Brenda Alverson is the volunteer leader of Genesee County’s 4-H Furry Friends Club. She also served as president of the county’s 4-H Dog Committee for the past few years and is an active member of the 4-H Rabbit and Cavy Committee. Through her various roles, Alverson encourages and empowers youth to pursue project areas they are passionate about. She is committed to helping youth explore all aspects 4-H has to offer. As a companion animal-based 4-H volunteer, she wholeheartedly believes that animal stewardship can have a positive impact on the lives of youth via the 4-H guiding principles and life skills. She helped to revive the county’s dog training program and regularly opens her home for 4-H meetings. Brenda’s dedication and teaching exemplifies all that 4-H has been and can be. As she shares these life skills in programming and through various outreach events, she acknowledges 4-H’s historically rural deep agricultural roots, while extending those roots to branch out to include suburban and urban reach. She refers to dogs, rabbits and cavies as gateway animals that can help pique a youth’s interest in further 4-H programming, including financial literacy, entrepreneurship, veterinary science, agriculture, and other STEAM-related (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) program areas. Alverson is dedicated to promoting 4-H as a long-term activity, going beyond the short-term exposure at events and afterschool activities. She has a familiar face in countless schools and various annual events, and serves as an ambassador and advocate for county and statewide programming.