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 In her position, she worked with countless youth,
volunteers, teachers, and community members. Amy assisted with 4-H
Shooting Sports, Teen Teachers, 4-H Ambassadors, and the 4-H shows.
She was also especially well known and loved by students and
teachers alike for the engaging lessons she taught at area
elementary schools through the Ag in the Classroom program. She had
also spent many years assisting the Logan County Master Gardener and
Master Naturalist programs and volunteers.
Amy grew up on a family farm in Macon County with her parents and
two older sisters. Amy was always involved in 4-H when growing up
which she believes influenced where she is today. After high school,
she worked at the Clinton Power Station for 17 years before coming
to work for the Logan County Extension 4-H program. In her position
with 4-H, she saw a need for agriculture education in the community
and made that the focus of much of her work.
When talking about her career, Hyde said “Introducing kids to
agriculture has been very important to me. Because of where we live,
we assume that kids understand agriculture, but so many kids have
never been exposed to ag which is unfortunate.” She adds “I love to
see their enthusiasm and the kids love the hands-on learning
experiences and are proud of what they can then teach others, which
in turn is building leadership skills. Seeing these children excited
to learn about ag and seeing that I am having an impact on them is
the most rewarding part.”
Terri Miller Casey, Extension County Director, stated that “Amy
truly loves what she does, and is passionate about educating youth.
When she walked into the classroom the children lit up because they
knew they were going to do a fun hands-on activity. She went above
and beyond to assist 4-H members, families, and volunteers. Her
years of dedicated caring have helped many local youths learn about
agriculture, discover their talents, and accomplish their goals. She
is great at what she does and will be deeply missed by all who have
worked with her. We thank her for her dedication and wish her all
the best in retirement.”
When asked to describe Amy, Hollander's 4-H Club
volunteer John Coers said “Amy is one in a million. It is hard to
find someone with as big of a heart or the passion to work with kids
as Amy has.
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"There aren't too many kids in the communities that don’t know
Amy whether it be from Ag in the Classroom program or her involvement with 4-H.
And because of that, she was a great role model. She was a huge asset to the 4-H
program, and I will truly miss having her in that role. I will definitely miss
her interaction at the 4-H sheep show, but I would hope that she wouldn’t be a
stranger. I wish her the best of luck on her retirement and new adventure. She
will be missed and hard to replace.”
Jim Birge, Sangamon County Farm Bureau Manager, added that “Amy has demonstrated
her love and commitment to teaching agriculture in the classrooms around Logan
County. Talk to any teacher that she has worked with, and they will tell you a
story of how Amy has connected to teachers and students alike on a personal
level, which is rare these days. Most of the success of Ag in the Classroom in
Logan County is the direct result of Amy. I know that I’ll miss having her in
the classroom as often and working with the Menard-Logan-Sangamon Ag Education
Partnership.”
Hyde’s advice for those wanting to go into an ag-related career is to “Go for
it; there are so many career opportunities in agriculture, and we need the next
generation to get involved and make a difference.”
Casey summed it up by saying, “Amy always went about her work diligently and
humbly, shying away from the limelight or applause, so it was not surprising
that she wanted no fuss and little fanfare made to mark her retirement. However,
knowing Amy’s passion, I doubt this is truly ‘good-bye’ as I am sure she will
continue to find ways to share her gifts with the youth of Logan County even
after her retirement.” Casey invited all those wishing to express their thanks
and gratitude for her service to send cards and well wishes in care of the Logan
County Extension office, 980 N. Postville Dr., Lincoln, IL 62656.
[Terri Miller Casey, MPA
County Director]
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