(L-R) Kellye Rembert, 4-H state leader, Laura Deas, Katelin Hinnant, Teneka Dixon, Lindsay Kyzer and Fran Wolak, Extension director.

DATE: 7/25/07

CONTACT: Susie Groomes, (864) 656-3848; sgrms@clemson.edu

WRITER: Diane Palmer, (864) 656-4741; spalmer@clemson.edu

Four women receive state’s top award for 4-H

CLEMSON - Four young women have won the top award given to 4-H’ers in South Carolina.Lindsay Kyzer of Saluda County, Laura Deas and Katelin Hinnant of York County and Teneka Dixon of Kershaw County each received a Clemson University Presidential Tray and a $1,000 scholarship at a recent awards banquet during State 4-H Congress at Clemson University.

Kyzer is a senior in high school where she is a member of her school’s varsity tennis and basketball teams. She plans to attend college and either become a pediatric nurse or a professional chef and open her own restaurant. She’s carrying on the family tradition as her two older sisters have won presidential tray awards.

She’s been a 4-H’ers since she was five years old. Foods and nutrition is her main project area and she volunteers at her church every year to prepare the meal for the children at the annual Easter egg hunt. She used her sewing skills to make wheelchair caddies for the local nursing home residents and uses her spring break to work in a homeless shelter making sandwiches and care bags for the homeless.

Kyzer helped start the first children’s Hispanic cooking class in her county. She taught them how to follow a recipe, the food pyramid and how to play food bingo that teaches about nutrition. She attended National 4-H Congress in Atlanta and National 4-H Conference in Washington, DC.

Deas, a homeschooler, has been a member of 4-H since she was nine years old. She has grown through her years with 4-H starting with the livestock judging class to helping a local pregnancy crisis center by painting rooms, donating baby items and sewing baby blankets.

As a member of her county’s 4-H supper club, she meets with other members each quarter to prepare a meal, with each preparing their own portion of food for the evening. Through her leadership experiences, she has learned to teach younger 4-H members the skills she has gained.

She says she enjoys community service. Her sewing club has made different projects and delivered them to a nursing home, her goat club has sent letters and necessities to soldiers in Afghanistan and her dairy club sets up and runs petting zoos for children to see farm animals.

Deas won the State 4-H Project Achievement award in 2005 for her work with livestock and completed the State 4-H Ambassador Training to learn new ways to promote 4-H in her community.

Hinnant has been a 4-H’er for seven years. She says she learned a lot about eating healthier foods and nutrition from her 4-H cooking class.

4-H soon became a family affair when her mother became a volunteer and started helping with researching recipes for different foods for competitions. She says meal times at her house has become more adventurous as she and her mom are always trying out new recipes together.

Her best 4-H experiences have come from community service projects. She says nothing surpasses the warm feeling you get from the smallest act of kindness you give to someone who needs help. She not only donated toys at a homeless shelter but she plays the piano at a local nursing home for the residents. She’s also sewn wheelchair tote bags for them.

Hinnant says she can always tell if a kid is involved in 4-H because their heart is always bigger.

Last year, Hinnant attended National 4-H Conference in Washington, DC. At the conference, the 4-H’ers were asked to submit ideas on what they thought would benefit 4-H in the future. One of her ideas was selected along with five others and was presented to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture as input on future plans for 4-H.

Dixon’s family consists of her parents, a sister, three dogs, four goats and three horses. She plans to major in biology at Winthrop and then attend dental school and become a dentist.

She’s been a 4-H’er since she was nine years old. She says 4-H has taught her public speaking skills, confidence and responsibility.

Dixon was named state winner of the horse project and is a member of the South Carolina High School Rodeo Association where she competes in breakaway roping and goat tying. She ranked second in the state for both of these events.

She serves as president of the 4-H club, vice president of the student body at her high school, secretary/treasurer of the Spanish Club and is a member of the Beta club and DeSassuare Tri-Hi-Y, which is a community service club.

Dixon participates in a special needs rodeo every year, collects books for a book drive that helps to prevent illiteracy and collects canned goods for families of soldier’s that are deployed overseas. She also attended National 4-H Congress.

The 4-H Presidential Trays are the highest honor a South Carolina 4-H'er can earn. With more than 6.8 million youth involved in 4-H nationwide, it is one of the country's most diverse organizations. Originally focused on agricultural projects, 4-H has expanded to support the needs and interests of young people into the 21st century. The 4-H program crosses all economic, racial and social barriers.

Local 4-H agents are youth development professionals who provide leadership in each county as a part of the nationwide Extension system, which is a partnership among USDA, state land-grant universities, local county governments, and the private sector.

To learn more about joining 4-H or becoming a volunteer, contact your local Clemson Extension office or visit the state 4-H web site at www.clemson.edu/4h.

END