Each month, we highlight an Ohio 4-H alum who has an amazing story to share—from their personal experience in 4-H to how they have given back to the program. This month, we feature Dr. Laura Sorg, medical director for the State of Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities and a proud alumna of Butler County 4-H.
As a third-generation member, 4-H has always been an important part of Sorg’s 
life. “I loved my 4-H experience,” she said. “I took cooking and sewing projects and showed breeding and market beef and market hogs in Butler County.”
Outside of her project work, 4-H also gave her the opportunity to travel and expand her understanding of the world. “Participating in Citizenship Washington Focus is one of my favorite memories from my time in 4-H,” said Sorg. “It pushed me out of my comfort zone. I was able to meet new friends and see more than I 
ever imagined as a 16-year-old kid.”
4-H also helped lead her to her current career. “As a young 4-H member I volunteered at a local health fair with my 4-H advisor, who worked as a nurse practitioner. This experience was pivotal in my decision to pursue medicine.” She now works as a board-certified family physician and has the honor of serving as the medical director for the State of Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.
“The skills learned in 4-H also complemented my chosen career path. 4-H taught me ingenuity and resourcefulness and helped me learn how to believe in myself,” said Sorg. 
“Project judging and the skills learned through leadership and team building activities were also valuable in my path to becoming a physician.”
For Sorg, one of her favorite ways to give back to current 4-H’ers is through her county fair. “The proceeds from my livestock projects funded a large part of my undergraduate education,” she said. In the past several years, Sorg has had the pleasure of 
bidding on projects totaling more than $20,000 at the Union County Fair Sale.
“Giving back is an opportunity for me to show goodwill and support for local youth.” Her advice to current 4-H’ers is to never turn down an opportunity to grow. “4-H gives you the space to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. Those moments of growth build true grit.”
Today, Sorg’s sons and nieces are the fourth generation of 4-H members in her family. “My grandmother attended her first Butler County 4-H meeting in 1920 and more than 100 years later my sons are carrying on this legacy. Watching my sons succeed and find their own path through 4-H has been one of the biggest joys of motherhood.”