Inspiring the Next Generation with the Trahan-Liptak 4-H Leadership Fund

After seeing the positive impact that Massachusetts 4-H had on their daughters, Joy and Hayley, Cindy Trahan-Liptak and Robert Liptak knew they wanted other youth to realize the same benefits. So in the fall of 2024, the couple created the Trahan-Liptak 4-H Leadership Fund for the Massachusetts 4-H Foundation’s endowment trust, with the goal of supporting youth, particularly, but not exclusively, in Worcester County.

The fund’s purpose is to help youth attend national and state 4-H conferences by covering conference registration fees, travel, lodging and food. These conferences develop leadership, confidence, and public speaking skills in young people.

The Trahan-Liptak’s daughters  inspired the creation of the fund. Both girls participated in 4-H, with Joy starting at the age of five. Hayley, who served as a Foundation Trustee for nine years, traveled to several national 4-H conferences as a teenager and participated in leadership programs throughout New England.

The couple saw a lot of growth and increased leadership skills in their daughters and wanted to give back to future generations. “We wanted these opportunities for all 4-H youth,“explained Cindy. “The leadership skills our daughters developed in 4-H were important to their success as young women.”

While Cindy and Robert have donated to the Foundation for several years, their desire to support more 4-H youth led them to starting the fund. Robert, who worked for Raytheon Company, secured matching grants in both 2024 and 2025. “The matches are how we felt we could get the biggest impact,” said Robert.

In the future, the couple hope that 4-H youth will take advantage of the life-changing experiences of 4-H conferences. “We want to encourage youth to apply for leadership programs, especially youth who may need financial assistance,” said Cindy. “There are lot of life skills they gain from the trips, including relationship building, communication, and how to best present their ideas. Gaining confidence is really key.”