This feature ran in the last issue of The Cullman Tribune’s “Community Matters” magazine.
Each year, 4-H clubs across Cullman County elect a student reporter whose job is to capture the story of their year in 4-H. The role comes with a special responsibility: writing a final report that highlights their favorite memories, documents the club’s activities or shares ideas for the future of 4-H.
“These reports give students the chance to reflect on what 4-H has meant to them while also practicing real-world communication skills,” explained Kerri Roberts, 4-H youth development coordinator. “We announce at the beginning of the year that their reports will be submitted to the paper for possible publication, which means they’ll have the chance to become published authors!”
This year, the reports were also featured at the County Roundup, an annual competition where students demonstrate their skills and creativity across a variety of categories.
Below are the (unedited) reports written by Cullman County 4-H students who took on the role of club reporter this year.
The things I enjoyed best in 4-H were the 4-H challenges. They were so much fun to do and watch. I enjoyed seeing other people, what they brought, and how they made it. It was also fun to participate in a challenge myself! Winning ribbons is exciting and rewarding!
I had fun with 4-H this year. Next year, I look forward to trying new things. I feel participating in 4-H gave me confidence to do it next year! From baking to birdhouse building, there is opportunity for everyone to participate in something they enjoy.
Savannah Harbison
Mrs. Boyd – Fourth grade
Reporter Task 4-H
Here’s what my class has done this year. First, we did the art competition and Dylan won 3rd, Zoey won 2nd and Raiden won first. Our 2nd competition, the cookie challenge Nora and Colt won 3rd Avery Burke won 2nd and Zoey won 1st. Our last competition Raiden won 1st.
Here’s what my favorite thing in 4-H was.
My favorite part of the 4-H club was the chef demo. I really liked how Raiden was very fast at making the snack because the quicker you go the faster you get to eat. Also liked how Raiden explained how to make the snack so that I can learn how to make it. And another thing I liked was how we got to eat the snack because it was so good.
East Elementary
4-H is so much fun. You do lots of things like art and then see who wins first, second and third or a participation ribbon. I wish we didn’t only have five meetings because it’s very fun and other people will enjoy it too. I’ve won second in two projects which is Legos and a bird house. My bird house was space so it had stars, planets and flowers. Each spot has a different view. One has a view from down on earth, one has the earth and the moon in space, the other has the sun and the last one has the earth and stars. Also my Lego project was the twin towers.
4-H has been so much fun this year. I wish I can do it again and again. At the end of the last meeting my friends and I got invited to the county round up. So we get to compete against other schools in Cullman, AL. I just know that other kids are going to have fun with 4-H too.
Lillian Byers
West Elementary – Fifth grade
A student report from Molly. (Cullman County 4-H) (PHOTO)
This year’s 4h was so much fun. At the beginning of the year, we had fun making paper rockets and getting color-changing pencils. At our next meeting, we learned about the skins and skulls of a bunch of different animals. Next, we learned about food groups including dairy, poultry, meat, etc. In our second to last meeting, we got Laffy Taffies and did a sentence to story activity.
Gabriel Bussman
4-H Reporter
This year in 4H has been so fun! Our first meeting we decided who the President, Vice President, Secretary and Reporter! The President is Noah Kessler, the vice president is Eli Carrol, the Secretary is Payton Carrol and the reporter is Emily Rogers! The second meeting we did the 15-dollar challenge and the art contest! The winner of the 15-dollar challenge was Eli Carrol and the winner of the art contest was Payton Carrol! And we got the touch animal skin. The third meeting was birdhouse and cookies. The winner of the birdhouse was Warren and the winner of the cookies were Alli! The fourth meeting was chef and photos! The winner of the chef was Eli Carrol and the winner of the photos were Payton Carrol! Mrs. Robinson gave us Latty Taffy’s and told us why they are called that! This year was so fun thank you so much Mrs. Robinson!
Emily Rogers
Fairview Elementary – Fifth grade
In the 4-H club this year I liked the birdhouse competition the most. It was very fun to make and learning how to make and do things. This is important because you will not have to watch a tutorial on how to do everything. Once you learn how to do it, it will always be faster and better. Seeing different designs and variations was very cool. So if you have a chance to join 4-h i recommend doing it. It has a lot of fun activities.
Genesis Garcia-Rodriguez
Vinemont – Mrs. Tapley – Fifth grade
This is the sum of 5th grades last 4-H year!
The first activity that we did was the fifteen-dollar challenge and no one participated from our class. Then another challenge was arts and crafts first place Gabby Mitton second, was Gabriella Campos tying with Kabri Graham. Carmen Parker tying with Mason Young for third place. Then next activity was birdhouses first place was Hadley Garrison, second place Caleb Chambers third place, Nathan Avilla participation awards went to Mason Young and Damien Vila. The photography activity goes to Stella Black second, place goes to Nathan Avilla and third goes to Mason Young. Baking goes to Gabriella Campos.
My favorite activity was photography because I love taking pictures. I also love this because you can become more creative, you can learn about new cultures too.
A nature project where people bring inside positives for the earth and negatives for the environment. Positives such as metal water bottles, recycling bins and small handheld plants that refresh the air. Some negatives are plastic plates, cups and plastic utensils. I am so beyond blessed to be able to write this report for 4-H!
Stella Black
Fairview Elementary – Mrs. Wiginton
A student report from Ansley York. (Cullman County 4-H) (PHOTO)
Being in 4H was a lot of fun this year. The cookie contest was my favorite activity. I liked making and testing the cookies I decided to compete with in the contest. Who doesn’t like cookies, right? I made three different kids before deciding. Baking was a lot of fun. Without the contest, I would’ve never found my favorite cookie.
Sawyer Owens
Good Hope Elementary – Fifth grade
Hi I’m Kinsley Duncan and this is my writing for my reporter task!
This year in 4-H, we have had opportunities show our talents and our interests. We’ve had challenges such as, art, cooking and Legos. We get challenges to learn more about each other and make new friends through shared interests. 4- H provides us with fun lessons and activities to do during school. Many students enjoy 4-H because of its exciting and engaging projects. Thank you to everyone who makes 4-H possible for our school!
Kinsley Duncan
East Elementary – Mrs. Cameron – Fifth grade
This year in 4-H, our class did several fun things. We built a birdhouse out of anything we wanted. There was a photography contest where the pictures could be edited however you liked. A lot of students did the baking contest and made cookies. We ate popcorn with seasoning on it. It was always fun.
My favorite thing that we did was building the birdhouses. It was creative and fun seeing how everyone made theirs differently. In the future, it would be fun to grow plants from seeds and see what we could grow. We could water it and make sure it gets sunlight. 4-H was fun this year.
Axel Berry
West Elementary – Mrs. Meharg
What I enjoyed best in 4-H this year was the art and 15-dollar challenge meeting. We first did the presentations and judging for the art I (Gayden McCauley) won first place when I made an American Flag. Now I make lots of them and sell them. At this point I’ve made 500 dollars. The next thing we did was the presentations and judging for the 15-dollar challenge. Congratulations to Brantley Chaney for winning first place. This evidence tells you I loved that meeting and it highly impacted my life.
Gayden McCauley
West Point – Mrs. Welborn – Fifth grade
West Elementary School 4-H was fun. We had a great group of students this year and we had great participation in the cookie competition. It was a group favorite. Everyone enjoyed trying different cookie recipes. The banana cookie recipe was a hit by all.
Something that should be changed is that competitions should consist of multiple rounds. It would make the elimination process easier. Participants should not be given another chance if they do something incorrectly. There should also not be a tie in any competition. Overall, 4-H was a great experience.
Eli Whittle
West Elementary – Mrs. File
Hi! I’m Lilli Terry and I was the club reporter for Mrs. Penns class at Good Hope.
Elementary in 4H. In our first 4H meeting, we elected our officials. Our President, Vice President, Secretary and our Reporter. At our second meeting, We had the contestants for the $15 challenge where we went to thrift stores with $15 dollars to spend on an outfit. We also had the contestants for the Craft Challenge where you make any craft you want to. At our third meeting we had the Cookie Contest! (This one was my favorite!) We also had the X-TREME bird house challenge. And at our last 4 H meeting we had the Blocks Rocks! Challenge and the Freestyle Demonstration Video. This year with 4 H had been so much fun and I hope some of y’all get to experience it!
Lilli Terry
Good Hope Elementary School – Mrs. Penn – Fifth grade
4H was amazing this year! WPI has enjoyed wonderful activities throughout the entire year. Our class loved the delicious popcorn Mrs. Gilmore popped for us. My class’s favorite things we did were the freestyle and chef demonstrations. We have had many winners and losers but at the end of the day we all win. Not all of us left school with winning ribbons, but we ALL enjoyed it. I know that our teachers and family are proud of us for putting forth the effort.
4H is a global youth development organization. At the beginning of each meeting we do the pledge to the US Flag and the 4H pledge. We pledge our hands to greater service, our heart to greater loyalty, health to better living and head to clearer thinking and I believe we established doing this throughout this year. WPI 5th grade class is very sad for our 4H years to come to an end after the two awesome years we have had but are grateful for all we have learned.
Selah Ruth Sutter
West Point Intermediate School – Mrs. Johnson – Fifth-grade reporter
My class has participated in various 4-H activities. I have enjoyed all of the projects that we have completed. We have had a birdhouse building contest as well as a cookie competition, baking and cooking contest and Lego construction. All of the contests were very challenging and fun.
In all of the contests, my class brought items and they were very nice. We have had about four to five 4-H meetings this school year. Some students were very competitive and the 4-H meetings were fun and interesting. I think everybody has enjoyed participating in the program this year.
Levi Pettus
West Elementary – Mrs. Meharg – Fourth grade
Throughout the 2024-2025 school year the fifth grade had five 4-H meetings. At each meeting there were two contests. The contests were a $15 outfit challenge, an art competition, a bird house making contest, a cookie making contest, a live cooking demonstration, a photo contest, a how-to demonstration, and a lego contest. My personal favorite (and most yummy) was the cookie competition. Participants had to make five cookies and include the recipe they followed. They also had to include a list of all the ingredients used in the cookies. In Mrs. Hollingsworth’s homeroom, Allie Johnson, Harper Logan, Harper Rodriguez, and Mary Lader all participated in the contest. Allie Johnson made chocolate chip cookies, Harper Logan made s’mores cookies, Harper Rodriguez made snickerdoodle cookies, and Mary Lader made chocolate chip cookies. Harper Logan, Allie Johnson, and Mary Lader received first, second, and third places respectively.
Our class really seemed to enjoy our 4-H meetings and with such great variety in the competitions, students were given opportunities to demonstrate their diverse interests and skills. We learned a lot as a class and hope to continue participating in 4-H activities in the future.
Molly Scosyev
West Elementary – Mrs. Hollingsworth’s Homeroom – Fifth grade
