Abigail Roy is one of the newest members of the West Virginia University Extension team, joining as a 4-H Youth Development agent for Kanawha and Boone Counties.
Originally from Kentucky, Roy joins WVU Extension with two years of experience as a Pulaski County Extension agent for the University of Kentucky, where she engaged her community through livestock projects, youth speech development and large-scale community events.
Roy earned her bachelor's degree in animal sciences at the University of Kentucky and is currently pursuing a master's degree in science translation and outreach to improve her ability to explain complex ideas to people of any age or background.
“I just like watching kids grasp concepts or skills they never thought they would,” Roy said. “Watching them challenge themselves with just a little push from us, and then not even realizing how much they’ve gained until they complete what they're doing—that really sold it for me.”
Although Roy has only been in West Virginia for a little over a week, she already has hopes to bring more community-facing events and activities to the people of Kanawha and Boone counties, especially those that are not already active in 4-H.
“What often happens is, if you don’t know a parent with a child that you can invite personally, or if you don’t have a friend in 4-H, you don’t hear about upcoming events. Something I would really like to see is more community-facing events so people can see what we have to offer in 4-H,” Roy said.
As a former camp counselor, Roy is excited to hear the enthusiasm students have for summer and day camps. Through camps and other events, she hopes to continue fostering a positive learning environment for students.
"A lot of times, kids don't have something to do in the afternoon. They don't have something to plug into or an outlet that is going to improve their life or better their future,” Roy said. “The Extension agent or 4-H volunteers might be the only positive adult influence they have, and that might just be enough to keep them off a path that they would've other wise gone down."
Brent Clark, director of 4-H Youth Development for WVU Extension, said he is already looking forward to Roy’s experience helping the area.
“We are excited that Abby is joining our Extension family. Her vast experience in youth development and Extension makes her a perfect addition to our team and in Boone and Kanawha counties,” Clark said. “We are looking forward to all the great work she will do with our youth, volunteers, families and community members.”
To learn more about 4-H activities in your community and keep up with the latest in West Virginia 4-H news, follow @WestVirginia4H on Facebook and @wv_4h on Instagram.
If you want to learn more about WVU Extension, visit extension.wvu.edu or follow @WVUExtension on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.
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sg/11/17/25
CONTACT: Sam GorskiContent Strategist
WVU Division for Land-Grant Engagement
sbg0004@mail.wvu.edu