2024 Somerset County 4-H Scholarship Recipients
Congratulations to our 2024 Somerset County 4-H Scholarship Recipients
Veronica Dryl
4-H Association Scholarship, 4-H Alpaca Club Scholarship, Joseph J. and Florence E. Klimas Scholarship, 4-H Prep Scholarship, 4-H Trainmasters Scholarship, and Rob Fellows Scholarship
Veronica Dryl first joined 4-H as a cloverbud member of Proud to be Prep in 2012. In the twelve years since, she has participated in several clubs and projects, such as the Piano Club, Junior Council, and the American Girl Doll Club, but it is with the Crazy Frog Hoppers Double-Dutch club that Veronica truly grew as a member. While jumping rope is a core part of her club’s activities, Veronica has taken her 4-H involvement beyond her project. Veronica attended National 4-H Conference this spring, held offices such as president and secretary, and supported many county events such as assisting with the Tricky Tray, the BIG Rummage Sale, and the Spring Carnival. Her involvement with community service projects ranged from fundraisers for animal shelters to preparing Thank You bags for first responders during the Covid pandemic. Additionally, Veronica serves as a mentor to other members in her club, taking time to encourage and teach others. As a TOPS camp counselor, Veronica made meaningful connections with the younger campers she led, despite being nervous initially. This opportunity to guide younger children influenced Veronica’s decision to pursue her studies in elementary education and education leadership at Seton Hall University this fall.
Scout Lowrie
4-H Prep Scholarship
Scout Lowrie has been a 4-H member for 13 years starting as a member of a club called Green and White Cloverbuds. Since then she has been involved in the Alpaca Club, Something Fishy Aquatic and Environmental Science Club, On Target Archery, and Twirling Club. As a standard member, Scout has mentored new members by sharing skills to improve showmanship with their animal. She has also been active in helping at 4-H Prep/Cloverbud events and other 4-H programs with children in kindergarten through third grade. Some of these include Virtual Prep New year, Science-sational Day where she helped teach multiple workshops, and running games at Prep Winter BRRReakfast. One of Scout’s favorite Fair memories is spinning cotton candy at the Fair; something she had seen her mom do when she was in Prep and waited for the chance to spin herself ever since. For the past few Fairs, Scout has signed up for cotton candy shifts squeezing it in between shows and club duties. Scout says as a Prep member, the older members made 4-H sound so exciting, and that made her get much more involved. Then as a standard member, she wanted to do the same for the Prep members. Scout has enjoyed getting them excited about their future in 4-H and encouraging them to give back to the Prep program as well. Scout is currently attending Wheaton College.
Natalie Marlow
4-H Association Scholarship and Rob Fellows Scholarship
Natalie Marlow has been fascinated by science since her early childhood and credits her experiences in 4-H with fueling this passion. She has been a Somerset County 4-H member since 2012 when she joined her first 4-H Cloverbud Club, the Mad Scientists followed shortly after by Da Bug Club, an entomology club. Both clubs helped Natalie develop her love for science and inquiry. Currently, Natalie is a member of the Just Kidding Goat Club, where she further explores life sciences by learning to care for her goats. Goat ownership was not something Natalie would have thought possible before her involvement with 4-H, but now she actively learns about goat health, diseases, and anatomy. Natalie is also a teen representative to the 4-H Association, a role she took on at the start of the Covid pandemic. Because in-person meetings were not possible, Natalie and the other teen reps, began hosting state-wide (and ultimately nation-wide) virtual teen socials. 4-H provided Natalie with opportunities to grow as a leader, a problem-solver, and a future scientist. Natalie will take these foundational skills with her to the University of Scranton this fall, where she will major in molecular and cellular biology.
Cait O'Sullivan
4-H Association Scholarship, Joseph J. and Florence E. Klimas Scholarship, and Maureen McHale Memorial Scholarship
Cait O'Sullivan has been a member of New Centre Dairy 4-H Club for the past 10 years. Cait started her 4-H career in New Centre Dairy Prep Club and continued into the club when she entered fourth grade. Cait has not only been involved with the dairy club but expanded her 4-H experiences by being a member of the 4-H Magic Club, Branchburg Beef Dairy and Livestock Club, 4-H Exchange, Udder Goat Club and Senior Council. Cait has shown extreme leadership and mentoring skills, holding officer positions in most of these clubs. She has grown into a role model to everyone who has had the pleasure to work with her. Younger members gravitate towards her with her welcoming demeanor and smiling face as she helps them with their dairy or goat projects. She proudly watches them show off their new found skills at the fair. Cait had no idea what she wanted to do with the rest of her life until she attended the National 4-H Dairy Conference. It was an eye opening experience to see how many jobs there are in the dairy industry from production to technology. Cait credits 4-H for offering her the opportunity to experience such a wide variety of clubs. Cait will be attending SUNY Cobleskill in the fall studying Dairy Science with a minor in Ag Education.
Katharine Walto
4-H Association Scholarship
Katharine Walto joined the Woolly Ones 4-H Sheep Club when she was five years old - quite literally the second she was old enough to join. And while her love of sheep was her primary motivation for joining 4-H, it’s the community beyond the farm that kept her coming back. In her thirteen years with 4-H, Katharine found space to develop her strengths. She held nearly every office in her sheep club, planning everything from meeting agendas to club displays to trips to service projects. Katharine was a delegate to Citizenship Washington Focus and National 4-H Congress, events that exposed her to a broad range of people and communities while allowing her to also learn more about herself. Katharine is also a role model to members in her club and enjoys representing 4-H in her interactions with the community. According to Katie, 4-H helped her develop effective communication skills and empathy, qualities she knows will serve her well in her future career. Katharine will start at Catholic University this fall where she will pursue a degree in psychology with the aim of becoming a therapist.