Parson, Kansas — At the tender age of seven, Hannah Harris, daughter of Doug and Kim Harris, from Hepler, Kan., began participating in her local 4-H chapter.

It didn’t take long before a little spark began to flicker and she began feeling like life had a whole new meaning.

Growing up on a farm, livestock was nothing new to Hannah but once she got the chance to actually raise her own and start showing them, she was hooked.

“I have shown just about everything, including sheep, hogs, goats and cattle,” she explains.

In addition to showing livestock, Harris found time for other 4-H activities as well.

“I also did foods, photography, forestry and crafts in 4-H,” she says.

But something just kept bringing her back to the livestock projects.

“My livestock projects always kept my interest peaked,” she says.

According to her, it wasn’t just raising and showing livestock, it was getting to go to the county fair and show off what she had accomplished.

“It seemed like I got a little better each year and it made me want to try harder,” she explains.

“Better,” however, might be somewhat of an understatement when it came to the success of the goal-driven Harris.

“By the time I turned 18 I knew it was my last year to participate in 4-H so I wanted to end on a good note,” she says.

That year she did something only the seasoned 4-H showmen would think of. She exhibited three species of livestock at the Crawford County Fair.

“I took goats, hogs and beef my last year at the fair.”

Not only did she take them, she excelled in showing them.

At her last county fair, Harris won showmanship in every event, had the grand champion steer, grand champion heifer, reserve champion market goat and the grand champion breeding doe.

According to her mother, she wanted to go out with a bang and that is exactly what she did.

“Having that kind of success is the way I wanted to end my 4-H career,” Harris explains.

For most people that would have been a highlight that not many could top—not Hannah.

She recently attended the Charolais Junior Nationals in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where she attained yet another of her goals.

“I always wanted to go to a national show to just say I took part in one,” she explains.

And now, she can say she did that but she not only participated in a national show, she was named a winner there too.

“I won reserve champion steer overall and I got second in the Bred and Owned Heifer Class. I also won first place in scrapbook.”

According to Harris, she knew her steer was good but she hadn’t won with him anywhere else.

“I sure didn’t think I could win a show like this,” she explains. “I never expected this — it is just crazy,” she exclaims.

Although her age keeps her from showing in 4-H, it sure can’t keep her from staying active in it.

Harris, now a senior in Agricultural Education at Kansas State University, has big plans of getting involved with youth in agriculture so they can experience the same sort of things she got to experience.

“I have had a lot of people behind me and they are the ones who led me to where I am today,” she explains.

According to her, after college, she would love to be a 4-H Extension agent or an ag teacher in southeast Kansas.

“I chose ag education because either way I would be doing what I want,” she says. “If there are no openings in Extension when I graduate, ag education is good to fall back on.”

Even though it seems everything has been going great for Harris, she is quick to thank those who have helped her get to where she is today.

“There are so many people who have helped me along the way,” she says. “Whether it was my ag teachers, my Extension agents or my judging coach at Fort Scott Community College, everyone helped get me to where I am.”

But, there are two people who made everything possible for Harris.

“I have to be the most thankful to my parents,” she explains. “They have not only taught me but they have learned from me as well.”

So, what’s next for someone who has set goals and met them the majority of her life?

“I am ready to graduate from K-State and go to work, whether it be in Extension or in education,” she says. “Other than that I am going to keep growing my registered Charolais herd and continue to stay active in agriculture.”