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4-H Expo week comes to a close with awards banquet

by Russell Boone

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Students lead banquet attendees in reciting the 4-H pledge during closing ceremonies of the inaugural Fort Valley State University 4-H Expo at the C. W. Pettigrew Center on March 22.

Fort Valley State University’s 4-H Club members gathered at the C.W. Pettigrew Farm and Community Life Center on campus March 22 for the 4-H Expo closing ceremonies.

During the expo, held March 19-22, 4-H’ers created poster boards for competition exhibited in the lobby of the Pettigrew Center. Subject matter for the poster boards emphasized 4-H’s areas of healthy living, agriculture and Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

In addition to 4-H’ers earning honors for their posters at the event, FVSU 4-H sponsors received awards of appreciation for supporting the program.

Leslie Weaver, FVSU 4-H program coordinator, said she gets great satisfaction seeing students perform well in making presentations. “It shows me that they actually listen to our 4-H lessons and that they are developing rapidly in becoming a productive 4-H member,” Weaver said.

A table full of plaques, trophies and certificates that were given to award recipients during the 4-H Expo closing ceremonies March 22.

Madison Williams, a member of FVSU’s 4-H Club and an eighth-grader at Achieve Academy in Warner Robins, received a first place award for her poster about the food pyramid.

The Houston County eighth-grader said she decided to participate in FVSU’s 4-H Club because she thought it would be fun and interesting.  “I learned that our world does need a lot of help and everything is more complicated than I imagined,” Madison said. The teenager added she wants to become a pediatric nurse when she grows up.

Phillip Pettway, Fort Valley State University 4-H Twiggs County Extension agent (left) and Dr. Mark Latimore Jr., FVSU Extension administrator (right), present Madison Williams, an eighth-grader from Houston County, a first place award in poster competition during the closing ceremonies of 4-H Expo Week on March 22.

Roxanne Williams, Madison’s mother, says her daughter’s participation in FVSU’s 4-H Club is making her very proud and is helping the teenager improve in several areas. “She is eating healthy, and she has learned more about her surroundings and what’s happening in politics. She’s done a lot of research in the news, and she’s becoming more aware of her community,” Williams said.

Williams said she recommends parents encourage their children to participate in 4-H because it helps them grow and become aware of their surroundings.

For more information about FVSU’s 4-H Healthy Living Program, contact Weaver at (478) 825-6955 or email weaverl@fvsu.edu.

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