Taconic High School student honored by 4-H Club

HILLSDALE — Taconic High School senior Hunter Gardner, who was recently honored for his work with the 4-H program, hasn’t decided yet on what he’ll major in when he goes off to college next fall, but he already has great plans for his adult life.

One of four teenagers who received the 2019 Outstanding 4-H Member Award for the 4-H Club Program of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties, Hunter said he might well continue to be active in the program, which he credits for much of his own growth.

“I think I’d love to do that when I grow up, especially if I have kids,” said Hunter. “But I think it would be great to stay involved. It’s always great to stay involved in some type of community service, if that’s 4-H or not. I think it’s important.”

He may have come by that idea naturally having seen his mother, who grew up on a farm and was a young 4-H’er, and his grandmother both be involved with the program as adults.

“I think my parents were extremely proud of me, especially my mom because she’s been in 4-H and been involved with 4-H for so many years and so is her mom, so I think they were very proud of me,” said Hunter. “She was in it as a kid and she’s kind of stayed connected to it.”

Initially shy as a child, Hunter said he feels he has grown a great deal though his seven years in the program, having learned “about leadership and exploring and trying new things. It’s really helped me to want to keep doing those things. It makes me want to keep giving back to the community.”

Hunter has been doing that both as a 4-H Teen Ambassador, doing everything from clearing trash from roads to helping with the Salvation Army to being active on his school’s student council and tennis team before the school closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In addition to his proud parents, James and Sandra Gardner, Hunter credits much of his growth to Linda Tripp, 4-H youth team leader at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties and Cathi Annese, 4-H Club leader of the Teen Ambassador 4-H Club and the Flora & Fauna 4-H Club.

According to Tripp, award winners “are selected on a basis of number of years in 4-H, quality and variety of project work, involvement in county and community service activities, as well as completion of project records.”

She said Hunter’s most significant 4-H projects are dairy cattle and ornamental horticulture.

“Hunter is a goal-setter and has, throughout his tenure, worked to grow his leadership and public speaking skills,” said Tripp. “An example of this is his journey from basic public presentations to teen evaluator to presenting his personal research at the National FFA Convention last fall. His confidence in public speaking has grown to the point where he was able to emcee 4-H Achievement Night last year!”

She added, “Hunter has participated in several state 4-H trips and, again, exhibited his growth in leadership and public speaking skills by applying for and being accepted as a focus assistant and planning team member for the Cornell Career Explorations trip. Hunter’s involvement in the dairy cattle project has found him active in the dairy bowl program as well as exhibiting at the county fair. Finally, Hunter is very talented in floriculture and even created beautiful floral arrangements for 4-H’s 90th anniversary dinner last fall.”

The Outstanding 4-H Member Award is given to 4-H members who are at least 16 years old and are selected on a basis of number of years in 4-H, quality and variety of project work, involvement in county and community service activities, as well as completion of project records. This award is sponsored by the Columbia County Agricultural Society and the Fortnightly Club of Catskill.

For further information on 4-H, call 518-828-3346, email Columbiagreene@cornell.edu or go to www.ccecolumbiagreene.org.