Wayne 4-Hers to get scholarships at fair
- Laurie Sidle, OSU Extension Wayne Co.
- September 6, 2024
- 248
Fifteen Wayne County 4-Hers were awarded $10,000 in scholarships at the Wayne County Fair based on their 4-H experience, community activities and scholastic achievements.
Set to receive the General 4-H Scholarship were Anna Hovest, Lilee Mullen, Briar Muller and Cole Walenciak. The presentation will be prior to the junior fair swine auction at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12 in the event center.
Hovest is the daughter of Andrew and Carrie Hovest of Rittman and a College of Wooster student majoring in archaeology with a primary interest in geology. A 13-year member of Sterling 604 Rangers, she served as a club officer, a junior leader and junior camp counselor. Her projects included rabbits, sewing, canning, photography and cake decorating. She was selected to compete at the state fair with her cake decorating project.
Mullen, the daughter of Chad and Angie Mullen of Wooster, is a Triway High School graduate and a member of the Wayne County Hoof ‘N’ Hide 4-H Club. She served as a club officer, junior leader and member of Wayne County Junior Fair royalty. She was the 2023 Wayne County Fair queen and served as the rabbit and poultry superintendent for three years. Her rabbit projects earned her Showman of the Day awards.
Muller is the son of Chad and Christina Muller of Creston and a graduate of Norwayne High School. He was an eight-year member of Canaan Country Cousins and served as a junior fair board member and club officer. His swine and meat turkey projects taught him how to take care of and raise an animal, as well as many life lessons. He served as an officer in the Norwayne FFA chapter.
Walenciak, the son of Clint and Deanna Walenciak of Wooster, is a Wooster High School graduate. A 10-year 4-Her, Walenciak has excelled with his livestock projects, earning Outstanding Exhibitor and champion awards. He also had a state fair qualifying exhibit about World War II.
The F. Doyle Findley Scholarship will be presented to Mason Johnson and Raelana Moore. This scholarship is given in memory of former Wayne County 4-H agent Doyle Findley and honors academic achievement and commitment to livestock projects.
Moore, the daughter Angie and Andy Moore of Burbank, is a freshman at Malone University. A nine-year 4-Her, she was president of the Canaan Hoof ‘N’ Hide 4-H Club, served on junior fair board, and was an Ohio State Fair exhibitor and junior camp counselor. She has earned top 10 honors and showmanship awards with her steers. Moore will receive her scholarship prior to the beef auction at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12 in the event center.
Johnson will receive his scholarship prior to the market auction at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11 in the event center. He is the son of Russ and Molly Johnson and a freshman at OSU ATI. A graduate of Smithville High School, he was a 13-year 4-Her who served as an officer in his club and was a member of junior fair board, junior leaders, junior fair royalty and the livestock judging team.
Johnson’s projects included sheep, and he has raised and exhibited purebred Hampshire and Tunis sheep. A highlight of his 4-H career was working alongside his sister and other 4-Hers and learning from coaches on the livestock and meats judging team. Working with the livestock team helped him gain life skills such as public speaking, decision making, organizing reasons to defend his decisions and working with a group.
Two Wayne County 4-H/FFA Beef Committee Scholarships also will be awarded prior to the beef auction to Sarah Armstrong and Haley Caldwell.
Armstrong is the daughter of Mark and Jody Armstrong of Wooster. She is a Norwayne High School graduate and a nine-year 4-Her. She served as an officer in the Canaan Country Cousins, exhibited market beef projects, and earned reserve and grand champion awards for her carcass steer entries. She also has taken still projects and earned Outstanding Exhibitor for market lamb and beef projects.
Caldwell is the daughter of Jessica and John Gerspacher of West Salem. She is a nine-year 4-Her and earned grand and reserve champion honors for her beef projects. She also has taken market lambs, rabbit and dairy feeder projects.
The 4-H/FFA Dairy Committee Scholarship will be presented to Kelly Hawvermale, Cowen McKelvey and Audrey Sidle prior to the dairy products auction at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11 in the Coliseum.
Hawvermale is the daughter of John and Donna Hawvermale of Wooster and a freshman at Muskingum University. A 13-year 4-Her, Hawvermale earned state and national honors for her dairy heifer and cow projects. She also took market goat, dairy feeder calf and sewing projects.
McKelvey is a graduate of Wayne County Schools Career Center and Waynedale High School. He is the son of Matt and Tonya McKelvey of Fredericksburg. A nine-year 4-Her, he served as an officer in Basically Bovine 4-H Club and earned champion honors with his dairy cattle and beef projects. The 4-H program has provided him a way to meet others who share his passion for livestock.
Sidle is the daughter of Beth and John Matty of Smithville. She is a Smithville High School graduate and nine-year 4-Her. She has been a junior leader; member of the junior fair board, livestock judging team and Dairy Quiz Bowl; and an Ohio State Fair exhibitor. She has earned county and state champion honors for her dairy cow projects. She’s also shown market lambs and chickens. Sidle was the 2021 Wayne County Senior Dairy ambassador, and this year she represented Ohio at the National Holstein Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Olivia Rusmisel was selected to receive the Pat Kanehl Memorial Scholarship, given in memory of dedicated 4-H volunteer Pat Kanehl to honor a 4-H member’s leadership skills and strong equine background. Her scholarship will be presented prior to the market auction on Wednesday.
Rusmisel is the daughter of Thad and Sarah Rusmisel and is a freshman at the University of Cincinnati. She is enrolled online so she can continue to show her horses. An eight-year member of Horses ‘R’ Us, she has shown her horse Stewie throughout her 4-H career. Her favorite memory with her horse was winning showmanship at the Wayne County Fair in 2023. She has captured western, English and Champion of Champion of Showmanship awards. She has multiple championship titles from the Ohio State Fair.
Wayne County Bake Auction scholarships will be awarded to Cameron Carr and Kayla Lawson at the bake auction on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 6 p.m. in the event center.
Carr is the son of Art and Jennifer Carr of Wooster and a 10-year member of 4-H. He has been an officer for the Smithie Whiz Kids and a junior leader, attended Buckeye Leadership Workshop, and has been an Ohio State Fair exhibitor. He was a state fair representative with his small engines and woodworking projects. Carr also has shown pig projects at the state fair.
Lawson is the daughter of Kevin and Kari Lawson of Dalton and a Tuslaw High School graduate. She is a 10-year member of Dalton Equestrian and More 4-H Club and served as an officer in her club, as a junior leader, on the junior fair board, as a CARTEENS leader, as an Ohio State Fair exhibitor and as an Ohio 4-H Teen Leadership Council member. She has earned champion honors and showmanship and horsemanship awards for her livestock and horse projects. She also competed at the state fair with her cooking, sewing and dog projects.
Winner of the Dianne Hange Scholarship is McKenna Baney, daughter of Jamie Young and Michael Baney. She is a Waynedale High School graduate and an 11-year 4-Her. She has been a junior camp counselor, junior fair board member, junior leader and a member of the livestock judging team. Her livestock projects earned her champion honors and Outstanding Market Exhibitor awards at the local, state and national levels. Raising and showing market rabbits, lambs, steers, dairy goats and beef breeding cattle has helped her develop good work ethic and communication skills. She enjoys helping younger members fit their livestock projects. She also received an outstanding for a sewing project.
Hange will present Baney the scholarship prior to the bake auction.