey joined, the club was led by volunteer leaders Doreen Harlow and Susan Carey. With guidance from caring adult volunteers, members build friendships and a sense of belonging as they learn by doing.
“Doreen and Aunt Susan really cared about all of us farm kids. Each month we’d make our way down to the town hall in Verona for club meetings— those were always a lot of fun,” said Carey. “In 4-H, we teach kids to be Beyond Ready for life, and I’ve experienced this firsthand. Young Kevin was able to explore his interests and practice things like leadership and civic engagement in a supportive group of friends and mentors.”
Growing up in 4-H gave Carey people in his corner as he explored who he was. Through his club and county programs, he found friends to share those experiences with and mentors who encouraged him to challenge himself. Alongside his family's support, those positive relationships helped make 4-H a place where Carey felt safe to forge his own path.
“She took a chance on the small-town livestock kid:” Caring mentors help youth thrive
As Kevin Carey grew in his 4-H involvement, so did the circle of people who encouraged him. According to Carey, the 4-H program works because volunteers across the state empower youth by building safe spaces where they can grow. This can be in clubs, in more structured mentorship relationships like project leaders, or, in Carey’s case, in statewide leaders who believe in the power of youth.
The late Deb Stocker, who served as 4-H youth development specialist for Illinois Extension, was a major influence in Carey’s story:
“In 2008, Deb took a chance on me when I joined the Illinois 4-H Youth Leadership Team,” said Carey. “I was a small-town, livestock kid who had just won the Grand Champion Steer show at the Illinois State Fair. At the time, I had no clue how much Deb’s impact would shape my life.”
The Illinois 4-H Youth Leadership Team, founded and led by Stocker in 1999, brings together 15 to 25 4-H members and recent alumni to serve in statewide leadership. The team actively plans, implements, and evaluates statewide 4-H events and represents Illinois 4-H on state, national, and international boards and committees.
“Deb Stocker founded YLT when there were only very few statewide leadership opportunities for youth,” said Katie Duitsman, Illinois Extension interim senior program leader for positive youth development and the state 4-H leadership specialist. “For more than 25 years now, the team has given young people meaningful opportunities with real responsibilities and the ability to take ownership of their 4-H program.”
Giving youth real leadership opportunities like the Youth Leadership Team leads to significant positive outcomes, according to Duitsman, who serves as the current staff advisor for the team:
“When young people know that their contributions carry real weight, they begin to see themselves as capable leaders. The combination of trust and support that 4-H gives youth helps them build confidence and skills they will carry into every part of their lives.”
For Carey, this real trust made all the difference. He blossomed under Stocker’s mentorship and continued to make strides in his 4-H career and figure out life.
“Deb had a way of always making me feel seen. She would lean on us to brainstorm and develop programs like Speaking for Illinois 4-H, and she would actually take our ideas and then challenge us to be the people she knew we were. I always felt like I was valued,” said Carey. “She opened my eyes to the world around me. Her contagious, caring energy made all the difference, and I’m who I am today because of Deb.”
Through this and other positive mentorship experiences, Carey found a calling in helping others grow, offering the same encouragement and mentorship he received. This is a calling he carried into a career firmly centered on student affairs and higher education leadership, earning degrees from Illinois Wesleyan University, Ball State University, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, while giving back within higher education as a member of Sigma Pi Fraternity, International.
Throughout his education and career, his connection to 4-H remained strong. Carey served 13 years on the Illinois 4-H Foundation board of directors, part of the Office of Advancement in the College of ACES, becoming its first collegiate 4-H representative and later serving as chairman to help ensure the longevity of a program he loved.
Eventually, his love of the 4-H program and his desire to focus on mentoring Illinois young people led him back to the program in a new role. As Illinois 4-H program leader, Carey now works to create the same opportunities for youth that helped shape his own life.
“Being Beyond Ready means something different to everyone:” Opening doors for Illinois youth
When looking at the news, it can be easy to feel discouraged and worried about the future. For Kevin Carey, the Illinois 4-H program director, the future looks a little bit brighter.
“Life can be messy and exciting. The road ahead can be confusing and challenging, especially if you are a young person just trying to find your place in the world. But 4-H members are succeeding because we are building a Beyond Ready generation that is focused on the things that matter,” said Carey. “Every human has an important story to tell and specific skills that the world needs. It’s our job to help foster this spark in young people and create safe spaces to make it happen.”
According to the National 4-H Council, 4-H is America’s largest youth development program, empowering six million young people nationwide. The Beyond Ready initiative, a 4-H campaign focused on preparing youth for the future, aims to prepare ten million youth for work and life by 2030. This comes at an important time in society, according to 4-H, which said that more than half of Gen Z reports feelings of loneliness and failure, while economically, the job gap continues to grow.
“Being Beyond Ready means something different to everyone. 4-H meets kids and their support systems where they are at. Their next step might be joining the workforce, serving in the military, pursuing a skilled trade, or going to college,” said Carey. “For other young people, the future can be less certain. Some may be working to support their families or care for younger siblings. Others are still figuring out what they want to do. 4-H gives them a safe place to explore their interests and learn about themselves.”
Over 20 years of longitudinal research supports the work of 4-H. Youth who participate in 4-H programs are twice as likely to report living life with intentionality and purpose, twice as likely to have the goal of being a leader, and three times as likely to participate in community service.
“It all comes down to creating a safe space for youth to thrive,” said Carey. “That might be a supportive club like Highland Ag was for me, a team that recognizes our differences as strengths like the Youth Leadership Team, or time at the fair at an opportunity like our new Sunflower Show initiative. 4-H will look different for each young person because each young person is different. Youth need room to explore their interests, with peers, staff and volunteers who encourage them to ask questions, stay curious and be themselves.”
“We are the pilot light:” Beyond Ready for wherever life leads
Over its storied history, 4-H has helped generations of young people discover their interests and be Beyond Ready for the path forward. From cultural icons like Dolly Parton to luminaries like best-selling author and livestock advisor Temple Grandin, the program has counted presidents, scientists, entertainers, entrepreneurs, and people from all walks of life among its alumni.
“If you would’ve told that little kid from a small town that someday they’d get to lead this amazing program, young Kevin wouldn’t have believed you,” said Carey. “4-H has shaped my life in more ways than I can count, and I’m honored by the opportunity to do a job I love and give back to a program that has given me so much.”
Illinois 4-H is open to all youth ages 8-18, and Illinois Extension says clubs are available in all 102 Illinois counties. To find a club near you, visit 4h.extension.illinois.edu/join-4-H. Those outside of Illinois can find their local 4-H program by visiting 4-h.org/about/find.
“I didn’t know exactly where my path would lead. I knew I didn’t want to farm, and I changed my major in college several times. But 4-H gave me the opportunity to persist, open my mind and accept who I was and where I was. I believe we are the pilot light that helps guide young people toward what they truly care about in life.”
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SOURCE: Kevin Carey, assistant dean/program leader and director of Illinois 4-H; Katie Duitsman, interim senior program leader for positive youth development and 4-H youth development leadership specialist; Brooke Katcher, 4-H recruitment and engagement coordinator.
WRITER: Anthony Warmack, communications and marketing coordinator.
EDITORS: Brooke Katcher, 4-H recruitment and engagement coordinator; Carissa Nelson, interim director for marketing and communications.
MEDIA ACCESS: Images and cutlines can be downloaded for media use.
INTERVIEWS: Contact Anthony Warmack, warmacka@illinois.edu, or Carissa Nelson, carissa7@illinois.edu, to request specialist interviews.
ABOUT ILLINOIS 4-H: Illinois 4-H is the flagship youth development program of University of Illinois Extension, administered through the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. Through hands-on learning and life-changing experiences, Illinois 4-H prepares youth to be Beyond Ready — ready for college, career, military service, entrepreneurship, and more. Young people build confidence, leadership, and resilience as they explore interests from agriculture to computer science. Independent research and national surveys confirm the powerful outcomes of 4-H: participants are 40% more likely to pursue a college degree, twice as likely to obtain technical training, and two times more likely to serve in the military. With a legacy of cultivating leaders, Illinois 4-H continues to grow the next generation who are equipped to thrive in life and work today and beyond.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 500 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through five program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, health and community wellness, and natural resources, environment, and energy.