Wood County 4-H Awards 2021

Wood County 4-H Honors Members

Wood County 4-H honored their 4-H members at their annual Awards Ceremony on December 11, 2021 at the Wood County 4-H Camp. Wood County 4-H members received several awards and recognitions for outstanding project work, community service, and leadership in 2021.

Club Awards and Honors

American Brushpoppers 4-H Club received a blue ribbon, and Zoey Swisher and Layne Lockhart were honored as outstanding club members.

Belleville 4-H Club received a Club Award of Excellence, 1st Place National 4-H Week Exhibit, and Spencer Steele, Layton Sharpe, Jack Kinzy, Hollie Smith, and Austen Kinzy were honored as outstanding club members.

Fairview 4-H Club received a Club Award of Excellence and Josiah Swiger Olivia Smith were honored as outstanding club members.    

Lubeck Lucky Clovers 4-H Club received a blue ribbon, and Landyn Moles, Savannah Tice, Chase Breen, Camryn McLain, Dalton Dearth, and Erin Carmicle were honored as outstanding club members.

Rebels 4-H Club received a blue ribbon, and Remi Radcliff, Adyleigh Matheny, Mason Lewis, Emma Casto, Wyatt Eaton, and Emily Kent were honored as outstanding club members.

Sand Hill Explorers 4-H Club received a blue ribbon, and Jennessa Lewellyn, Lucas Lewellyn, Isaac Lent, and Hannah Lent were honored as outstanding club members.

Saulsbury 4-H Club received a blue ribbon, and Brayden Taylor and Jayla Riddle were honored as outstanding club members.

Woodchucks 4-H Club received a Club Award of Excellence and Kenzy Biddle, Kole Biddle, Skylar Hart, and Julia Bland were honored as outstanding club members.

 
Wood County 4-H Teen Leaders received a Club Award of Excellence, and Cameron Shore and Katie Daley were honored as outstanding club members.

Teen Leader Awards

4-H Teen Leaders are members of the county 4-H Teen Leader organization. Teen Leaders lead service projects and take on leadership activities in 4-H and serve as counselors at 4-H camps. Teen Leader Awards are selected based on annual county 4-H and community service and leadership records.

Emma Casto, Ali Evans, Shyanne Dearth, and Shayleigh Gard received their membership pins.

Erin Carmicle, Cate Evans, and Audrey Sundstrum received Achievement in Service awards, and Hope Prunty and Cyleigh Sampson received Outstanding Service awards for their 4-H and community service.

Byron Dearth and Jayden Dearth received Achievement in Leadership awards, and Tessa Prunty and Cameron Shore received Outstanding Leadership awards for their leadership in 4-H and the community.

Community Service Awards

Each year 4-H members give thousands of hours of service to their communities. Annual records of service are turned into the county WVU Extension office and those records are then used to determine awards and recognitions.

Jansen Dearth, Bonnie Lyons, Martin Sindledecker, and Malachi Sindledecker received Helping Hands ages 5- 10 certificates for their community service.

Erin Carmicle, Emma Casto, Byron Dearth, Jayden Dearth, Jordan Dearth, Shyanne Dearth, Ali Evans, Cate Evans, Shayleigh Gard, Zoey Gilmore, Whitney Griffith, Grace Hall, Jennessa Lewellyn, Lucas Lewellyn, Jayla Riddle, Jordan Riddle, Cameron Shore, Lily Sundstrom, Audrey Sundstrom, Josiah Swiger received a Making a Difference ages 11-15 certificate for their community service.

Emma Daley, Katie Daley, Dalton Dearth, Ambreia Griffith, Braydyn Griffith, Emily Kent, Hope Prunty, Tessa Prunty, Cyleigh Sampson, Austin Sponaugle, Alayna Wood received True Leaders in Service certificates ages 16-21 for their community service

Presidential Service Awards are issued on behalf of the President of the United States to recognize the best in American spirit, and to encourage all Americans to improve their communities through volunteer service and civic participation. Recipients receive a certificate, pin, and congratulatory letter from the president of the United States. Bronze, silver, and gold medals are awarded based on age and hours of service per year.

Byron Dearth, Cate Evans, Lily Sundstrom, Josiah Swiger, Hope Prunty, Austin Sponaugle, and Alayna Wood received the Bronze Presidential Service Award. Jaxon Swiger, Katie Daley, and Ambreia Griffith received the Silver Presidential Service Award. Martin Sindledecker, Malachi Sindledecker, Jayden Dearth, Erin Carmicle, Ali Evans, Whitney Griffith, Cameron Shore, Audrey Sundstrom, Braydyn Griffith, and Emily Kent received the Gold Presidential Service Award.

County Awards and Honors

County Awards are given for project and exhibit work, and community service and 4-H activity records.

116 youth exhibited projects in July at the first annual Wood County 4-H & FFA Summer Showcase. A complete list of award winners can be found at https://extension.wvu.edu/wood/4h/woodcuts/2021/08/05/wood-county-4-h-ffa-summer-showcase-awards-2021. Outstanding Showmanship and Best of Show winners are the top scoring youth in each project area.

Project Medals are awarded through an application process to 4-H members completing a minimum of two years in a project area. Project Medal recipients this year include Kole Biddle, Woodworking; Ali Evans and Katie Daley, Leadership; Ambreia Griffith, Financial Future; Martin and Malachi Sindledecker, Fishing.

Gold Project Pins are given to 4-H members who apply and complete two-three years in a project area, and a club, county and state visual presentation. Gold Project Pin recipient this year is Morgan Wicker, Swine.

Emma Casto and Ali Evans were awarded the Rising Star Award in recognition of their leadership potential and excellence in 4-H project work and community service. 

The Prudential Emerging Visionaries Award honors young people for outstanding volunteer service to their communities. More than a volunteer service award, the Prudential Award also looks at innovative ideas and the amount of leadership involved in the community service projects. Winners are chosen at the county level, and those winners represent the county at the state level, and then the state winners advance to national competition. Emily Kent was selected as Wood County’s Prudential Emerging Visionary for 2021. Emily was nominated for her outstanding service to the community and contributed hundreds of hours of time to the local Toys for Tots program, taking leadership for many toy drives, raising money, and serving as one of the program’s top representatives. Braydyn and Ambreia Griffith received merit recognition.

Emma Daley was honored with the Continuing Service and Leadership Award given to those who continue to lead and serve in the 4-H program beyond high school. Recipients of this award are graduates of the Teen Leader program and continue to serve as a mentor to others.

The I Dare You Award, also known as the National Leadership Award, recognizes extraordinary young leaders for their character and leadership potential. Dalton Dearth and Katie Daley were selected based on their 4-H service record, leadership, and activity records chronicling their 4-H careers.

4-H Royalty candidates complete a record of service, application, and references. An outside judge selects recipients solely based on their record of 4-H accomplishments. These individuals serve as ambassadors of the 4-H program for one year. Whitney Griffith, Princess; Josiah Swiger, Prince; Zane Taylor, King; Cyleigh Sampson, Queen.

State and National Awards and Honors

In 4-H, members can compete at the State and National levels, and participate in state, national and international leadership conferences. Wood County 4-H was well represented at the State and National levels this year with 68 blue ribbon still projects/posters/photos on display at the State Fair of WV.

State Poster Contest Winners were selected at the local level and competed in state competition. Winning blue and gold ribbon posters were on display at the State Fair of WV. Olivia Tice, Matthew Peck, Shayleigh Gard, and Conner Forshey all won blue ribbons. Brylee and Noah Forshey received gold ribbons for their posters. Josiah Swiger, red ribbon; Gavin Pigott, Ambreia Griffith, Jayden Dearth, and Josiah Swiger, white ribbons.  

State Photo Contest winners receiving blue ribbons and displayed at the State Fair of WV were Jade Ellison, Carter McLain, and Paul Smith.

State Dairy Poster Contest Winners were displayed at the West Virginia Dairy Cattle Show and Festival at WVU Jackson’s Mill. Jordan Dearth, blue ribbon; Alana Willis, red ribbon.

Blue ribbon project exhibits from Wood County that went to the State Fair included: Fishing: Martin Sindledecker and Gavin Pigott. My Hands to Larger Service: Audrey Sundstrom, Lily Sundstrom, and Hope Prunty. Cooking: Isabella Bland, Zoey Gilmore, Grace Hall, Cate McLain, Camryn McLain, Jayla Riddle, and Jordan Riddle. Teen Cuisine: Isaac Blair and Remington Blair. This is 4-H: Kenzy Biddle, Bonnie Lyons, Jansen Dearth, Emma Fisher, Brylee Forshey, Sara Stoneking, and Olivia Tice. Self-Determined: Layne Lockhart, Jordyne Lockhart, Jayden Flinn, Cierra Richter, and Paul Smith. Know Your State: Lucas Lewellyn and Carter McLain. Veterinary Science: Grace Hall. Beef: Lily Skinner and Owen Skinner. Swine: Lily Skinner, Owen Skinner, and Conner Forshey. Meat Goat: Sara Stoneking. Horse: Kyra Bell. Woodworking: Kole Biddle and Braydyn Griffith. Trapping: Noah Forshey. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Camryn McLain. Trees: Josiah Swiger; Entomology: Josiah Swiger. Leadership: Byron Dearth, Jayden Dearth, Ali Evans, Dalton Dearth, Cate Evans, and Katie Daley. Finance: Ambreia Griffith. Sewing: Emma Daley, Jordan Dearth, Shyanne Dearth, Shayleigh Gard, and Cate McLain. Exploring 4-H: Josiah Swiger and Jennessa Lewellyn. Art: Ambreia Griffith.

Morgan Wicker received a county blue ribbon and a red ribbon for the state 4-H competition for her swine project visual presentation titled, “Everything but the Squeal.”

Josiah Swiger was honored at the state level for his Entomology project exhibit. His project was selected by the West Virginia Entomological Society for this year’s student prize.

Teen Leaders from Wood County attended the virtual National 4-H Healthy Living Summit this year. Katie Daley, Audrey and Lily Sundstrom, Erin Carmicle, Mallory Marks, Cyleigh Sampson, and Hope Prunty all represented Wood County and West Virginia, and along with other members from the state were selected to receive a $1,000 grant to host a teen mental health conference this spring.