“EVERY SUCCESS, NO matter how small, is a victory worth celebrating,” are inspiring words Hannah Grace Nordstrom said she strives to apply daily, especially at her job at The Nest, where she is the youth event coordinator, as well as a “Coffee Companion,” which is a barista who also provides peer support.

The Nest Community Coffee House, located at 1119 Lawrence St. in Uptown Port Townsend, is a community resource center for youths and young adults. Part of Owl360’s nonprofit programs include support services, community connections and events, as well as affordable housing for young adults.

She said the center is a safe place for youths to meet. Games to play include ping pong and a video game center, where, “We have a lot of kids that love doing Dungeons and Dragons and Magic the Gathering gaming events,” she said.

Events include karaoke night, poetry reading and music. There are also classes and youth-hosted seminars.

“We just held a writers’ seminar for film,” she said. “I was involved as their supporter and to help them through the process, but they’re the ones who made it happen.”

She said when youths approach her with an idea, at first they get a little nervous when they learn it’s up to the individual or group to do the organization and work. “But when they realize they’ll be supported through every step, their eyes kind of light up and go, ‘Wow, I can do this!’”

Her hope is they can take that feeling of support and empowerment with them through life, just like her involvement with horses has done for her.

“All my life I thought, ‘I’m an animal person, not a people person.’ I never thought I’d work with youth — but I was so wrong,” Nordstrom said.

“I love working with people,” she explained. “Especially young minds who are trying to find their passion, and had it not been for horses and joining horse clubs — becoming a beginning riding instructor — I never would have found that out.”

Journey

A self-described “horse-crazy” person, Nordstrom, 24, began riding her neighbor’s pony at a young age. Her parents couldn’t relate to her passion or desire to get her own horse. As soon as she was able to get a job, she began saving money to buy one.

It was a very happy day for Nordstrom when, at 15, she purchased her mare, Carolina. Then she joined 4-H, which, she said, “became the start of everything. Through 4-H I met so many people and discovered opportunities I never imagined.”

Later, she joined Equitese Pony Club. Through it she gained two of her greatest mentors and supporters — the (now former) owners of Heron Pond Farm, Kim Hunt and her daughter Christine Headly (who was the Equitese Pony Club leader).

The two have since sold the farm. Headly is the resident Dressage Trainer at Skyreach Equestrian Center in Roy. Emmeline Hopkins is now Equitese Pony Club leader.

Nordstrom credits 4-H and the Pony Club with not only helping her to advance her horsemanship skills but personal development as well.

“4-H and Pony Club taught me about teamwork, leadership and working well with peers,” she said. “I’ve learned it’s not just about the horses. If you don’t work well with your team members, things can fall apart.”

One of the most valuable life lessons for her was learning to cheer for others and to celebrate their victories, rather than just focusing on her own individual success.

“Pony Club pushed me further, challenging me to grow in both riding and leadership,” she said. “It’s where I learned how to collaborate, problem-solve and develop resilience skills that would later translate into my work.”

Positive mentors

It was under Headly’s tutorship that she became a beginning riding instructor at Heron Pond Farm. There, she learned how teaching others required tailoring each lesson to the individual, and it required patience, kindness and strength.

“As an instructor, I learned how to adjust my approach to each student’s unique needs, which directly applies to my role in youth mentorship and peer support at The Nest,” said Nordstrom, who’s married to Keagan Nordstrom. Their daughter, Brooklyn, is 1½ years old.

And as much as she’s loved her horse journey, she said it also included “a lot of bumps in the road, with people that taught with negativity, which shut me down.”

She realized how well her confidence and ability grew under positive encouragement and instruction. Now, she’s learned to give positive reinforcement, even after a hint of progress on the student’s part, along with the importance of clearly explaining each small step needed to succeed, in a way that individuals could understand.

After the pandemic ended, there were few adults and youths who seemed interested in restarting the clubs and “a lot of us were very worried we’d lost those programs,” she said.

It’s why she’s continued to volunteer at events (when her schedule allows) and is doing what she can to promote them.

“We need the entire horse community to get together to start hosting more shows and events, too,” she said.

As a side note, I think the main thing that’s missing is parental support and involvement. Not just the parents, we need an entire village of volunteers — grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings and friends of the family. Not only to take their kids to meetings or shows, but also to get off the sidelines and volunteering to help, too.

One doesn’t need to be comfortable around horses to help with organizing and running a show, to run a concession stand or to help “stomp” or smooth the ground in gaming events.

For more information contact:

• Clallam County 4-H Program Contact: Melanie Greer, 360-912-2062, melanie.greer@wsu.edu.

• Jefferson County 4-H Program Contact: Anji Scalf, 360-379-5610 ext. 208, anji.scalf@wsu.edu.

• Equitese Pony Club Emmeline Hopkins, 360-674-8135, emmeline.hopkins@gmail.com.

• Ranahan Pony Club Anna Swanberg, 360-461-4590, anna18@hotmail.com.

• Northwest Pony Club, northwest.ponyclub.org.

• Owl360, www.owl360.org.

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Karen Griffiths’ column, Peninsula Horseplay, appears the second and fourth Saturday of each month.

If you have a horse event, clinic or seminar you would like listed, email Griffiths at kbg@olympus.net at least two weeks in advance. You can also call her at 360-460-6299.

Hannah Grace Nordstrom pours a cup of coffee at The Nest, a community gathering place and resource center for teenagers and young adults, where she works as a barista and youth event coordinator. It’s part of the Owl360 program, located in Uptown Port Townsend. (Karen Griffiths/For Peninsula Daily News)