Fulton County 2025 4-H Seniors

Years in 4-H: 10 years with Henry Hardy Farmers 4-H Club

Favorite Project: Sportfishing 

Favorite 4-H Memories: Showing sheep at the Indiana State Fair

What has 4-H meant to you: I've enjoyed the opportunity to learn new things 

Future plans: Attend Kentucky Welding Institute 

Parents/Guardians: Scott and Kim Backus 

Years in 4-H: 10 years with Fulton County Horse & Pony 4-H Club 

Favorite Project: Arts and Crafts

Favorite 4-H Memories: Water fight that we have every year during fair week.

What has 4-H meant to you:4-H has allowed me to grow and enjoy showing more and more it also has allowed me to make new friends and learn different things. 

Future plans: Online college with Fort Hays State University studying AG Business

Parents/Guardians: Tara Koebcke, Josh Bays 

Years in 4-H: 10 years with Burton Busy Bees 4-H Club 

Favorite Project: Construction Blocks (airplane - won Reserve Grand Champion) and all my photos which enabled me to capture different elements for photography. 

Favorite 4-H Memories: My favorite 4-H memory was watching and participating in Farmers Olympics each year 

What has 4-H meant to you: 4-H has enabled me to be creative and think in new and unique ways in order to get the perfect angle or picture for my projects. It has also allowed me to interact and get to know numerous individuals in my community throughout the years and during fair week. 

Future plans: I plan to go to IU Bloomington and become a Pediatric or ER Nurse. 

Parents/Guardians: Aaron and Rebecca Bolinger 

Years in 4-H: 10 years with Henry Hardy Farmers 4-H Club 

Favorite Project: Sheep and Dog 

Favorite 4-H Memories: Winning Grand Champion with my dog Zoe

What has 4-H meant to you: I have learned a lot such as life skills, social skills, and I have found out a lot about myself through 4-H. 4-H has also help me make life time friends and I can always go to anyone at Fulton County if I ever need help.

Future plans: Attend University of Wyoming to major in Animal Science. 

Parents/Guardians: David and Brandi Bussard 

Years in 4-H: 10 years with the Horse & Pony 4-H Club 

Favorite Project: 

Favorite 4-H Memories: Performing the school fight song with my color guard flag as a club demonstration. Having a water fight 2 years ago in the morning during fair week with most of the kids.  

What has 4-H meant to you: Being able to spend time with friends and make a connection with my animals. 

Future plans: Attend Depauw University for Paleontology 

Parents/Guardians: Kristin Marchlik, Casey Coble 

Years in 4-H: 8 years with Fulton County Bullseye 4-H Club 

Favorite Project: 

Favorite 4-H Memories: 

What has 4-H meant to you:

Future plans: 

Parents/Guardians: Jeremy and Jasmine Conley 

Years in 4-H: 6 years with Burton Busy Bees 4-H Club 

Favorite Project: Sewing (non-wearables) 

Favorite 4-H Memories: Every year Junior Leaders does a 4-H camp and I love seeing all the smiles on the kids!! 

What has 4-H meant to you: 4-H has meant a lot to me because I've been able to make new bonds with kids around my age and get to experience wonderful lessons with all my close friends. 

Future plans: Attend Indiana University-Kokomo to study Elementary Education. 

Parents/Guardians: Nathen and Megan Darling 

Years in 4-H: 10 years with Henry Hardy Farmers 4-H Club 

Favorite Project: Showing my goats

Favorite 4-H Memories: Winning 1st place with my doe goat 

What has 4-H meant to you:4-H has taught me to raise livestock from the ground up, and take care of them until the end. 

Future plans: I want to live on a farm with lots of animals and a husband and kids. 

Parents/Guardians: Nathan and Nichole Foxworth 

Years in 4-H: 10 years with Richland Clodhoppers/Never Give Up 4-H Club 

Favorite Project: Beef and Swine 

Favorite 4-H Memories: Making it into the Grand Drive for Beef last year

What has 4-H meant to you:4-H has been a place for me to connect and build friendships with other kids with similar interest as myself. 4-H has been a program that balances fun and education. 

Future plans: Attend college for Agronomy and Farm Management 

Parents/Guardians: Andrew and Samantha Gardner 

Years in 4-H: 10 years with Henry Hardy Farmers 4-H Club 

Favorite Project: Goats and Rabbits 

Favorite 4-H Memories: Working in the Pork Producers stand with my club 

What has 4-H meant to you: I learned skills for life and made incredible friends. I will cherish those memories forever. 

Future plans: 

Parents/Guardians: Orville Haney 

Years in 4-H: 10 years with Burton Busy Bees 4-H Club 

Favorite Project: Sheep 

Favorite 4-H Memories: Being a first 4-H'er to show a texel sheep in years at Fulton County 4-H Fair. Getting my photo in the paper. 

What has 4-H meant to you:

Future plans: Going into the workforce 

Parents/Guardians: Steven and Jean Helt 

Years in 4-H: 10 years in Burtons Busy Bees 4-H Club 

Favorite Project: Pigs, Rabbits, Poultry 

Favorite 4-H Memories: Hanging out with family and doing the Farmers Olympics with my friends. 

What has 4-H meant to you: It has helped me learn new skills and has helped me grow in life in many ways. 

Future plans: I would like to work on a farm.

Parents/Guardians: Terry and Sarah Kimble 

Years in 4-H: 10 years with Reiter Busy Workers 4-H Club 

Favorite Project: Showing swine 

Favorite 4-H Memories: Wearing mask in 2020!!! 

What has 4-H meant to you: It has taught me a lot of responsibility and I wouldn't be who I am today with out 4-H 

Future plans: Join the Carpenters Union and work for ICC 

Parents/Guardians: Eddie and Allyson Lawson

Years in 4-H: 10 years with Henry Hardy Farmers 4-H Club 

Favorite Project: Micro-mini Tractor Pulling, Sheep 

Favorite 4-H Memories: I loved working at Pork Producers. I also enjoyed being in the Farmers Olympics. 

What has 4-H meant to you: 4-H has meant to me that I see accomplishments from the work I put into projects. It's taught me that hard work pays off. I have also learned that things don't always work like you want them to, but you don't just quit. 

Future plans: I am going to work for family business, Olde School Welding. I am very interested in farm repair. 

Parents/Guardians: Greg and Megihann Leininger 

Years in 4-H: 3 years in the Cat's Meow 4-H Club  

Favorite Project: Photography 

Favorite 4-H Memories: My favorite memory was getting to know others who also did photography and seeing what they also created

What has 4-H meant to you: 4-H has meant a lot to me. It has taught me how to be creative, and figure out different skills. It has also allowed me to learn more about others and what their interest are. 

Future plans: Attend a cosmetology school

Parents/Guardians: Matt and Jody McCall 

Years in 4-H: 10 years with Reiter Busy Workers 4-H Club 

Favorite Project: Swine, Corn, Beans, Electric and Sheep 

Favorite 4-H Memories: Going to Indiana State Fair to show sheep. Winning Grand Champion on my corn. 

What has 4-H meant to you: Responsibility, strength, knowledge to be a better person. Being able to show animals and learn life skills. 

Future plans: Work for Murphy Electric/Murphy Family Farms 

Parents/Guardians: Marci Murphy 

Years in 4-H: 10 years with Aubbee Gamblers 4-H Club 

Favorite Project: My favorite 4-H projects are Floriculture, Foods-Baked, and Soil & Water Science.

Favorite 4-H Memories: My favorite 4-H memory was winning Grand Champion for my cherry pie 

What has 4-H meant to you: Have you ever wash a flightless egg-laying bird? I have for nine years. Every year a new challenge presents itself. Whether that is a lack of soap or towels, I learned to navigate problems. 4-H taught me to use my problem-solving skills in situations ranging from homework to flat car tires. I learned life skills from my time in 4-H.

Future plans: Attend Purdue University for Forestry 

Parents/Guardians: Andrew and Emily Schouten 

Years in 4-H: 10 years with Wayne Wide Awake 4-H Club 

Favorite Project: Swine 

Favorite 4-H Memories: Winning Master Showmanship in Sheep & Swine in the same year. 

What has 4-H meant to you: 4-H has shaped me to be who I am today. It has taught me a lot of lessons. 4-H has also led me to want to pursue a career in agriculture. 

Future plans: Attend Purdue University to study AG Business 

Parents/Guardians: Christa Sommers, Nick Sommers 

Years in 4-H: 10 years with Wayne Wide Awake 4-H Club, Fulton County Bullseyes 4-H Club 

Favorite Project: Shooting Sports, Cake Decorating, and showing Poultry overall

Favorite 4-H Memories: Showing poultry during the fair and seeing the results of my projects, additionally seeing if they go to the State Fair or not. Also any activities I did in Junior Leaders.

What has 4-H meant to you: It has meant learning life skills and helping people around me learn new things as I learn alongside them. 

Future plans: Attend Valparaiso University majoring in Communications with a minor in Journalism to become a radio announcer. 

Parents/Guardians: Nick & Jamie Taylor 

Years in 4-H: 10 years with Burton Busy Bees 4-H Club

Favorite Project: Baking macaroons, my golf ball collection, and getting to display my artwork that included a painting of my dad's Cub's jersey and old baseball mitt, a portrait of my brother & a copper tooling hummingbird I made for my granny. 

Favorite 4-H Memories: Some of my favorite memories include winning Pole Bending in Horse & Pony, winning grand champion and going to Indiana State Fair, and doing a demonstration with my golf clubs. 

What has 4-H meant to you: 4-H has taught me the value of hard work and community. It has also helped me obtain life skills such as time management, baking and food science, and resilience. I am appreciative of all the opportunities it has given me to grow in my creativity and to share my new found skills. 

Future plans: Attend Grace College on an academic and golf scholarship. I plan to major in elementary education and minor in creative writing. 

Parents/Guardians: Chad and Cheri Thomas 

Years in 4-H: 10 years with Wayne Wide Awake Trophy Finders. 

Favorite Project: Sheep, Beef, Dairy, Goats, and Scrapbooking 

Favorite 4-H Memories: 4-H has been such a huge part of my life. I have so many, if I have to choose one, it would be winning reserve champion border cheviot and reserve champion border cheviot showman at the Indiana State Fair which allowed me to compete "on the dirt" for the first time. 

What has 4-H meant to you:The only word I could use to describe my past 10 years would be rewarding. Showing livestock at county,state, & national levels, I never knew the outcome. Getting any handshake at county & state levels is a feeling that I could not describe to anyone. Though I haven't gotten a handshake at national level, county& state level handshakes make it worth it. After all the long days, early mornings, and late nights,tears, laugh, the handshake reminds me that this is the most rewarding sport. However, it goes way beyond winning for me; I'm rewarded with many supporters around me who will do anything to see me succeed. The most rewarding thing was walking into a building and being greeted by younger kids with the same passion and striving I had at their age. When I was younger, I was always looking up to older members. I am grateful to have this opportunity to connect with each child on different levels, in hopes that one day, they can be the person who impacts the next generation. I could go on and on about 4-H, the skills it teaches, and the lessons you learn, but honestly, the only word I can use to describe my incredible journey is rewarding. 

Future plans: Attend Fort Hays State University to pursue a degree in Agribusiness. 

Parents/Guardians: Steve and Tammy Vigar