Faulkner County teen wins Arkansas 4-H Governor's Award

By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Kacie Clark of El Paso is the third member of her family to be a finalist for the Arkansas 4-H Governor’s Award, and on July 24, she clinched the highest honor awarded in Arkansas 4-H and received a $3,000 scholarship.

WINNER — Kacie Clark of Faulkner County is the 2024 Arkansas 4-H Governor's Award winner. Left to right: John Thomas, managing director of the Arkansas 4-H Foundation; John D. Anderson, Cooperative Extension Service director; Debbie Nistler, assistant vice president for 4-H and youth development for the Division of Agriculture; Joel Anderson, chancellor emeritus of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and award sponsor; Kacie Clark; and Deacue Fields, vice president of the Division of Agriculture. (Division of Agriculture photo.) 

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Clark, 18, as the winner in a recorded message played during the Arkansas 4-H Awards of Excellence ceremony at the University of Arkansas.

More than 250 4-H members from across the state are convened on the campus for the annual Arkansas 4-H State O-Rama. During the week-long event, 4-H members elect new officers and participate in more than 30 competitive events, ranging from archery and ATV safety to public speaking, poultry judging and performing arts.

“I feel like I’m going out with a bang,” Clark said of her 13 years in 4-H. “I feel very honored. All of us have done so much in 4-H. Any one of the other finalists would have deserved it.”

Three other 4-H members were finalists for the award with Clark: Connor Henry of Arkansas County; Josiah Lillard of White County; and Zach Gardner of Washington County. They each received a $1,000 scholarship.

“All four of you have achieved amazing things for yourself and your communities,” Gov. Sanders said. “I’m proud of each of you.”

Finalists are chosen based on their accomplishments in leadership, citizenship, community service, 4-H projects and activities, and overall contributions to Arkansas 4-H. The four scholarships are sponsored by 4-H alumni Dr. Joel Anderson, chancellor emeritus of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The 4-H Governor’s Award winner’s silver tray is sponsored by former 4-H member and agent Darlene Millard.

A winning spirit

“I am struck by the level of passion and excitement each of our finalists demonstrated,” said Debbie Nistler, assistant vice president for 4-H and youth development for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “They are amazing examples of the spirit of 4-H, and Kacie truly embodies that spirit.”

Earlier Thursday, Clark competed in the performing arts vocal competition, singing “Deeper than the Holler” by Randy Travis. After she took her seat, she clapped and called out encouragement to her competitors. 

The 4-H way is to learn by doing through project work, and Clark has learned something new every year. On Thursday, she competed in interior design for the first time.

Clark joined 4-H when she was 5 years old, and she showed a pig at a county fair during her first year. She has had projects in healthy living, fine arts, performing arts-vocals, public speaking, forestry and poultry. She helped organize the first 4-H Food Challenge team to compete in culinary skills and has served as a 4-H camp counselor and a Teen Leader. For the past year, she has served as vice president on the 4-H State Officer Team.

Clark plans to attend Arkansas State University-Beebe this fall and then transfer to ASU-Jonesboro or the University of Arkansas to pursue a degree in agricultural business.

That doesn’t mean she’s done with 4-H. Clark said she plans to remain active in 4-H as a volunteer and wants to lead a Cloverbud Club in Faulkner County.

Clark’s two older brothers, Brent and Travis, both previously served as 4-H state presidents and were finalists for the Governor’s Award.

Shortly after Clark received the award, text messages began arriving from her family watching via livestream.

Her brother, Travis, texted his one-word congratulations: “Nice!”

To learn about 4-H, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit 4h.uada.edu.  

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. 

Hot Spring County teen wins Arkansas 4-H Governor’s Award

By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE – Hot Spring County teen Jack Berryhill’s term as president of Arkansas 4-H ended on a high note — with him receiving the Arkansas 4-H Governor’s Award, the highest honor awarded in Arkansas 4-H.

WINNER — Jack Berryhill of Hot Spring County is the 2023 Arkansas 4-H Governor's Award winner. UADA photo

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Berryhill, 18, as the winner on July 26 in a recorded message played during the Arkansas 4-H Awards of Excellence ceremony at the University of Arkansas. More than 250 4-H members from across the state spent the week on the Fayetteville campus competing in State 4-H O’Rama events, ranging from archery and ATV safety to public speaking and poultry judging.

“The Arkansas 4-H Governor’s Award is the highest honor a 4-H’er can receive,” Sanders said. “Each of our finalists has done fantastic work in their community and is setting themself up for a lifetime of service. Though only one can receive the award, all four of you have achieved amazing results for 4-H and the entire state of Arkansas.”

Berryhill received a $3,000 college scholarship, a silver tray, and his name will be added to a plaque on permanent display at the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center in Little Rock.

“I’m just incredibly honored and grateful,” he said after receiving the award.

Three other 4-H members were in the running for the top award — Laven Franklin of Madison County; Lani McClure of Pope County; and Ethan Wolcott of Sevier County. They each received a $1,000 scholarship.

“We had an exceptional group of finalists for our governor's scholarship this year. All four demonstrated a strong connection to their communities, amazing leadership skills, and an excitement for their futures,” said Debbie Nistler, assistant vice president for 4-H and youth development for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “I did not envy the judges having to make a decision. Jack Berryhill is an amazing example of our young people in Arkansas 4-H and did a wonderful job leading our officer team as president this year. Jack is passionate about mentoring other members and providing a positive example for others to follow.”

Selection is based on nominees’ accomplishments in leadership, citizenship, community service, 4-H projects and activities and overall contributions to Arkansas 4-H. The award is presented during the week-long Arkansas 4-H State O’Rama, when 4-H members also elect state officers for the next year. For Berryhill, receiving the Governor’s Award was the perfect end to his year as president.

Over the past year, Berryhill has promoted 4-H at events across the state, sharing his experiences and his message that “4-H is better when we’re in it together.”

That doesn’t mean he’s done though. Berryhill plans to be active in Collegiate 4-H at the University of Arkansas, where he will be a freshman his fall. He plans to major in poultry science and agricultural leadership – two areas in which he has gained skills and knowledge through 4-H.

“4-H completely put me on the path I’m on now,” he said. “I think I’d like to work for Extension one day.”

Berryhill, a Hot Spring County native, joined 4-H when he was 8. He started with an Animal Science project with chickens and rabbits but later switched to Foods and Nutrition and Leadership. He has been involved in 4-H at every level. At the county level, he showed chickens and rabbits, attended workshops, and worked on community service projects. At the district level, he competed in the Poultry BBQ Contest and O’Rama. At the state level, he worked as a 4-H camp counselor, a member of the Arkansas 4-H Video Crew and served as state president.

“Leadership has certainly been my biggest project, and it’s the one that means the most to me,” he said.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Four finalists await judges’ decision as Arkansas 4-H Governor’s Award marks 40 years

The four 2023 finalists for the Governor’s Award stand with U of Arkansas System President Donald R. Bobbitt and his wife Susan on the stairs of their home. From left, Lani McClure of Pope County; Laven Franklin of Madison County; Jack Berryhill of Hot Spring County, and Ethan Wolcott of Sevier County. The Bobbitts hosted the finalists for lunch. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Mary Hightower)

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — The Governor’s Award, the highest honor offered by the Arkansas 4-H program, is marking its 40th year as four finalists eagerly await the judges’ decision on who will be named the 2023 winner.

“The award was instituted in 1983 as a way to recognize one outstanding 4-H member each year,” said Shannon Caldwell, director of programs for the Arkansas 4-H Center.

Applicants must be former state record book winners and submit a current record book along with two letters of recommendation. Finalists are selected during record book judging and are interviewed, with the winner being determined at a separate judging event. A record book is a log that describes the work a member has done on a project and is an important part of 4-H.

The winner is announced at the annual State 4-H O-Rama, which starts July 25 this year and is held on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville.

“Each finalist exhibits an impressive scope of ‘making the best better’ through their 4-H work,” Caldwell said. “To quote one of the judges, ‘selecting one winner is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and I’ve made policies’.”

The finalists were recognized at a luncheon hosted by Donald R. Bobbitt, president of the University of Arkansas System, and his wife, Susan, following rounds of interviews with judges.

This year’s finalists are Jack Berryhill of Hot Spring County; Laven Franklin of Madison County; Lani McClure of Pope County and Ethan Wolcott of Sevier County.

Berryhill, 18, is the 2022-23 Arkansas 4-H state president and has represented Arkansas 4-H at the state Farm Bureau Convention and the American Farm Bureau Convention in Puerto Rico. He also facilitated a roundtable at the Southern Regional Teen Leader Conference in Tennessee. Berryhill has held many leadership positions in 4-H, been a Teen Star and state 4-H Ambassador. He was selected for the 4-H National Congress Youth Leadership team, which is responsible for leading all assemblies at the national congress. Berryhill is also a member of the Tech Changemaker program and is frequently seen at 4-H events working as part of the 4-H Video Crew. Berryhill also has an extensive record of community service.

Franklin, 17, has been part of the Arkansas 4-H program for 11 years. He enjoys music theory, plays the piano and guitar and also likes gardening. He has also started a robotics club and soon those simple club STEM projects turned into him fielding a remote-controlled submersible team for the SeaPerch competition. He teaches piano and leads his homeschool robotics club. Among his achievements were being the state 4-H robotics record book winner and his team placed second in the state SeaPerch competition. He spent 2022 learning JavaScript and C++ coding and was taking college trigonometry.

McClure, 18, has been a 4-H member since elementary school. She has served as state Ambassador, National 4-H Congress delegate and said she is ready and willing to encourage and advocate for Arkansas 4-H families. She is always looking for an opportunity to share her 4-H experience and encourage non-4-Hers to get involved. During her time as a national delegate, she spoke to more than 300 schoolchildren in Atlanta about 4-H.

She has used her skills in her main project areas from encouraging individual development in the fine arts, to leading painting workshops and digital art classes. She also organized and led sections of the Pope County 4-H Achievement Banquet in 2022.

Wolcott, 19, started in 4-H when he was 8. Since then, he’s been a Teen Star, 4-H Ambassador and won the Advanced Record Book competition in 2021. Wolcott has championed community service, especially to other youth and families. In 2022, he lent his energies to three new organizations that help families and youth: 100 Families, Breaking the Ties that Bind and You Matter. Over the last two years, Wolcott helped raise more than $72,200 for his community, just in Christmas projects alone. Wolcott was a finalist for the 2022 Governor’s Award and was inducted into the Arkansas 4-H Hall of Fame this year.

Judges for the 2023 Governor’s Award are Christina Breckenridge, Ed.D., chief of staff for the UA System vice president for agriculture; J. J. Pitman, C. A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center director and Desarae Nelson, Ed.D. TRIO Student Support Services director at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.du/. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.