SIDNEY — For the 75th consecutive year, millions of youth, parents, volunteers and alumni across the country celebrated National 4-H Week during the first full week of October.
Locally, Shelby County 4-H leveraged National 4-H Week by recognizing remarkable 4-H youth who work each day to make a positive impact on those around them. The Shelby County Outstanding 4-H’er award was presented to five youth who were selected from a pool of nominations.
“We have some of the best of the best in our program and I felt they were deserving of an award that says thank you for being awesome,” Cassie Dietrich, 4-H Youth Development Educator. “From caring for the elderly to serving at mass to mentoring younger 4-H’ers, these five represent what 4-H is about: being a true leader.”
Dietrich noted that in today’s world, it is critical to acknowledge the significant positive impact 4-H has on young people; the opportunities and experiences that 4-H provides youth empowers them to become true leaders. In fact, research has shown that young people in 4-H are almost four times as likely to contribute to their communities, five times more likely to graduate from college and twice as likely to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs in their free time.
In Shelby County, more than 900 youth and 100 volunteers are involved in 4-H, the nation’s largest youth development and empowerment organization. One of the program’s objectives is to cultivate confident kids who tackle the issues that matter most in their communities right now. According to Dietrich, the five winners of the Outstanding 4-H’er award are doing just that.
“These members are grounded. They have a passion for involvement and are using that passion to grow themselves and others. They should be applauded for that,” Dietrich said.
The award winners are:
• Collin Luthman, 17, Minster, son of Ed and Brenda Luthman, Fort Loramie High School, Merry Mod Makers 4-H Club. Luthman was nominated by his adviser, Sally Behr, and has been a 4-H member for 10 years. He has held numerous club officer positions and served as a 4-H Camp counselor. Luthman has represented Shelby County at the Ohio State Fair numerous times with his outstanding non-livestock projects, ranging from creative arts to woodworking and foods.
• Riley Jackson, 17, Maplewood, daughter of Anthony and Stephanie Jackson, Jackson Center High School, Creative Clovers 4-H Club. She has been an active member of the Creative Clovers 4-H Club for more than 10 years. She has received numerous honors in the Foods and Nutrition project categories and has represented Shelby County at the state level multiple times. According to adviser Kristi Bayhan, Jackson shows outstanding leadership in her club.
“She helps with whatever task is at hand and is also a great help with younger club members, especially her three younger siblings,” Bayhan said.
• Emily Bohman, 18, Russia, daughter of Steve and Jennifer Bohman, Russia High School, Russia Livestock 4-H Club. She has been a member of the Russia Livestock 4-H Club for eight years and currently holds the officer position of treasurer. Bohman has taken numerous projects including dairy and market beef projects, photography, scrapbooking and her favorite, cake decorating. Bohman’s cakes have won many awards at both the county and state levels. Bohman is also a second year Shelby County Junior Fair Board Member and third year camp counselor.
• Hannah Michael, 17, Sidney, daughter of Ted and Janay Michael, Christian Academy, Scissors to Sheep 4-H Club. She was nominated by her adviser, Bill Clark. Michael has been a 4-H member for nine years, taking dairy and pygmy goats, meat ducks, photography and a variety of clothing projects. She consistently attends club meetings and is always willing to lend a hand at the club’s annual events and fundraisers.
“Hannah is a great kid. She doesn’t do the work to be front and center. She does it because leading and helping others is the right thing to do. She doesn’t expect anything in return,” said Clark.
This coming program year will be Michael’s fourth year on the Shelby County Junior Fair Board, where she helps lead the Beef, Creative Arts, Rabbits and Special Interest departments. Michael is always one of the first to complete her tasks and takes her responsibilities very seriously. Her experience and knowledge have gained her respect from the other members, many of whom seek out her leadership when looking for answers.
“She is the one who catches things that commonly fall through the cracks when planning the Junior Fair,” said Dietrich.
• Maissen Akers, 18, Jackson Center, son of Dan and Christy Akers, Jackson Center High School, Progressive 4-H Club. He has been a 4-H member for nine years, where he has taken woodworking, welding, and a variety of poultry projects through the Progressive Livestock 4-H Club. Akers is also a member of the Jackson Center FFA chapter. Between the two organizations, Akers has led via multiple officer roles, including vice president, historian and student adviser. Furthermore, this coming program year will be Akers’ third year on the Shelby County Junior Fair Board, where he leads the Horse Department and helps with the Creative Arts and Arenas and Activities committees.
This year, Akers served as Junior Fair horse show ring steward, requiring him to spend numerous hours at the horse arena. He also helped manage the shows and teach the other Junior Fair board members how to work in the arena and announcer’s stand. The horse advisors praised his outstanding efforts, stating that it was one of the best years they had had in years. In addition, Akers single-handedly hired the horse judges and helped the Extension Office coordinate the PAS show.
“Because of the number of shows, horses is considered to be one of the more challenging departments on Junior Fair Board. However, Maissen saw the challenge as an opportunity and really worked hard to show that it’s not about the amount of work, but the way you approach the work that needs done,” said Dietrich.
Profiles for each Outstanding 4-H’er can be found out http://go.osu.edu/outstanding4Her.
