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VIENNA -- Monica Culp has been involved in 4-H since she was a child -- first as a member and now as a volunteer and adviser.
Culp is the head adviser for the 4-H Trumbull County Beef Boosters Club, which is for children who show beef cattle. She said she has been head adviser for 24 years and part of her duties is being in charge of the market steers program.
"They (4-H members) get their steers in the fall, then we work with them in December," Culp said. "That's our tag in. After tag in, we have monthly meetings and we work on marketing that project. We work with them on showing the animals, public speaking, health and safety when being in the barn, health of the animals and those kinds of things."
Culp said she started in 4-H at age 10 and also showed steers.
"That was what my parents started me in," she said. "Those were my best memories of (my) childhood. The friends I made there are my lifelong friends today."
She said she got involved in the program as an adult to save it from closing down.
"The advisers were wanting to step down, and I didn't want to see the program disband and I was asked if it was something I would be interested in, so I stepped in," Culp said.
Culp said her kids also grew up in the 4-H program.
"It's something I've always felt I wanted my kids to be involved in," she said.
"4-H isn't just farming, it's a sense of belonging. The opportunities that are given to the 4-H youth are some of the best lessons. It teaches kids hard work, responsibility, commitment and dedication."
She said her dad, who died five years ago, inspires everything she does, including becoming a 4-H adviser and putting her kids in 4-H.
"My dad, to me, was the hardest working man, my hero, my everything," Culp said. "He was very hard working. My mom got to be a stay-at-home mom. He taught us from a very young age to be hardworking and dedicated. I always want to make him proud because he was my 4-H adviser."
Culp said her favorite thing about being a 4-H adviser is making a positive impact on the youth and watching them grow.
She said she is a people person, which is why she also works as a branch office administrator for Edward Jones Investments.
"I would say our purpose (at Edward Jones) is partnering for a positive impact, to better work together to help serve our community and our colleagues," Culp said. "My purpose is to encourage and inspire others. When I put my head on the pillow at night, I need to know I did everything for the people I help each day as if they were my own family."
Culp said as a branch office administrator, she handles daily calls, processes clients' needs and works with clients to help solve any issues they have.
Prior to working for Edward Jones Investments, Culp spent 30 years in the medical field. She said she got the job at Edward Jones once she decided to try a new career path after her dad's death and suffering from burnout.
"It'll be five years in May," Culp said. "It's the most rewarding job I've ever worked. I feel valued by the financial adviser I work with and the firm has empowered us to successfully support clients while also experiencing fulfillment."
She said she worked at Northeast Ohio Orthopedics from 2011 to 2019, where she worked in the physical therapy department and took notes for the doctor. Before that, Culp worked as a medical assistant at Steward Health's Trumbull Regional Medical Center, after she obtained her degree from the adult education program at the Trumbull Career and Technical Center.
She graduated from the technical school in 1993, obtaining a degree in medical assisting.
Culp said growing up, she attended Mathews Local School District. In high school, she not only participated in 4-H, but also joined the basketball team for two years and played volleyball and was a majorette all four years.
She said she serves as the secretary of the livestock sale committee and is vice president of the Trumbull County Farm Bureau. She also hosts a Toys for Tots drive at her investment office.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, running, kayaking, hiking and camping.
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