BURNS, Ore. — When Tayleur Baker first joined 4-H at 9, she was a quiet girl who preferred working with animals to speaking in front of crowds. Now a junior at Oregon State University, she’s being recognized nationally for her leadership, resilience and service.
On Sept. 15, the National 4-H Council announced Baker as a runner-up for the 2026 4-H Youth in Action Award. The honor recognizes young people who embody the values of 4-H and inspire others through their contributions to agriculture and their communities.
Finding her voice through 4-H
Baker’s 4-H journey began in Burns with a swine project at the Blue Ribbon Livestock club. She learned breeds, feeding and veterinary care. Later, her uncle bred great show pigs, which elevated her game in the show ring.
At the time, Baker was shy and often felt nervous about speaking in front of others. That’s when her 4-H leader, Kelly Singhose, stepped in with encouragement.
“A lot of what I learned at 4-H boils down to responsibility skills. And being able to give back to our communities and give back to people is so much bigger.”
“She always had that spark,” Singhose said. “She wanted to learn and improve her knowledge, her leadership in the club and her showmanship abilities in the showring. As a 4-H leader, she was very easy, because she wanted to be involved and do things.”
Still, those first steps weren’t simple. Baker was wracked by nerves when she made her first oral presentation, on soap-making.
“I was so scared,” she recalled. “But [Singhose] was just smiling and encouraging me. That made me want to keep going.”
Over the years, Baker said she became more comfortable and confident with public speaking and excelled at speech competitions.
“Tayleur’s energy was infectious,” Singhose said. “At 4-H, she always came up with the most hilarious and visually interesting presentation. So it was a good example for the other kids to see that a presentation doesn’t have to be stressful, but it could be fun. By the time she finished a presentation, we were all laughing.”
Today, Baker is majoring in speech communication at OSU and says her 4-H experiences laid the foundation for her career path.
Service over success
In 2022, Baker decided to give back to younger members in her county by organizing the "Significance > Success Swine Clinic", teaching the younger kids about swine and showmanship. The name was inspired by former NFL football player Tim Tebow’s speech that emphasized positive actions and impact over titles and fame.
“A lot of what I learned at 4-H boils down to responsibility skills,” she explained. “At the beginning, I thought it was just about winning and doing the best. And later I realized it is good to do your best, but there's so much more that matters. And being able to give back to our communities and give back to people is so much bigger.”
Her mother, Heather Baker, said that as a ranching family, she and her husband are glad to see how 4-H motivates their kids in animal projects. She used to remind the kids to check on their animals every day, but as the kids became more involved in 4-H, they began to take the initiative to do it themselves and actively think about projects that can serve the community under Singhose’s guidance.
“Before enrolling them in 4-H, we had no idea it would impact our family this much and how it would grow them to be better ranchers,” Heather said.
Tayleur’s leadership and resiliency extended beyond the show ring. In 2025, her family faced a difficult time when her younger brother needed a kidney transplant. While her mother and twin sister supported family members in Portland, Tayleur returned home to care for her younger sibling and assist on the family ranch, on top of a part-time internship as the assistant coordinator for the OSU Extension Internship Program.
“Tayleur was very instrumental in helping with all that,” Heather said, her voice shaking with emotion over the phone. “She was a perfect role model for her siblings and a huge emotional support to all of us.”
Exploring career passion
Beyond 4-H, Tayleur volunteers with FFA, Future Farmers of America, an intracurricular student organization for those interested in agriculture and leadership. She also served as a teaching assistant for high school agriculture classes and has completed three internships with OSU Extension, from agriculture to communications to assistant internship program manager.
With two years of college ahead, she is considering a career in nonprofit management.
“I’m looking into something to give back and to also educate and advocate for the agricultural industry,” she said.
Receiving national recognition reaffirmed her path.
“When I found out I was a finalist, I was really surprised, and it encouraged me,” she said. “Even though I came from a really small community, I was still able to tell my story to more people.”
