This is Behind the Clover: Real 4-H Talk with Real 4-H Pros. A look at 4-H from the perspectives of 4-H professionals from Illinois and beyond with your hosts, Henry Craft, Amy Henschen, and Ryan Littlejohn.
Amy Henschen: 00:34Welcome to another episode of Behind the Clover. I'm Amy, and I'm here with my cohost Ryan and Henry. We're back for more exciting conversations with Illinois 4-H staff. Today, we're continuing our transition series by talking with Latosha Reggans, a 4-H youth development educator and former master gardener and horticulture extension program coordinator. We'll give you a full intro after a while, but first, we'll invite her to participate in our roundtable chat.
Amy Henschen: 00:58So, guys, what's going on in your lives right now? Let's start with Ryan.
Ryan Littlejohn: 01:02I mean, it's 70 degrees out here in Southern Illinois and sunny. And for, like, the October, that feels wrong. Not gonna lie. So I'm enjoying that right now in my life. What I'm not enjoying is turning the AC on in the day and the heat on in the evening.
Ryan Littlejohn: 01:20And I know my energy bill is gonna be up this month, but that's okay. At work, I've got some exciting things coming up. We've got a college and career day that we've been asked to come to, and we're gonna do a modified welcome to the real world simulation where we kind of pick the jobs already, like, the some of the common ones that we're finding kids chose and then filling in some blanks here and there so they can kinda get just a little bit experience, and we'll talk about what to expect now that they're going off to college, you know, all these fun things. Just a short amount of time. So that's something fun.
Ryan Littlejohn: 01:58I've got a trick or treat enrollment night at my office on Halloween. It's not my idea, but I need to give a shout out to Logan Kinderd over in Wabash who did it last year. Invited kids to come out, and they could sign up for four h, also trick or treat at the same time. So we're gonna have computers set up where families can come in, do that. And then I'm making special green pumpkin, like, Rice Krispie treats to hand out for kids.
Ryan Littlejohn: 02:25So that's what's going on in my life. Henry, what about you?
Henry Craft: 02:30Listen. Are you getting worried about the warmer temps in the hunting season? Is that gonna mess with you?
Ryan Littlejohn: 02:35Yes. It's gonna mess with me, and I've been tracking the deer and the turkeys, but I don't know. It needs to get cold, like, fast.
Henry Craft: 02:44If you know, you know. If you know, you know. Anyway, what's up with me? Listen. I just got back from Idaho for national nationals, and it was super fun.
Henry Craft: 02:55Got to see not as much of the beauty of Idaho as as Amy got to see, but it was really great. And I am just so impressed by the knowledge and the work that four h is doing nationally to even I mean, it's a snippet of of what's going on within our program across the nation just to sit on some of those sessions and bring some stuff back to the local staff here. It is a blessing to network and to learn, and I feel really honored that I got to do that. So, to whoever is listening who had a part in letting me do that, thank you so much, and I'd love to do it again. I'm excited what the future holds.
Henry Craft: 03:36But, locally, I'm back on the food challenge train, folks. Like, it is food challenge season through and through again, and I just got done doing some super taster lessons with a high school classroom after we same teacher that we took down to Dallas for a national competition at the September. So just just a lot of stuff going on, and it feels like it's feast or famine on my calendar. It's either crazy busy or not a lot, and the not a lot's pretty infrequent. So my my famines are pretty far and few between.
Henry Craft: 04:14So but that's what's going on with me. Latasha, what what have you been up to?
Latosha Reggans: 04:19So I have also just returned from Boise, Idaho for the national conference where I really enjoyed it. I got a chance to visit the restaurant. They had all the different kinds of potatoes and fries, the purple ones, the yams. And I was like, I could never be a person that could be, like, a food critic because they taste the same to me. Everything tastes the same to me.
Latosha Reggans: 04:44But I enjoyed that. They had, like, different sauces, a variety of sauces and seasonings. So that was I enjoyed that part of it. So that was my little taste of Idaho. Locally, I have been kinda focusing on some after school programs.
Latosha Reggans: 05:01I do Your Feelings Matter program, which is a program that focuses on emotions with youth, grades three to fifth. And so I've been doing a little bit of that. I've also done a spa bliss program with a group of youth that's super fun. We made the last one we made bath bombs. So I came back from Idaho.
Latosha Reggans: 05:23We're right back into a program that Friday, and we made bath bombs super fun. And so the kiddos, this Friday, will get a chance to take their bath bombs home because I didn't want them, like, crumbling as they kinda left. So that was fun. And then also went to a pumpkin fest Sunday with my kids that were gearing up for Halloween.
Amy Henschen: 05:45Okay. Real talk. Do your does your family dress up for those of you with kids or if you're an adult who dresses up? And if yes, what are they going as?
Latosha Reggans: 05:54So my kids dress up. I typically don't, but I did get two t shirts for me and dad that say, like, happy Halloween. They were begging us, like, can you please get a costume? Like, no. I don't feel like dressing up.
Latosha Reggans: 06:08But we do have and I forget who my daughter is. She's gonna kill me. It's a really, like, red, like, fitted I can't even say. I'm not gonna even try to explain it, but she's some type of ninja type girl with a little skirt, and she's really girly and fancy with this. So she loved that outfit.
Latosha Reggans: 06:29She has, like, little red nails to go with it. Now she's eight. My six year old, who is very different, because and I say different because every year, she goes against what I prefer her to dress up. It's like a princess and things like that. She's like, no.
Latosha Reggans: 06:45I wanna blow up costume. Anything blow up. So she's gonna be this spongebob thing that has the fan in it that's blowing up, and so that's what she'll be. She keeps trying to try it on like the battery's gonna be dead by the time you actually go trick or treating. So let's just try it on one time.
Latosha Reggans: 07:03It fit. You walked around in it, and then, you know, let's wait for Halloween. But super cute. Last year, she wanted to be Spider Man. And I'm again like, hey.
Latosha Reggans: 07:14Wait. There's this princess outfit that you could be. No. I wanna be Spider Man. I'm like, okay.
Latosha Reggans: 07:20So, yeah, she's she does her own thing. I miss the days where I used to just be able to pick out the costumes for the kids, and then they had to just wear what I picked out. And it was cutesy, but no more. They have their own personalities now.
Amy Henschen: 07:34I mean, I'll give my mom some credit. The things she made for me when I had no choice were well, looking back in pictures, were way cuter and cooler than when I picked up my own things, so I feel for you. That's awesome. Henry, are your kids still, like, trick or treat age, or are they over this?
Henry Craft: 07:50I got one that's he's 13 now, so he acts like he's too old for everything. But, yeah, I got I got two younger girls that they'll do anything for candy. So you know? But my wife is big in the arts and crafts and wanting to make costumes. So I I think one year she wanted us to go as rock paper scissors before there were five of us.
Henry Craft: 08:16And it was just, you know, a few. And I got the rock. I two guesses why I got the rock. But but yeah. So she likes to to to make costumes, and I get the rock.
Henry Craft: 08:29So, you know, it's all good.
Amy Henschen: 08:31I'm gonna have to dig something out of my closet because I own a home now, which means I'll have trick or treaters for, like, maybe the first time ever. So I have to I'm I'm realizing this now that I'm gonna have to actually plan ahead for this and actually buy candy and maybe put the potato in like that one woman who was like, or potato?
Ryan Littlejohn: 08:47Amy, are you gonna be a king-size candy bar giver out person, or are you gonna go with the fun size?
Amy Henschen: 08:55I mean, I'm guessing I just have to stop at Costco and see what they got. Like, that's what that's gonna be the policy.
Latosha Reggans: 09:01But, like,
Amy Henschen: 09:01I live in a townhome, so how many people could there possibly be? Right?
Henry Craft: 09:04You're gonna need a a loan just to cover all the kids that are come by if you make it about king-size candy bars in the suburbs. Okay. Let's be real.
Amy Henschen: 09:15I feel like it takes them at least a year for the word to get around. So I'd be good this year. Too shy. So I
Latosha Reggans: 09:21have
Amy Henschen: 09:21to work on that. Well, I also was in Idaho with this this pretty we had a huge crew from Illinois, which was pretty great. We had, like, over 30 people. And I got a like, I'm gonna be honest. I'm an introvert, and I always forget that conferences make me exhausted and miserable, but are also rewarding.
Amy Henschen: 09:36So I always am on the struggle bus during COVID. Then I come back, and I'm like, oh my gosh, work didn't stop while I was gone. But I did take an extra couple of days off of work before the conference because it was in Idaho. And Idaho is magic and is like mountains with way less humans. So I went hiking with a colleague, and we had such a fun time.
Amy Henschen: 09:55And it was so relaxing and lovely. And there was no internet except in town. So it was like, the whole day, I can't check email or social media. And that is, like, my zen time when I just, like, have to be in the moment. It's so good.
Amy Henschen: 10:09So that was great for me. And then I'm really excited, guys. My Cloverbud Club is open for registration. So my little niece was mad that her sisters are old enough to be regular four H'ers, and she can't. So I let her I said, well, I'll help.
Amy Henschen: 10:25Like, let's have our own club. And so I was like, what do you want it to be about? And she said, LEGO because she knows me. So we're having a LEGO Club Bread Club. We were at the Cane County kickoff last night recruiting members and open this morning.
Amy Henschen: 10:37I'm already halfway full. And I'm so excited. So we're just gonna do fun builds twice a month for the next three months, and it's gonna be a blast. And I'm really excited for it, and it's gonna give me some, hopefully, some ideas for the LEGO curriculum that I'm helping work on with my new work group. So super jazzed for that.
Henry Craft: 10:55What a good auntie. She's such a good auntie.
Amy Henschen: 10:58She's real cute. Can't resist.
Henry Craft: 11:00Hard to sell. Right?
Amy Henschen: 11:01Yeah. My sister's like, you were they've just got you wrapped around their little fingers. I'm like, but they're so cute. I can't help it.
Ryan Littlejohn: 11:08Well, we're gonna switch it up and not talk about Christmas because that's still a few months off. So we're gonna because we're around, like, the spooky season, we're gonna talk about our irrational fears. This is nonserious, but just what are you scared of? I had to think about it, but I'm gonna start with Henry.
Henry Craft: 11:31K. I did write this question, so I it only it's only fair that I go first. Okay. Serious business. I am, since I was little bitty, completely afraid, mortified of puppets.
Henry Craft: 11:46I do not do puppets. If you put a mask or a puppet or a ventroqua's dummy is the worst in front of me. Oh my god. I will flip a lid, and I will have to leave. Like, this jovial Henry that you see all the time, peace.
Henry Craft: 12:04I'm out. And, you know, when I was a kid at church, vacation bible school was a problem because in the nineties, that's how all lessons were taught was through through puppet. And so, yeah, it's it's a thing, and it's real.
Amy Henschen: 12:21Okay. Does this apply to Muppets as well as puppets? Or are Muppets, like, more human like and real that they're less terrifying?
Henry Craft: 12:30No. The cartoons, like, Muppet Babies was okay, but, like, a Muppet Christmas Carol or any of those Muppet movies, like, they're just weird, and I don't like it. I have to cringe and look away. The worst ones are, you know, the grandpas, the the ones that do montages a little bit, and they're just kinda like the the grumpier old men. Oh gosh.
Henry Craft: 12:54They're the worst, like, because they look almost real, and it makes me shiver inside. It really does. I'm I'm not a fan at all.
Amy Henschen: 13:03Okay. I wanna build on this because mine's, I mean, like, similar. I'm terrified of sock monkeys. Like, sock monkeys are creepy. My grandma had a sock monkey, and my sister knew it was and they have they have, like, a creepy little not smile smile.
Amy Henschen: 13:19And it's just like, I feel like they could murder you in your sleep. And so my sister knew I was terrified of it because I'd always, like, put it in the closet anytime I went to my grandma's house. And then, like, in the night, she'd get up and take it and, like, put it in the bed next to me. So I'd wake up, and it would be there.
Henry Craft: 13:34She was Just
Amy Henschen: 13:36suck. So ever since, I've been, like, terrified of sock wankings. And then I was driving on the interstate in Illinois, and I was like and it was like sock monkey museum billboard. And I was like, oh my gosh. Like, this is my worst nightmare in one room.
Amy Henschen: 13:51So I'm never going there, and that shouldn't exist. So that's mine.
Henry Craft: 13:55Sock monkeys. Kinda the same. Puppets, sock monkeys. Well, Sasha, what do you got?
Latosha Reggans: 14:01I have a couple things. So one is this fear of, like I don't like, if you know Michael Myers, like, I'm not even scared of Michael Myers. It's a sense of, like, just somebody being there. Like, you know, he has this creepiness of, like, standing outside the window or just being there, that presence of possibly, like and then they have this TikTok thing, this challenge of where they have families. Like, how how if Michael Myers was in the backseat of your car, you had to get out, run to the door, and get in the house.
Latosha Reggans: 14:31Can you actually make it? Will you make it? And they have, like, a little challenge. So it is like it puts me in that mindset. Like, I won't be able to get away.
Latosha Reggans: 14:39But the other thing is when I was a master gardener coordinator, insect petting zoo, everything was all good. I touched everything. I don't remember them actually telling me that this is part of the job requirement. I feel like I was I didn't know until I got there. But they had the Madagascar hissing cockroach, and that was one that no matter what, like I'm like, you kids won't touch this.
Latosha Reggans: 15:03You put your hand there, you get it out. And one day, I went into the educator's office because we always kept the bugs in his office. These Madagascar hissing cockroaches, we kept a kinda lid on it with these little holes in it. And so they would have babies, so we have to keep a watch out because these little babies can get out. And so one day I go in there, and for one, it was, like, whitish, like albino.
Latosha Reggans: 15:30I don't I didn't know why, and it just freaked me out. And so I had a dream about that roach. Like, that night, I had a dream. I was walking down the hallway. I ran into this roach, and it was, like, life sass, and it just started having babies.
Latosha Reggans: 15:44And I was just like I was just screaming. I was terrified that they would have babies. Like, this fear of just, like, them crawling. So and Ryan, one day, when the roaches had baby, he would he would bag them up bag up the debris in the bottom of the terrarium and freeze it and then throw it out to make sure the roaches were dead. He forgot them in his car one time, his brand new car, and, of course, the baby roaches got out all in his car.
Latosha Reggans: 16:16He was cool with it. Like, he killed as many as he could. I just have a fear, like, one day he was he's retired now. I'm ask him, like, did one get old and just crawl out one day? But yeah.
Latosha Reggans: 16:26So that that's my scariness.
Henry Craft: 16:31Those are both relatable. Like, I mean well, I would say the first one's more relatable for me because I've never had anybody have hissing cockroaches, but that's that's intense. I used to have a nightmare where I wouldn't there would be somebody trying to come in my back door, and I would just barely lock the door before they came in. I don't know why. Probably because my mom was always, like, shut the the curtains as soon as the sun went down.
Henry Craft: 16:59So I can relate to the get to the house and if you can get it unlocked in time. But there was a time in my life where that was like a race. I don't know what that that irrational fear was, but I I can relate. So
Ryan Littlejohn: 17:12See, I can relate to the Michael Myers, but not like someone watching me. Like, I just can't do scary things. I don't like scary movies. I don't like, like, haunted houses or haunted fields or whatever the kids are doing nowadays. Like, scary things are not for me.
Ryan Littlejohn: 17:31You can scare me, and I will probably throw a punch. I mean, I just can't do it. So, like
Amy Henschen: 17:36So no surprise party. It's no yelling surprise because you're gonna hit us. You're gonna throw us one.
Ryan Littlejohn: 17:43Yeah. Yeah. Don't jump out
Amy Henschen: 17:44of, like,
Ryan Littlejohn: 17:45the next door office door and go, Ryan. Like, really loud. Yeah. I'll I'll swing.
Henry Craft: 17:50Note to self. Don't scare Ryan. Got it. Alright.
Ryan Littlejohn: 17:54And then, Henry, if you do, I'll take you to a Jeff Dunham show.
Henry Craft: 17:57Listen. You have to drag me drugged to do that. Just saying. Alright, folks. So we promised that we would introduce our guests, formally after our roundup, and this is where we get to do that.
Henry Craft: 18:09So with us today, Latasha Regans. She is a seasoned four h youth development educator in Cook County, Illinois. She's made significant contributions to the well-being of the youth in her communities. With a solid foundation in social work counseling, Latasha brings a valuable mental health perspective to her role, effectively integrating mental health education and social emotional learning into her four h programming. Since joining the four h program in 02/2021, Latasha has leveraged her previous experience as an EPC where she was in charge of managing the Chicago Master Gardener program.
Henry Craft: 18:46This has undoubtedly served to enhance enhance her work with youth. Her ability to connect with young people on a personal level and create engaging educational experiences has resulted in positive outcomes for countless participants. Through her four h initiatives, Latasha has successfully addressed the critical need for mental health support among young people in Cook County by providing them with the tools and resources to develop essential life skills. Latasha is empowering youth to overcome challenges, build resilience, and reach their fullest potential. Welcome, Latasha.
Latosha Reggans: 19:21Thank you for having me.
Henry Craft: 19:22Absolutely. So that was a very formal introduction, but now we wanna hear from you. Tell us about yourself. Give your own introduction. Tell us how you got your start with four h and extension.
Latosha Reggans: 19:37Sure. So as, Henry mentioned, my name is Natasha. I'm a four h youth development educator in Cook County. I have a master's in social work, minoring in child and family studies. So I do have a passion of working with youth and families.
Latosha Reggans: 19:53I've been with Extension since 2016. Started off as the horticulture coordinator slash master gardener coordinator, focusing on Chicago proper. I switched over to four h as a educator in December of twenty twenty one. And I'm housed in the Matson office, which is the South Suburban area of Chicago in Cook County. So, yeah, so that's a little bit all about me.
Amy Henschen: 20:20Can I ask, Tasha? Like, did you how'd you find master gardener coordinator? Like, how did that job come into your radar? Is that, like, a side interest of yours? Were you just looking for work in a certain area?
Amy Henschen: 20:30Like, how'd you end up there?
Latosha Reggans: 20:32So I had no idea about this position, but I do have an aunt that works with the University of Illinois who was knew that I was looking for a position. And when that came up, she's like, hey. Did you see well, not did you see because she know that I didn't get you guys' announcements, but she was saying, hey. Look at this position. I think this might be a good fit for you.
Latosha Reggans: 20:52And so I applied for the position. And granted, even within the interview, like and looking back at extension and what the job kinda detailed and required, I didn't necessarily have the full background as for as far as court. So our director was more so like, hey. You have this history of working with people with, like, your social work and your background in that capacity, but you can always learn the the horse skills. Like, sitting in trainings every every year to train master gardener so that piece can kinda come to you.
Latosha Reggans: 21:24And plus, our master gardeners are experts as well as the the educator. So my aunt actually introduced me to that role. And within the interview, like, the things that kinda came up, I'm like, hey. Like, I I wanna learn about this. I'm I'm interested in this.
Latosha Reggans: 21:39Here are my relatable skills, but I'm still the things that I'm missing, I'm interested in learning more about. And that's kinda how I kinda got in. But, yeah, it was my aunt who works for the university who introduced me to the position.
Amy Henschen: 21:52That's super cool. I'm always interested in how people kind of find out about extension because I don't I think a lot of people, when we say where we work, people go, what is that?
Latosha Reggans: 22:00I was like,
Amy Henschen: 22:02you need an entry point. So that's awesome. Well, we always like we like talking about work. But we also like talking about, what do you do outside work? So how do you like to spend your free time or, like, decompress from your job or just kind of relax?
Latosha Reggans: 22:16Yes. So I have, as I mentioned earlier, a six year old and an eight year old. So my decompression time happens when they go to sleep. Like, I love watching movies, and when those kids and their dad goes to sleep, like, that's my my what's that time? That's my time when I'm like, everything's okay.
Latosha Reggans: 22:38I have time to think. I have time to relax. And I love, like, watching a good movie. Like, at that point, I love watching movies, binge watching movies. I love listening to music as well.
Latosha Reggans: 22:49That's my decompression. So, like, my rides, I joke a lot because coming into four h, you guys have a lot of meetings. And some of them are like Monticello and champagne, but, like, I've gotten so used to it. It's almost like a ride in the city, but I just put my music on, and it's decompression time. Like, it gives me a time to just, like, chill and relax.
Latosha Reggans: 23:15And then the third thing I do is Fridays, kids, father, they know that's girls night. That's girls night. Like, you know you're watching the kids. No questions asked. Don't plan anything unless you let me know way ahead of time.
Latosha Reggans: 23:31Friday's night is girls' night. And so we have to understand, like, he has a night too. Like, Wednesday is his night where if you wanna do something, I know that I'm in charge of watching those kids that night. And Friday is my night. And so having that understanding of, like, the end of the week, I know for sure this is my time that I can go.
Latosha Reggans: 23:51I don't care if it's shopping, watching a movie, going out for tacos with my friends, doing karaoke, whatever it is, that I know that I have that time. I don't have to get babysitters. I don't have to do, you know, any of that. That's my time, and we have that understanding. So that those are my three things I do to kinda, like, decompress.
Latosha Reggans: 24:11They work for me.
Henry Craft: 24:12Do you have a go to movie or type of movie for Tasha Time?
Latosha Reggans: 24:16So, typically, either, like, a feel good movie or I do like horror. Like, I do love a good horror movie. There's not, like, a lot out right now, but the one that I really like, which is actually a series, is From. So it's on Amazon, and it's called From. I love it because it's so different than, like, these traditional, like, scary movies where these people come out at night.
Latosha Reggans: 24:46You get, like, stuck in this town, you're driving, just going on a trip, and you stop, a tree is there, and then you go around the tree, and you're stuck in this loop you find out that you can't get out of. And now you're in this community of people who are stuck in this neighborhood, and these things come out that look like regular people at night, and so they start to talk to you and get creeped. And then they have this little rock, I forget what it's called, that protects the houses. So they as long as you're in the house with that little rock on your door, it protects you overnight. So it's so creepy.
Latosha Reggans: 25:18It's so good. I love it. But, yeah, that's what I like. Horror movies and then feel good movies help put me like, make my spear feel good.
Henry Craft: 25:27Do you have to balance them? You gotta do a horror movie and then a feel good movie?
Latosha Reggans: 25:31So, actually, at night, I do. So if I watch a horror movie, I have to turn on something funny before I go to sleep. Like, I literally, purposefully have to turn on I don't care what it is. It has to be some type of funny love story because I don't wanna have a badger. So I definitely have to balance out after a horror movie.
Latosha Reggans: 25:55I have to turn on something funny that I can fall asleep to so that I don't have, like, a a scary dream.
Ryan Littlejohn: 26:03I could never do that. I could watch a feel good funny movie, but I could not watch a scary movie to relax. I I'd be shaking all night long. There's no way. Oh, well, Latasha, we're getting pretty close to Halloween, and we talked a little bit about costumes and one of what your kids are going as.
Ryan Littlejohn: 26:23But I'm gonna kinda spend this a different way. And you can share, like, if you have, like, a favorite costume from a kid, but, like, I'm thinking of, like, favorite costume or Halloween candy or Halloween treat or something that you've gotten that you're just like, I gotta have that every year or, like, I gotta dress up like that every year.
Latosha Reggans: 26:44I guess it's not necessarily a traditional Halloween, like candy corn or anything like that. Like, not a traditional Halloween candy. But what I steal out of my kids' bags are the Tootsie Rolls. Like, I love Tootsie Rolls because they're like, I like chocolate, but I don't like a rich, too overwhelming, like, fat chocolate. So Tootsie Rolls sit right in the middle for me.
Latosha Reggans: 27:08And so my kids will bring me the Tootsie Rolls out of their bag. Like, here, mommy. Like, you can have this. The tootsie rolls and the banana Laffy Taffy are the things that they know that, like, I love, and that's my go to, like, Halloween candy. As for dress up, I don't have anything in particular, but I did dress up, And it's crazy because I don't have any, like, fond memories.
Latosha Reggans: 27:32I think this question came up at one of our meetings before. I'm like, I don't really remember. It's like Akia, like, my favorite costume. But as an adult, I dressed up, like, this is my first time, like, really getting into it or dressing up, and I was, like, Freddy Krueger. I had the ham.
Latosha Reggans: 27:47I had the hat. I had the it was actually a sweater dress with, like, the slash across the little belly or whatever with the little Freddy Krueger boots. And so, like, that was fun for me. So I do enjoy dressing up, which is why I don't know why I don't get into it with the kids. I guess it's just like, let's get dressed up, get the candy out.
Latosha Reggans: 28:09I'm, like, overwhelmed with, like, you know, trying to get out the door with the kids, but it's a fun thing. So I did enjoy the Freddy Krueger. I I think if I did do a theme every year, it would be something creepy and, you know, fun, like, in this.
Henry Craft: 28:24So you you're talking about Tootsie Rolls and banana Laffy Taffy. I I'm so glad there's somebody that likes that candy because I'm like and it just highlights, right, the different taste buds because, man, I I know other people that love Tootsie Rolls, but, man, I don't I never got into them. So you're just was it an acquired like, you're like, Tootsie Rolls. This is my jam. Or was, like, this is the candy that I got, so I'm gonna learn to like them.
Henry Craft: 28:50Or you always been into Tootsie Rolls?
Latosha Reggans: 28:52I've always been into Tootsie Rolls. And I think, like, my first memory that I'm thinking about is, like, you know how you get those, like, Tootsie Roll bangs and they come with, like, a bunch of Tootsie Rolls? Like, I can binge eat Tootsie Rolls. That's nothing to brag about.
Henry Craft: 29:07I could
Latosha Reggans: 29:08crush some Tootsie Rolls.
Henry Craft: 29:11That's funny.
Amy Henschen: 29:13I think you're totally right, though. People who are not, like, like chocolate but aren't, like, obsessed with chocolate, Tootsie Roll is perfect. It's, like, just the right amount. It's not too much. So, like, I'm on team Tootsie Roll as well.
Henry Craft: 29:25Really? Do you all like the Tootsie Rolls?
Ryan Littlejohn: 29:28Chocolate Tootsie Rolls only. Like, the flavored ones, not worth it. It's gotta be chocolate Tootsie Rolls. Henry
Amy Henschen: 29:36Those other ones don't even exist, Ryan.
Ryan Littlejohn: 29:39Henry, you are back onto being by yourself.
Henry Craft: 29:42My island.
Ryan Littlejohn: 29:43It's finally happened. We did
Latosha Reggans: 29:45it.
Henry Craft: 29:46You just sparked a memory for me because those other flavored Tootsie Rolls were totally a thing when I was a kid at Labor Day Parade in Pana, Illinois. They used to throw those things literally like candy as the saying goes, and that is a whole memory vibe for me way back. So, anyway, thanks for that. And, yes, I have no problem being on my own. So that's the running joke, Tasha, is Henry almost always is on an island.
Henry Craft: 30:15So
Amy Henschen: 30:15Okay. Anyway, guys, just for the record, I just looked up Tootsie Rolls because I really was like, I haven't seen those other awful flavors in years. They only make vanilla and chocolate now. So they heard us. They heard they knew we didn't want them, and they stopped making them.
Ryan Littlejohn: 30:29But who's gonna eat a vanilla Tootsie Roll? Like, that's just wrong. I'm sorry.
Henry Craft: 30:34Tasha said everybody. I I will eat them too.
Latosha Reggans: 30:37I will eat them. I prefer the chocolate, but I did find and I can tell you right now, it's in the blue wrapper because I just found one in my kid's trick or treat like, we went to a program in Richland Park over the weekend. They had, like, a little thing outdoors, and they gave away candy. And I found one of those. So I don't, like, binge eat those.
Latosha Reggans: 30:57Those are, like, hey. I gotta taste for a candy. I'll eat this type of, you know, candy, but, yeah, I'll eat the vanilla ones.
Henry Craft: 31:05It's a
Amy Henschen: 31:05double candy. That's fine. I got nervous when she was like, I found this in their old trick or treat bag. I was like, from last year? And you ate it?
Amy Henschen: 31:12But then I was like, I might eat it. So I I was I was having this whole judgment not judgment in my head because I was like, I'd probably eat it. Let's just be honest.
Henry Craft: 31:20Listen. There are straight up people that recycle candy from year to year. I'm not gonna lie.
Latosha Reggans: 31:25Can I admit something to you guys without you judging me?
Henry Craft: 31:28Yes. The world will not judge you at all on this podcast.
Latosha Reggans: 31:33Wait. Amy just mentioned that. So we were, like, driving in the car one day, and my kid, like so, you know, we have kids those that age, they eat in the back of the car, you grab them out, and you go. And then, you know, it's a cycle until you actually clean your car out. And so one day, my daughter gets out the car with this cookie, and I'm like, where'd you get that cookie?
Latosha Reggans: 31:54It was in the back. So you found a cookie in my backseat somewhere, a perfectly round oatmeal cookie that was just randomly like I was like, oh my god. Are you serious? But yeah. So speaking of, like, the spining candy Just
Henry Craft: 32:14blow it off a little bit. It's fine.
Latosha Reggans: 32:16Don't worry
Amy Henschen: 32:16about I'm impressed that it was still in one piece. Like, in my sister's car with my nieces, that thing would be crushed immediately, basically.
Ryan Littlejohn: 32:24You would be surprised how many times here in Wayne County, my kids, my federation kids, would go through the closet and find, like, candy or cookies or something from a program, and I can't tell you when the last time that was. And they're sitting there eating it. And it's probably past the Best Buy date, but they're eating it. And I'm like, I get it. Like, I was in high school once too, and, you know, food's food.
Ryan Littlejohn: 32:47But, oh, kids just do something different when it comes to food. You gotta love them for it.
Henry Craft: 32:54So let's transition a little bit. This is a question that it's become kind of a hallmark now for our podcast, and we really wanna know if you have a favorite four h story or experience from your time working with extension in four h.
Latosha Reggans: 33:12I had thought I was thinking about and I always think about this because I feel like, again, you guys ask some of these questions, like, at some of the staff meetings. And so coming into four h, still, I feel like a baby in four h still. I've been here. It's almost three years. I think in December, it'll be three years.
Latosha Reggans: 33:30I started a four h summer camp. This is our second year. So the youth that come through there, their ages will actually grade. We started off with sixth through eighth, and then this year, we took on fifth through eighth. This year, we did a I took the RealColors training, the facilitators training, and we actually incorporated that with the youth version with our seventh and eighth graders within that camp.
Latosha Reggans: 33:54My niece actually participated in the camp this year, And she was having a hard time this year and last year, like, some mental health challenges, just trying to find herself, and just really struggling. Like, I was just trying to help her, like, to the point where you're trying to get her therapist and things like that. So I told my sister, I'm like, you should sign her up for the camp and, you know, things like that. And so she came over, and we did this RealColors training the fur the Thursday. So it was four days into the camp.
Latosha Reggans: 34:25She missed the first day, And so the next couple days that went through, she was kinda kept to herself. Like, she'll go to the table during lunchtime. She kinda kept to herself. So we did this real colors training. And if you've done real colors before, once you kinda go through the first portion of it, you break out into groups after you figure out what color you are, like a personality type thing.
Latosha Reggans: 34:49And so they break out into green, gold, orange, and blue. And so within each of those circles or breakout groups, each color kinda discuss what their needs are. Right? Like, the things that make them who they are, what their needs are. And so by the time she came out of that group, you know, at the end, we'd kinda do a presentation.
Latosha Reggans: 35:14Each group comes up and shares, like, what do they need in you know, as they within their personality or their color. And so they were just, like, so excited. Like, I need this. And just agreeing with each other and just just getting really excited about it. They we gave them little wristbands because they all kinda were like, hey.
Latosha Reggans: 35:32I'm blue. I'm gold or whatever. By the end of that, like, she was like, this is me. Like, I met my people. Like, oh my god.
Latosha Reggans: 35:41It's people out there that who are like me. Can't believe this. And within that, like, she found her friend group. She completely changed. Until this day, she is a completely, like, different person.
Latosha Reggans: 35:55Like, we had a overnight kind of culminating camp event at the end of the summer camp, and we did a talent show. Like, she's not like this at all, but with her group, like, they did a dance routine. Like, she originally wasn't signed up for it. They just sporadically, like, just added to do this dance routine. She did a dance routine with them.
Latosha Reggans: 36:16They have created, like, this group chat. It was just it sparked something in her that made her just, like, a total different person. And being able to see that because she's actually a relative even outside of, you know, being a camper because I've seen other kids change too, and they've shared their stories through the evaluation. But just seeing it, like, real loud in person and just hearing her mom say, like, oh my god. Like, camp, like, changed my daughter.
Latosha Reggans: 36:43Like, she doesn't feel alone. Like, she she has a group of people that kinda understand her and that are that is pretty much like her. That was really it made me feel like it's all kinda, like, worth it as I do this summer camp. And as you think about like, hey, do I wanna do this again? I wanna put all this work in this thing again and year after year, but it makes me feel like it's all kinda worth it.
Henry Craft: 37:11That's amazing. Color?
Latosha Reggans: 37:13Oh, yeah. Her color was green.
Amy Henschen: 37:15Woo woo. Greens unite.
Henry Craft: 37:17Actually, they're the lowest statistically, lowest color, so that doesn't surprise me that she had a hard time finding her people. That's cool, though.
Amy Henschen: 37:24That's amazing. And this is like you do this. You guys and Cook put on this is like a multi week camp. Right?
Latosha Reggans: 37:31Mhmm. Four
Amy Henschen: 37:31weeks. Yeah. So that's a large chunk of time and energy spent on that. So that's so awesome that you get these, like, moments of, like, it's worth it. Look at these the difference we're making.
Amy Henschen: 37:42Because sometimes when you're slogging through in the middle and kids are maybe not at their best or you're not at your best, you can have some moments of doubt. Right? That's very real. So that's amazing. Thanks for sharing that.
Amy Henschen: 37:54Well, Tasha, one of the reasons we wanted to bring you on is because we have this theme that we're doing for a few episodes called transitions, about people who kind of transitions between positions inside extension and outside of extension and here as well. So we kinda wanted to ask you. You you serve currently as youth development educator in the four h program, but you used to work as a program coordinator for horticulture as a master gardener coordinator. So, like, what what surprised you about that transition? What was that transition like from one area to the other and one position to the other?
Amy Henschen: 38:25Was anything surprising? Was anything challenging? And do you miss anything from that old job?
Latosha Reggans: 38:30So yes. So yes to all of that. Coming from a coordinator, especially the Chicago Master Gardener Coordinator, which we had almost 200 volunteers for that specific program, so very busy program. So coming from that to a four h educator role was very different. I almost didn't know what to do with my time.
Latosha Reggans: 38:56Being a Master Gardener coordinator, you are in charge of running the the meetings. Right? So you might do a monthly, bimonthly. You are in charge of getting them continuing education. The emails that come in, the program requests.
Latosha Reggans: 39:10We do site visits to get sites approved and up and running. We do trainings, like, all of these things that I'm constantly in motion to get done, awards night, graduation. So coming to educator mode to be able to come do this thing and sit back and not have all this busy work was kinda like, I'm supposed to be doing something. I'm supposed to be doing something. And sometimes I'll kinda find myself in my director head to, like, remind me, like, early on, like, okay.
Latosha Reggans: 39:47Get out of coordinator mode because I find myself doing things that I can use help from the coordinators that work here. So I think transitioning into the educator mode and designating, like, that that work to, like, coordinators that I used to do was a tricky space for me. And again, like, I'm so used to doing all these things for myself and not necessarily having the help that I'll automatically just do them. Right? I'm like, oh, I couldn't just see how my coordinator helped me with So that was different for me.
Latosha Reggans: 40:25And then, again, just that busyness of constantly having to do things. Also, with four h, we have volunteers, but our volunteers are different than the Master Gardener coordinators. Right? Master not coordinators, volunteers. Our Master Gardener volunteers are more like, they needed me more.
Latosha Reggans: 40:44Right? Because I'm planning their meetings. I'm doing their graduations. I'm making sure that they have the materials that they need for their programs. And four h volunteers are like, you know, we got this, they don't need me as much, and plus that's not my role even if they did.
Latosha Reggans: 41:01Right? That's the coordinator's kinda role. I'm all I kept having this feeling of, like, I need to do something with the volunteers. Like, I know as an educator, we provide the training. Right?
Latosha Reggans: 41:12And that's that's enough. That's sufficient. But I felt like I should be doing something else. I should be engaging them more. So just that transition was kind of hard for me, and I miss my volunteers because, again, like, I'm constantly talking to them.
Latosha Reggans: 41:29I train volunteers, so they are calling on me. Right? It's almost like coming into a job and you have a person that trains you. You kind of have a closeness to that person. You know, that's your person.
Latosha Reggans: 41:40That's your go to person even if somebody else new comes on. And so I've grown accustomed to them, even asking them like, hey. This thing is coming up. I need a speaker. Calling them up like, hey.
Latosha Reggans: 41:52Can you do this thing? Or needing things done in the office and being able to call. So I miss that connection with my volunteers that I had working with the Master Gardener program.
Ryan Littlejohn: 42:05So, Latasha, did you have any four h experience before you transition to the educator role? Like, did you know anything about four h? Were you in four h? Like, it's kinda I don't know. I don't think we've ever talked about it.
Ryan Littlejohn: 42:20But was there, like, a big learning gap there because of, like, you had no experience or anything like that?
Latosha Reggans: 42:28It was a large learning gap because I had no idea what four h was. And, I mean, I knew in general just from, like, being in, like, county meetings and right? Like, you have staff that'll come up and kinda share and four h kind of did that and you know? But there was still this missing part of, like, what is a four h clip? Really?
Latosha Reggans: 42:49What does four H mean? And why do you know, like, there was this there was a large learning gap of even me as an educator, like, how do I fit in? What am I supposed to be doing with these youth? Like, again, like, even with the volunteer role, like, wanted to be doing something a little bit more, but my role as an educator is really different as it pertains to, like, four h. And so yeah.
Latosha Reggans: 43:14So there was a large learning curve with what four h was. I had no clue. I I never knew what four h was until even just coming to extension.
Amy Henschen: 43:25Do you think so I know, like, you did a lot of volunteer management and volunteer relationship building. Do you think any of that translated? Because I think a lot of times, you're right, educators maybe don't have as much volunteer interactions, but we do interact a lot with partners. So did you find that the skills you used to, like, maintain and build those volunteer relationships translated to that partnership development?
Latosha Reggans: 43:48I think so. I think it encourages me to go out, like, into community, right, and connect and learn about what people are doing and how I can help and how to connect, I think, families to this this four h whole experiencing club thing. And so I think it does help in in some sense.
Henry Craft: 44:10I think it does highlight for me this the difference between, again, all the different counties. And so as people have kinda gone on this journey with us already on this podcast since the spring, just to hear you kinda talk about, you know, latching on to that training of volunteers, and that is in our job description. But, you know, you'll find a lot of counties that for so long, the program coordinators have been ingrained in those communities, and they do a they take on a lot of that that mantle of the training piece. And so it's interesting to hear the different dynamics in different places and how the county directors are asking people to do different things. So it's just, again, another one of those just a road sign, a comment to say, man, it is so interesting and different because I've got great EPCs that are seasoned and doing great work, and they do.
Henry Craft: 45:03I mean, we we tag team on on development of training materials, but a lot of times, like, they have that relationship. And so that was something I had to learn really early on was, like, lean into the strengths of who you've got in place already. And that was, you know, that was a challenge for me too coming in and not having a lot of work experience within four h and just kinda trying to feel that out. So props to our EPC staff that really are maintaining those county level relationships and with volunteers.
Latosha Reggans: 45:31So And I would also add that I think what does help coming from that role is supporting the EPCs because I try to give them, like, ideas about, like, some of the things that we that I've done as a coordinator, as the HORT coordinator,
Amy Henschen: 45:47that
Latosha Reggans: 45:47can transition into their role as managing volunteers as a four h volunteer. Like, we have a good relationship and a partnership with our four I'm sorry, with the Forest Preserve in Cook County. And I was at a lot of different events that was put on by the forest preserve and just encouraging, like, even the coordinators. Like, hey. You should go here and you should table this event or be at these things that, you know, I know that they were not necessarily at at when I was there as a coordinator, you should go there.
Latosha Reggans: 46:21There's a great place where you can go and maybe scout for, like, new volunteers or just teach tell people what four h is all about. Because a lot of people in Cook County that I've ran into who just don't know what four h is. And I think that's one of the things that as that we struggle with being in this urban area is that, like, we are constantly convincing people like, hey. Forge is a good thing. Whereas other counties, they have that tradition that the history is there already there.
Ryan Littlejohn: 46:54Join us next time with Latasha as we learn about her transition from a horticulture and master gardener extension program coordinator to a four h youth development educator for Cook County. Who knows? We might even learn something new about bugs.