All
it took was one trip. Ortencia Arrellano visited Japan for one
month with the 4-H International Exchange Program and the gears of
her future set in motion. A resulting fascination with Japan would
lead Ortencia's studies through undergraduate and graduate level
work, and even motivate a second trip to the foreign island. Ortencia's passions would carry her in many directions, but would
eventually guide her home. In some respects, Ortencia will return
to her start in 4-H because her career will be devoted to non-profit
work.
Ortencia's
involvement in Maine 4-H stemmed from her mother's background in
clubs as a youth and her grandmother's connections with Cooperative
Extension. Ortencia found her 4-H projects with the Dandy Crafters
and 4-H Friends Clubs in Franklin County "consistently challenged
[her]" and helped to "identify what [she] was truly interested in."
In the summer of
1996, the 4-H International Exchange Program sparked a life-long
interest for Ortencia. She stayed with the Murakami family for one
month to experience everyday life in Japan. An additional goal of
the exchange was to foster cross-cultural understanding between Ortencia and her host sister, Hitomi, who stayed with Ortencia's
family in Maine for one month in the summer of 1995.
Ortencia explained
that she "quickly fell in love with Japanese culture and the
language." She described her trip as "pivotal to [her] decision to
pursue International Relations and East Asian Languages and
Cultures" at Beloit College as an undergrad. In fact, Ortencia made
it known that without the 4-H Exchange Program she never would have
returned to Japan to continue her studies.
In the fall of
2001, Ortencia made a second trip to Japan through an exchange
program at Beloit. "The 4-H program had given [her] a great
introduction to Japanese culture," and combined with two years of
studying, Ortencia could really delve into Japanese society. Highlights of her six month trip included a field trip
to Hiroshima to meet
an atomic bomb survivor, and attending a fire festival near Kyoto.
With an
undergraduate degree in international relations completed, Ortencia
continued her studies at the graduate level at the University of
London. There she researched International Development at the
School of Oriental and African Studies.
This particular line of study prepares students like
Ortencia for work in community development -- and she mainly sees a
focus in helping non-profits such as 'Oxfam' or 'Save the Children'
in under privileged areas of the world. Extensive travels and
research have made her a well-rounded candidate for work in this
field, and all it took was a small spark from 4-H to get Ortencia
started. "I have always been very interested in volunteerism," she
said. "4-H let me explore that and practice it as a way of life."
Ortencia
and fellow delegates from a 1998 4-H trip to Washington, D.C.
