Information and photos provided by Purdue Extension Pulaski County
We would like to recognize the following members who have completed ten years of 4-H which shows characteristics of commitment, effort and support that will enable them to succeed in life and become the leaders of tomorrow. We hope 4-H has helped prepare them for their futures. We also congratulate and recognize those members who are in their last eligible year of 4-H for their achievements and wish them the best as they, and the 10 year members, join the ranks of the 4-H alumni.
Ten Year Members
Melissa Bailey, daughter of Glenn and Dawn Bailey, is a member of the Monroe Happy Hoosiers 4-H Club. She plans to attend the University of Indianapolis and study physical therapy and exercise science. Her favorite memories of 4-H are participating in battle of the barns and taking care of animals. Melissa’s most embarrassing moment of 4-H was when her pig relieved itself right into her boot while she was standing behind her. Her favorite project is sewing because it allows her to express herself through fashion. Her advice for the younger 4-H members is don’t procrastinate!
Dalton Button, son of Jason and Monica Potthoff, is a member of the Indian Creek Indians 4-H Club. He plans to attend Marian University to study engineering. The funniest and most embarrassing memory in 4-H for Jason is when he got ran over by a pig. His favorite project is swine because he likes pigs. His advice for younger 4-H members is that you shouldn’t wait until the last minute for your projects. Responsibility is one of the many skills acquired through 4-H that Jason will continue to use in the future.
Kayleen Button, daughter of Melvin and Karen Button, is a member of the Beaver Township 4-H Club. Her future plans are to go out west and pursue a career in horse training. Some of Kayleen’s hobbies are riding and training horses, hunting mushrooms, and fishing. Her favorite memories of 4-H were the days spent at the fair with her family. Her best advice for the younger 4-H members is to always start your projects early and only take the things you enjoy doing. Knowing how to start a plan and to follow through with it is one skill that Kayleen has acquired through 4-H and will use in the future.
Lane Button, son of Todd Button and Brenda Walters, is a member of Horse & Pony 4-H Club.He really enjoys the contesting aspect of horse and pony. He received the Joe Krulik Award in 2009.
Dalton Daily, son of Bob and Kate Daily, is a member of the Van Buren 4-Leafers 4-H Club. His future plans are to attend Purdue University and study to become a history teacher. Dalton’s hobbies are running, disc golf, 4-H, occasionally play game win real money and music. His favorite memory of 4-H is winning Jr. Showmanship two years in a row. Swine is his favorite project because the level of competition makes it rewarding. Rising to the challenge of all the hard work in 4-H will allow him to meet the challenge of hard work in all areas of life.
Caylin Duffy, daughter of Sandy Hurd, is a member of the Harrison Hustlers 4-H Club. Her future plans are to attend Ivy Tech in Lafayette and major in business management. Playing “kemps” in the tack pen and winning 4-H Royalty are some of her favorite memories. The funniest thing that has happened to Caylin is when she let her pig out and it started running up and down the aisles. Some advice for the younger 4-H members is to take as many projects as possible, but don’t procrastinate.
Parker Fox, son of Angie and Darrell Fox, is a member of the Indian Creek Indians 4-H Club. While in 4-H, he has completed projects such as swine, beef starter calf, shooting sports, dairy starter calf, and woodworking.
Nicole Heims, daughter of Jeffrey and Rhonda Heims, is a member of the Monroe Happy Hoosiers 4-H Club. Her future plans are to attend Ivy Tech to study business management and criminal justice. Then, she plans to proceed to the police academy to become a state trooper. Swine is her favorite project because it allows you to be at the fair every day with people you know. Some of her memories include accidently feeding a goat a hot wing and a certain button down shirt while barrel racing her horse Annie. Some advice for the younger 4-H members is that 4-H is a great way to get to know your community and to learn responsibility.
Trevor Hopkins, son of Johnny Hopkins and Vickie Grigsby, is a member of the Franklin Farmers 4-H Club. His plan for the future is to attend college to pursue a career in law enforcement. His favorite project is poultry because they have great personalities among other things. The funniest thing that has happened to him in 4-H is when his rooster started doing the bopping dance for the judge. Some advice for the younger 4-H members is that every problem has a solution, just keep working on it and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Brent Keller, son of Bob and Jenny Keller, is a member of the Monroe 76’ers 4-H Club. His future plans are to continue working and possibly attend college for diesel mechanics at a later time. His favorite project is swine because he likes working with them and getting them ready for show day. The funniest thing that happened in 4-H is when his pig got in the show ring and went nuts, running all over the arena. One of his favorite memories of 4-H is when the fair gets started and the milkshake stand opens. Brent’s advice to younger 4-H members is to really get involved. You will learn a lot about responsibility, meet new people, and it is a lot of fun.
Jaylen Kruger, daughter of Gary and Tish Kruger, is a member of the Beaver Township 4-H Club. Her future plans are to attend Tricoci University of Beauty Culture in Lafayette. Her favorite memory of 4-H was winning Supreme Champion heifer. The funniest thing that happened to Jaylen was when she was at the wash racks, she accidently turned on the wrong faucet and the hose shot up and soaked her. Her favorite project is cake decorating because you can add lots of creative stuff to the cake. Her advice to younger 4-H member is do not procrastinate and give yourself plenty of time to complete your projects.
Emily Newman, daughter of David and Jean Newman, is a member of the Van Buren 4-Leafers 4-H Club. Her future plans are to attend the University of Evansville and major in Archaeology. Her favorite project is foods because she loves to cook and some of the recipes are challenging. The most embarrassing thing that happened to her was tripping in a puddle at the fair. Some skills that Emily has acquired through 4-H that she will continue to use in the future are cooking and the determination to finish a project to the best of her ability.
Mary Pierce, daughter of Jim and Peggy Pierce, is a member of the Salem Superstars 4-H Club. Her future plans are to attend Indiana Wesleyan University in the fall and major in Music Therapy. Her favorite project is poultry because you get to witness the whole process from an egg to a beautiful chicken. Mary’s funniest memory in 4-H was trying to get her pig to the wash rack and it kept turning around and running past her and her dad. Her advice to the younger 4-H members is that winning isn’t everything. The plaque or the trophy looks nice for a while, but it is the memories and people that mean the most.
Thomas Putt, son of Mike and Donna Putt, is a member of the Salem Superstars 4-H Club. His plans for the future are to attend Purdue while studying technology and farm with his dad. Some of his hobbies are hunting, playing the guitar, and diesel trucks. The best parts of 4-H according to Thomas are fitting steers, milkshakes, and food in general. The funniest and the most embarrassing moment was losing his cow in the ring. Some advice for the younger 4-H members is to not bite off more than you can chew. One of his greatest honors received was Reserve Grand Champion in Electric.
Taylor Tripenfeldas, daughter of John and Colleen Tripenfeldas, is a member of the Monroe Happy Hoosiers 4-H Club. In the future she would like to attend Indiana University- Kokomo and major in Elementary Education. Her favorite project is crafts because she can demonstrate her creativity. Tipping over the canoe at 4-H camp was Taylor’s funniest and most embarrassing moment of 4-H. Her advice to the younger members of 4-H would be that procrastination is not your best friend. The greatest honors she has received were all the Grand Champions on projects that went down to state and earned a blue.
Donna Zehner, daughter of Greg and Mary Zehner, is a member of Tippecanoe Industrious 4-H Club. She plans to attend Alverno College. The hobbies she enjoys the most are playing basketball, being outdoors, and working. Her favorite project is sewing because this allows her to make cute outfits with stunning fabrics at a reasonable price. Some advice for the younger 4-H members is to take as many projects as possible because you never know how much fun a project can be. Her greatest honor she has received has been being a part of the 4-H Royalty Court. Being organized is one of the skills she has learned from 4-H that she will continue to use throughout life.
Other Last Year Members
Olivia Boisselier, daughter of John and Beverly Boisselier, is a 3rd year member of the Monroe 49’ers 4-H Club. Her future plans are to attend Indiana University and major in pre-medicine. Her favorite project is gift wrapping because it reminds her of Christmas. Most embarrassing moment for Olivia was when she tried to leave a meeting early, she tripped and landed on her face. Her favorite memory of 4-H was being on the 4-H Council for Jr. Leaders. Best advice to younger 4-H members is that when you get involved, go for the leadership side of 4-H. Come up with service projects and give 110%.
Stephanie Crist, daughter of Sandy and Keith Crist, is a 6th year member of the Franklin Farmers 4-H Club. Her plans for the future are to major in nursing at Ancilla and play golf. The funniest thing she remembers the most about 4-H is when her dog drug her around the obstacle course. Her favorite project is dogs because she enjoys seeing her dog’s progress with behavior at home and when competing. Stephanie has learned a lot about hard work and responsibility while in 4-H.
Zachary Davis, son of Terry and Christina Davis, is a 6th year member of the Cass White Post Lucky Clovers 4-H Club. He will be attending college to study agricultural engineering and then pursue an agricultural pilot’s license. His favorite memory of 4-H was the club’s Christmas parties where they would play musical gift exchange. His funniest memory was in small engines when the emergency shut off didn’t work, so everyone started to panictill the spark plugs were pulled. Aerospace is Zachary’s favorite project because he gets to build an extremely complex model. Paying attention to details and dates so as not to miss something important is a skill that he has acquired from 4-H that he will continue to use throughout his life.
Mackenzie Howard, daughter of Tom and Ann Howard, is a member of the Monroe 76’ers 4-H Club. She will be attending Indiana University Kokomo to study radiology and ultrasound. The funniest thing that happen in 4-H was when she saw a pig eating a pack of cigarettes. One of the most embarrassing moments is when she dropped her phone into a water bucket. Her favorite project is swine because it is a way for her and her brother to bond. The best advice to the younger 4-H members is to do your best and work hard, it will eventually pay off. Some skills that have been acquired through 4-H are patience, working with others, and the desire to never give up.
Taelor McClure, daughter of Jennifer Flores and Jim McClure, is a 4th year member of the Van Buren 4-Leafers 4-H Club. Her future plans are to attend IPFW and major in Early Childhood Education with a minor in special education. Her favorite project is showing cows. Emily’s funniest and most embarrassing moment is when her cow got loose and they found him tied up at the other end of the barn. Some things that she has learned from 4-H are time management and responsibility. One of her greatest honors is receiving Grand Champion in a dairy steer starter calf class.
Ryker Redweik, son of Karla and Daniel Kreamer, is a member of the Harrison Hustlers 4-H Club. His plans for the future are to continue working and attend college at a later time. His hobbies include swimming, being outdoors, and playing video games. His fondest memories of 4-H include all the group events that he attended. His favorite project is photography because his mom is a photographer and by working with her, he now has a better understanding of it. The greatest honor in received was Grand Champion in shooting sports. Some advice that he is leaving with the younger 4-H members is that you shouldn’t procrastinate.
Amber Thompson, daughter of Liz McClure and Jim Thompson, is a 5th year member of the Van Buren 4-Leafers 4-H Club. Her future plans are to attend Purdue University and study veterinary medicine. One of her funniest memories of 4-H is when a pig ran through her legs taking her for a ride. Her favorite project is any that deals with animals because she loves them. Advice to younger 4-H members is that it is not all about the competition. Have fun and make friends. Time management and leadership are the skills that Amber has learned throughout 4-H that she will continue to use.
