Youth News
Reagan Stephens of Weatherford Inducted as One of Two 2018 Oklahoma 4-H Hall of Fame Award Honorees
Fri, 27 Jul 2018 04:28:30 CDT
The Oklahoma 4-H Hall of Fame is a tradition that goes back more than 60 years. The past Hall of Fame winners can be found among the state and nation's leaders in education, business and government. Being inducted into the 4-H Hall of Fame is the highest honor an Oklahoma 4-H member can achieve. These awards are presented annually to the top two candidates after they have been through record book reviews and face-to-face interviews. Today's winners, like all those before them, have excelled in project work, leadership development and community service.
As the winners of the Oklahoma 4-H's highest award, these two outstanding 4-H members will each receive a $2,500 college scholarship from Oklahoma Ag Credit.
Your 2018 Oklahoma 4-H Hall of Fame winners are Reagan Stephens and Brandi Moore- receiving the award at the 2018 Oklahoma 4-H Roundup on campus at Oklahoma State University.
Reagan Stephens was in awe at her first county fair. Even though she wanted to skip over all of the items like quilts, paintings, jams and other exhibits to look at the animals, she knew that 4-H is where she wanted to be. She eventually got to look at all the animals but her passion for 4-H really sparked when her parents let her watch the horse show. She was hooked.
Reagan has been involved in 4-H since she was 9 years old and while her 4-H career started because of that one horse show, it has developed into a career of leadership, art, and community involvement. Reagan has hosted lots of field days on various topics. One of her favorites is the Junior 4-H Girls Horse sleep overs in the barn apartment. They have to get up early in the morning to do chores, ride and do fun activities related to horses. She has also helped expand the project work of younger 4-H member through a speech club. These 4-H members are a part of a riding club but she encourages them to share their equine passion through the public speaking project.
Reagan has also made visual arts a big part of her 4-H project. She loves art and painting. She has won the Congressional Art Award, studied with notable artists, and even organized a 4-H painting party at the Southwest District Leadership Conference. Reagan expanded her love of art and taught a painting party at the 2018 Special Clovers Camp. She knew that art and painting can help bring people together and she says "that is what 4-H is all about."
Reagan wanted to expand her project and the lessons she was teaching to younger 4-H members. This year she wrote a grant from the 4-H Foundation to put on a reenactment of the land run for over 500 third grade students at Weatherford. At the land run, students got to see a play put on by the Performing Arts Club, make pioneer biscuits and churn butter, and see how horseshoes were made during that time period.
Reagan has been active on all levels of the 4-H program. She is a certified volunteer in Custer County, served as Southwest District Vice-President, serves as a State 4-H Ambassador and is the current Oklahoma 4-H Vice-President.
Reagan is the daughter of Brian and Michelle Stephens. She will be a senior in high school in the fall at Weatherford High School. She is an active member of the Weatherford Senior 4-H Club, Custer County Horse Club, American Quarter Horse Association, National Reigning Horse Association and American Youth Horse Council Student Leader of the Year.
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