Hancock County 4-H members, volunteers recognized at Achievement Day

CARTHAGE, Ill. – Hancock County 4-H members, volunteers, and supporters were recognized during the
annual Hancock County 4-H Achievement Day program on Oct. 4, celebrating accomplishments from the
2025-2026 4-H year.
The event highlighted outstanding member achievements, volunteer service, record book
accomplishments, and the impact of the Hancock County 4-H Foundation.
Program organizers began the ceremony by recognizing the Hancock County 4-H Foundation and its
ongoing commitment to supporting local youth through scholarships, conference participation, camps,
and other educational opportunities. Several 4-H members shared testimonials about how Foundation
funding enhanced their 4-H experiences and helped them pursue leadership and learning opportunities.
Among the special awards presented, Lily Newton of the Burnside Rising Stars 4-H Club was named
Outstanding Club Treasurer, and Emily Dixon of Burnside Rising Stars was recognized as Outstanding
Club Secretary. These awards honor club officers who demonstrate exceptional recordkeeping,
organization, and leadership through their service to local 4-H clubs.
A special highlight of the afternoon was the recognition of Dave Biery as an Illinois 4-H Hall of Fame
recipient. Biery has dedicated many years of service to Hancock County 4-H and currently serves on the
Hancock County Building & Grounds Committee. His continued volunteer leadership and support have
positively impacted generations of local 4-H members.
The ceremony also celebrated 19 Cloverbud members who completed the Cloverbud program and will
transition into traditional 4-H membership during the 2026-2027 program year.
Achievement Day also recognized members who completed outstanding 4-H records. Record books
encourage youth to reflect on project work, document accomplishments, and develop important life
skills such as organization, goal setting, and communication.
Outstanding Cloverbud Record awards were presented to Austin Edmunds and Jensen Jacquot.

Outstanding Livestock Record awards were presented to Nicholas Beeler and Avalee Caron.
Outstanding Permanent Record awards were presented to Lilyana Bliss, Kaleb Mohr, and Zeke Whitaker.
Permanent Records document a member's long-term involvement in 4-H, leadership experiences,
community service, and personal growth throughout their 4-H career.
Project Award winners were recognized for excellence in their project work and applications:
? Animal Science: Abiigail Grove
? Career and Leadership Development: Courtney Lucie
? Civic Engagement: Lilyana Bliss
? Creative and Cultural Arts: Kaleb Mohr
? Environmental Sciences: Avalee Caron
? Gardening, Agriculture, and Food Access: Lilyana Bliss
? Healthy Living: Lauralyn Caron
? STEM: Nicholas Beeler
Experience Awards were also presented to members who participated in activities and events at the
club, county, regional, state, and national levels throughout the year.
Bronze Experience Award recipients were Joey Wilhelm, Ava Shuman, and Brynlei Shuman.
Silver Experience Awards were presented to Lilyana Bliss, Kaleb Mohr, Gabe Whitaker, and Jed
Whitaker.
Zeke Whitaker earned the Gold Experience Award.
The program concluded by recognizing Hancock County 4-H volunteer club leaders for their dedication
to youth development and service to local communities. Honored leaders included Ryan Jacquot, Lauren
Koehler, Elizabeth Dixon, Hannah Whitaker, James Whitaker, Holly Whitaker, Jessie Kohlmorgan, Jeff
Lionberger, Natalie Lionberger, Karen Beeler, Cindy Roskamp, Chris Wollbrink, Stephani Hardy, and
Shelby Bruenger.
"Hancock County 4-H continues to thrive because of the dedication of our members, volunteers,
families, and supporters," said program organizers. "Achievement Day is an opportunity to celebrate
accomplishments from the past year while looking ahead to new opportunities in the year to come."
For more information about Hancock County 4-H, contact the Illinois Extension office at 217-357-2150
or visit extension.illinois.edu/abhps.
About Illinois 4-H:Illinois 4-H is the flagship youth development program of University of Illinois
Extension, administered through the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.
Through hands-on learning and life-changing experiences, Illinois 4-H prepares youth to be Beyond
Ready — ready for college, career, military service, entrepreneurship, and more. Young people build
confidence, leadership, and resilience as they explore interests from agriculture to computer science.
Independent research and national surveys confirm the powerful outcomes of 4-H: participants are 40%

more likely to pursue a college degree, twice as likely to obtain technical training, and two times more
likely to serve in the military. With a legacy of cultivating leaders, Illinois 4-H continues to grow the next
generation who are equipped to thrive in life and work today and beyond.
About Extension: University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge,
and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's
land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102
Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s
mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and
agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served
through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and
economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural
resources, environment, and energy.
CONTACT: Madeline Davis, Illinois Extension, Hancock County 4-H Program Coordinator,
mdavis13@illinois.edu