By Chelsea Bicknell, Guest Columnist
Greetings!
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Chelsea Bicknell, and I am the new Family and Consumer Science (FCS) Extension Agent here in Estill County. I am a native of Irvine and grew up on the banks of Station Camp. My parents are Lisa and Robin Bicknell. I graduated from Estill County High School in 2010 and from Berea College in May of 2014. While at Berea, I got my bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Studies with an emphasis in Family Studies, and I also earned the equivalency of an Appalachian Studies minor and a Health Studies minor.
In high school, I couldn’t wait to get out of Estill County. I was tired of the small town and dreamt of having bigger adventures elsewhere. I was also tired of feeling less than others simply because I was from a small Kentucky town. The media has a habit of portraying people like us as “dumb hillbillies” who won’t amount to much, and after you hear something like that for so long you start to believe it. Therefore, I thought that if I got out of this town, then maybe I wouldn’t be associated with that stigma as much. But then, I moved away and went to college. And I got homesick. I missed the familiar streets of Irvine, the familiar landscapes I had grown up around, and the familiar faces. Even though I was only 45 minutes away, I missed home.
While at Berea I also started learning more about our Appalachian culture and I learned that we weren’t “dumb hillbillies,” but rather people who are rooted in tradition and have a rich, unique heritage that we should be proud of. I learned it doesn’t matter where or who you’re from – everyone has the ability to do awesome things. So I became proud of my Appalachian heritage and the place I came from, and it didn’t take me long to realize that I wanted to come back home to Estill County after I graduated college.
People often ask me why I would want to come back to a “dead-end” town, and I always say the same thing — every place you live is going to have problems and the only way they are ever going to get fixed is if somebody (or a lot of bodies) does something about them. So the problems Estill County is facing doesn’t make me want to leave, they make me want to stay and see if I can help to do something about them.
I feel really fortunate that I got this job with the Extension service, because I now have the opportunity to help make change in Estill County. The FCS Extension program’s main mission is to improve the quality of life for families and individuals in the county. I realize that is a huge task, but I’m optimistic that over time it can be done. In order to do that, I will be developing and implementing educational programs for the community in which everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. I will also be attending various community events and writing some things for the newspaper to spread research-based tips for daily living that could be beneficial to you and your family.
My main goal in this position is to leave a positive impact on the community of Estill County. This is my home and my people and I want to make a difference.
For more information about what I’ll be doing, you can look up the Estill County Extension website at http://estill.ca.uky.edu/, like the Estill County Extension – Family & Consumer Sciences Facebook page, or call the Extension Office at 723-4557 and I will be happy to talk to you! If you have any suggestions for programs to start up in Estill County I am also open to those as well.
I look forward to working with you all.