CORVALLIS, Ore. - The Oregon State University Extension Service's 4-H youth program has awarded almost $18,900 in scholarships to 17 high school seniors.

To qualify for the scholarships, students had to be members of 4-H for a minimum of three years, said Helen Pease, 4-H youth program coordinator with the OSU Extension Service. Judging was based on scholastic achievement, 4-H projects and activities and a personal essay. In the essay, applicants were asked to describe their growth in 4-H, emphasizing 4-H's five "C's" of youth development: competence, confidence, character, caring and compassion.

Scholarship recipient Katie Waldo of Corvallis compared her growth in 4-H to flipping through a photo album of her most meaningful experiences in the program. Those experiences included holding her first marketable lamb and attending the 4-H National Congress in 2011.

"These images and their stories will continue to remind me not only of who I am and what I've done but also how much I am capable of changing and the amazing things I can accomplish when I believe in myself and the people around me," she wrote in her essay.

Recipients of the statewide 4-H scholarships for 2013 are:

Albany: Clint Hamilton, $500, Duane P. Johnson 4-H Scholarship.

Aumsville: Raquel Albee, $3,500, Martha MacGregor Memorial 4-H Scholarship.

Canyon City: Josh Whitman, $1,000, Babe Coe Memorial 4-H Scholarship.

Central Point: Madison Gierloff, $1,250, Klein-Youngberg Family 4-H Scholarship.

Corvallis: Makai Bradley, $1,250, Klein-Youngberg family. Justine Ekman, $1,500, Judith K. Hofer Scholarship. Sam Greydanus, $1,000, CHS Foundation Scholarship. Megan Pinard, $1,000, Oregon 4-H Foundation. Ann Santich, $1,250, Klein-Youngberg family. Katie Waldo, $1,500, H. Joe Myers Memorial 4-H Scholarship.

Dallas: Jamie Kennedy, $557, O.M. Plummer Scholarship.

Hermiston: Bailey Burns, $1,000, A. Lois Redman 4-H Scholarship.

Philomath: Tessa Gourley, $1,000, Kate Thiess Memorial 4-H Scholarship. Courtney Kutzler, $500, Ted and Betty Dietz Memorial 4-H Scholarship. Tatiana Thompson, $1,000, Minnick Memorial 4-H Scholarship.

Sherwood: Janika Jordan, $1,000, Jeanne Leeson Memorial 4-H Scholarship.

More information on the scholarships is at http://bit.ly/14wppGy.

4-H is the largest out-of-school youth development program nationwide. The OSU Extension Service oversees Oregon's 4-H program, which reached nearly 117,000 youth in kindergarten through 12th grade via a network of 8,534 volunteers in 2012. Activities focus on areas like healthy living, civic engagement, science and animal care. Learn more about 4-H at http://bit.ly/14fEFHF.

Source: 

Helen Pease, 541-737-1314

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