It was a sunny, sweaty 87 degrees near the 4-H Creative Arts Center the afternoon of Sunday, July 14 at the Waseca County Fair. To combat the heat, 4-H passed out free scoops of ice cream with chocolate or strawberry sauce. Very few complaints were heard.
Inside the 4-H Creative Arts Center was a little firecracker named Alexis Olson, 14, of New Richland, who placed in five different competitions this year. It seems a family of robins made a nest above Alexis’s porch; instead of scaring them away or knocking the nest down, Alexis used the opportunity as a research project.
She documented the progress of the four eggs which arrived in the nest: May 8 ‘Eggs laid.’ May 17 ‘Eggs hatch.’ May 30 ‘Chicks leave nest.’ Using the information she collected and information she researched regarding the steps birds use to raise their young, she won first place in the “Exploring the Environment” category. Her crisp, neat display showed pictures of the nest, chicks, and adult birds.
Another award-winning effort for Olson was her “Coats for Kids” project. She was named grand champion in the “Citizenship” category for helping acquire winter clothes for Shepherd’s Robe Charity, a church-based “thrift store” which does not charge for the used items it provides to visitors. She was able to gather about 40 separate bags of winter clothes–enough for a full season. Shepherd’s Robe Charity out of Vista Covenant Church takes donations Tuesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. They have done a lot of good for the community. For example, in 2022 the charity helped 1,560 people.
Olson entered two original pieces of art, which, together, brought her the overall grand champion title in the “Creative Arts” category, along with a first place in “Fine Arts.” One was an original oil painting of a mountain scene. She told of having learned about painting during a course she took last fall at the Waseca Art Center. When asked why she wanted to paint, she replied, “I wanted to show the rugged beauty of nature.” She did so in fine style.
Her “Emma” painting was a school project for which she transferred the image from a poster onto a canvas using chalk pastels and makeup brushes. That picture also won her a 4-H ribbon.
Since the 4-H schedule doesn’t start until October, Olson has not yet begun planning her projects for next year. In the meantime, she’s already been awarded a $300 scholarship to the Waseca Art Center, so she has that to look forward to when the time comes.
When school starts in September, she says she will continue her band practice with the Alto Saxophone. In her spare time, she is a Girl Scout, a cheerleader and in competitive dance in Just for Kix. Olson also plays golf, is learning Tae Kwon Do and of course attends 4-H meetings. She is even something of a marksman, since she participates in trap shooting.
During last year’s fair, Olson garnered awards for her entries of homemade jams and jellies. Her mother carefully vets her social media posts for selling Girl Scout Cookies and any charity work she may do.