4-H Sets Za’Kiyah Dixon on a Path to Leadership at N.C. A&T

Nov 10, 2026 | 4-H Youth Development, Leadership, Uncategorized

A young Black woman with dark braided hair tied in a top knot sits on a bench surrounded by yellow flowers, wearing a blue t-shirt with a logo.

Za’Kiyah Dixon, now in her first year at N.C. A&T, is on a leadership path that she began in 4-H in Wilson County, N.C. with her stepmom, county agent Kenyatta Dixon.  “She has always had those leadership qualities,” Kenyatta Dixon said. “As a 4-H professional, it was my job to nurture them.”

Wilson COUNTY — When Za’Kiyah Dixon, now 18 and a first-year student at North Carolina A&T State University, was in grade school, 4-H involvement meant projects and summer camps — “pretty typical,” as she described it.

That changed in 2016, when Wilson County 4-H Agent Kenyatta Dixon offered her the chance to visit the N.C. A&T campus and experience Innovation Station, the mobile STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) lab created by Cooperative Extension at A&T to bring science and technology to youth across the state.

For Za’Kiyah, it was a life-changing experience.

A young girl with braided hair stands in front of a colorful mural on a bus, smiling at the camera while holding a small object.

Za’Kiyah Dixon has been involved with 4-H programs since childhood, including summer camps and as a 4-H Tech Changemaker. She was hooked on N.C. A&T after getting a look at Innovation Station (above) on the campus.

“I’ll never forget, I think it was either fifth or sixth grade, 4-H introduced me to North Carolina A&T with their STEM bus,” Za’Kiyah recalled. “When I first learned about 4-H, I thought that it was all about agriculture, livestock, and show and sell. But when they introduced me to the STEM bus, I was like, ‘Oh wow, this is on a whole different level.’ ”

She met Extension’s 4-H STEM program leaders, as well as a wide range of campus-based staff. She petted Aggie, the A&T bulldog mascot. She shook hands with the chancellor and toured the campus. By the end of the day, Za’Kiyah had made a decision about her future.

“By sixth grade, I knew A&T was going to be my school just because of the involvement they have with 4-H,” she said.

With Kenyatta’s encouragement, Za’Kiyah joined Teen LEADS, a program that teaches 4-H members to become STEM teachers, peer mentors and coaches in their communities. By the time she reached Beddingfield High School in Wilson, she had trained to become a 4-H Tech Changemaker, prepared to help bridge the “digital divide” by teaching computer skills to local adults.

“She’s always been a leader,” said Kenyatta, who is also Za’Kiyah’s stepmother. “Even as a big sister, when I brought her little brother home, she would always look out for him. I knew she had those leadership qualities, and as a 4-H professional, it was my job to nurture them. It just took off from there.”

Za’Kiyah admits that she was a bit nervous when she taught a class on internet safety to about 230 adults as a Tech Changemaker. She credits 4-H public speaking projects with giving her the confidence to present material successfully to adults.

A woman in a teal shirt holds a tablet while standing next to a man in a blue shirt, observing a soccer-themed game board with red cones on a gym floor.

Left: 4-H member Za’Kiyah Dixon, left, demonstrates drone soccer to M. Ray McKinnie, Ph.D., College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences associate dean and Cooperative Extension administrator, during the Cooperative Extension’s Eastern Region Tour in June 2025.

“You learn how to speak to people and reach a crowd. 4-H has played a huge role in that,” she said, adding that she has presented to about 750 adults and youth as a Teen LEADS participant and a Tech Changemaker.

Za’Kiyah plans to major in kinesiology and minor in food and nutritional sciences, another area of interest that was nurtured through 4-H, on a scholarship from AgCarolina Farm Credit. The scholarships recognize academic excellence, community involvement, and leadership among students in rural communities across central, eastern and southeastern North Carolina. Za’Kiyah is one of two 2026 recipients attending an HBCU.

4-H has enormous value in rural communities, Kenyatta said.

“It allows kids who might not have opportunities outside of Wilson to experience things that help their personal growth and expand their vision about their future possibilities. Through 4-H, they can get on a plane and go to another state, meet new people and participate in training activities from industry and university leaders. They get that exposure.

“4-H has given Za’Kiyah, and her 4-H friends, opportunities. That’s the main thing I enjoy about this program: the opportunities it brings to youth who otherwise might not otherwise get them.”