Kendall County 4-H honors youth experiences, achievements

Note: The annual Kendall County 4-H Achievement Night news will be published in multiple segments. Please look for more youth awards and volunteer recognition in later issues.

Each year, Kendall County 4-H members earn scholarships and awards for their project work, leadership and community service through the 4-H program. The 2020 recipients were honored through virtual recognition in place of the annual in-person 4-H Achievement Night celebration.

“All of these 4-H members demonstrate the true spirit of 4-H, using their heads, hearts, hands and health to create a better world,” Kim Eisnaugle, Kendall County 4-H program coordinator, said. “We are proud of these young people and we are honored that our communities recognize their efforts and support them.”

The 2020 scholarship and award honorees include:

• Brayden Caraynoff-Huber of Minooka 4-H + 1H: He earned the $1,000 Marilyn & Herman Hanouw Memorial Scholarship from the Kendall County 4-H Foundation; the Clara Miller Memorial Achievement Award from the Kendall County 4-H Foundation; the A. Stephen Paydon Memorial Leadership Award, sponsored by Diane Becker, Martha Pranga, Anita Drinkall and Linda Muehling; and the McEachern-Biffi Intercultural Award, sponsored by Joan McEachern, for outstanding project work and cultural studies.
• Lizzy Franzen of Barn and Beyond 4-H Club: She earned the Johanna Vandermeer Memorial Home Economics Scholarship for $1,000, given by the Vandermeer family.

• Lydia Oker of the Millbrook Mighty Ones 4-H Club: She earned the $1,000 Sylvia Gabel-Pletcher Memorial Scholarship, sponsored Terry Gabel and Pat Norr, for overall merit, need and achievement; the Rushton Memorial Citizenship Award, sponsored by Mrs. Ruth Satorius, for all-around citizenship in 4-H at school and in the community; and the Doser Family Memorial Award, sponsored by the Doser family, for achievement in visual arts and/or horticulture.

• Emily Reppy from Seward Kids & Critters: She was awarded the $500 Kendall County 4-H Recreation Fund Scholarship from the Kendall County 4-H Foundation.

• Sydney Reppy from Seward Kids & Critters: She earned the Rebhorn Memorial Scholarship of $500 given by the Kendall County 4-H Foundation and Rebhorn family.

Additional 4-H award winners are:

• The Monkemeyer Memorial First-Year Achievement Award was earned by Eli Swenson of Lisbon Town and Country for excellence and participation.
• Secretary of the Year went to Madisyn Glenn of Stagecoach Trailblazers 4-H Club for excellent attendance records and meeting minutes. It is sponsored by the Kendall County 4-H Foundation.
• The Treasurer of the Year Award, sponsored by Heartland Bank & Trust, went to Zachary Zabel of Lisbon Town and Country. The award is based on neatness, completeness, and accuracy of the club treasury book.
• The Beef Award given by the Kendall-Grundy Beef Association and the Kendall County 4-H Foundation went to Brooklyn Wallin of the Dream Catchers 4-H Club.
• Landon Pennington of Lisbon Town and Country earned three agricultural awards: the Kendall County Pork Producers Swine Award; the Knutson Memorial Livestock Award, which is given by the Kendall County 4-H Foundation and the Jerry Knutson family; and the Nelson Memorial Agriculture Award.

Experience Awards

At the end of each 4-H program year, 4-H members may complete the Experience Level Recognition form. Members document the experiences they accomplished during the year in four dimensions: participation, community service, leadership and project learning. There also are areas for club, county, multicounty, state and national experiences.

“Illinois 4-H challenges youth to try new things, experiment in project areas they may enjoy and explore opportunities around the state and country,” said Eisnaugle.

For the 2019-20 4-H year, Kendall County 4-H members earned gold, silver or bronze status, or submitted to the state office for emerald or diamond status.

• Emerald award: Brayden Caraynoff-Huber of Minooka, Julian Heidrich and Sofie Heidrich of Oswego, Lydia Oker of Sandwich, and Emily Reppy and Sydney Reppy of Yorkville.
• Diamond award: Abigail Munar of Plano.
• Gold award: Maura O’Brien of Minooka and Ava Rittgers of Yorkville.
• Silver award: Bailey Brummel of Sandwich, Leah Burscheid of Sandwich, Landon Pennington of Yorkville, Abigail Quast of Minooka, and Brooklyn Wallin of Newark.
• Bronze award: Zoey Burscheid of Sandwich, Kerri and Rachel Dickson of Bristol, Madisyn Glenn of Oswego, and Elizabeth and Nathanael Vickery of Bristol.

Project Records

Individuals Who Earned Pins for Project Records: Bailey Brummel of Sandwich, foods pin; Leah Burscheid of Sandwich, interior design pin; Madisyn Glenn of Minooka, horticulture and poultry pins; Elizabeth Vickery of Yorkville, visual arts pin; Brooklyn Wallin of Newark, beef, clothing, foods and swine pins; Carter Westphal of Newark, swine pin; Lily Westphal of Newark, foods, photography, and swine pins; and Trevor Westphal of Newark, dog, photography, and swine pins.

Other Individuals Who Completed Project Records (may be working toward pins or already have earned pins in previous years): Zoey Burscheid of Sandwich; Brayden Caraynoff-Huber and Kerri and Rachel Dickson of Bristol; Landon Pennington, Annabelle Reeder and Nathanael Vickery of Yorkville; Lane Rohrer of Leland; and Anna Wennmacher of Plano.

First-year Members: (by club) Aces Squad – Colton, Cooper, and Kennedy Crouthamel, Agatha Elzerman, Ethan Fleming, Ben and Drew McKittrick, and Anne Marie Wolski; Barn and Beyond – Ephraim Fisher, Brendan Massey, Marcella Schultz and Rhen Staudacher; Kendall County Country Kids – Brayden, Kellen and Lexi Brummel, Clayton Christian, Ronnie Johnson, Sofia Okapal, and Ellie and Finley Winter; Lisbon Town and Country – Aria Sansone, Zadie Bleuer, Jaxson Getz, Elijah Swenson, and Madelyn Thomas; Little Rockets – Zoey Burscheid, Ximena Del Toro and Anna Wennmacher; Millbrook Mighty Ones – Alexis Steininger, Ambrose, Joseph and Peter Yonke; Minooka 4-H + 1 – H – Hannah, Josiah and Noah Aguado, Madelynn Cozzi, and Abigail and Jackson Polcyn; Nothin’ But Country – Clair Anderson and Natalie Walsh; Renegades, Rebels & Rogues – Leah Dern and Sawyer Holston; Rockin’ KCs – Nataly Rivera; Stagecoach Trailblazers – Eunhan Park and Ryan Kuhn; and The Dream Catchers – KateLynn Richardson.

The Kendall County Association for Home and Community Education (HCE) provided a felt banner for 4-H pins to each 4-H member in the first year of the foods or clothing projects. Those members (by club) are for Clothing, Marilyn and Kelsey Morel of Kendall County Country Kids and for Foods: Clair Anderson of Nothin’ But Country; Abby and Emma Hohmann, and Katie Miller of The Dream Catchers.

2020 graduates: Lizzy Franzen of Barn and Beyond, Mason Kellogg of Boots, Blue Jeans & Bows, Elly Kuhn of Millbrook Mighty Ones, Evelyn Martin of Martin family, Karoline Stewart of Barn & Beyond, Rachel Testin of Nothin’ But Country, Joseph Weissensel of Millbrook Mighty Ones, Kyle Westphal of Kendall County Country Kids and Zach White of Kendall County Country Kids.

4-H Teen Federation Members: Jessica Carlson, Brayden Caraynoff-Huber, William Davis, Julian and Sofie Heidrich, Gianna and Marcus Motchnik, Lydia Oker, Emily Reppy, Sydney Reppy and Ava Rittgers.

Club Recognition

• Illinois 4-H Club/Group State Award Winners: Little Rockets 4-H Club and Seward Kids and Critters 4-H Club.
• The Award of Excellence Patch from the Illinois 4-H Program has been awarded to Kendall County Country Kids; Little Rockets; Millbrook Mighty Ones; Minooka 4-H + 1H; Renegades, Rebels and Rogues; Seward Kids and Critters; Stagecoach Trailblazers and The Dream Catchers.
• The Progress Award Patch from the Illinois 4-H Program goes to clubs that meet or exceed 75% of their goals. Recipients include Little Rockets, Millbrook Mighty Ones, Minooka 4-H + 1H, Stagecoach Trailblazers and The Dream Catchers.
• 4-H International Activity: The Illinois IFYE Association offers club certificates for clubs/groups who participate in intercultural activities. Clubs include Seward Kids & Critters.

University of Illinois Extension extends congratulations and thanks to our 4-H youth, volunteers and supporters. For full 2020 4-H Achievement Night program, visit uofi.box.com/v/2020Kendall4HAchievements.