WASHINGTON, DC (October 15, 2024) – Today, National 4-H Council announced 2025 4-H Youth In Action Award Winners, with each 4-H youth receiving a $5,000 scholarship in recognition of their achievements and positive community impact that shows how they are Beyond Ready for the future.
Kaitlyn (Katie) Culbert, 18, Toms River, New Jersey, Rutgers University Cooperative Extension: Culbert turned her passion for pollinators into action through her local 4-H Busy Bees Beekeeping Club. Her research on native plants and honeybee survival has been published in Harvard’s Journal of Emerging Investigators and she has worked to advance pro-pollinator legislation in her home state. Culbert has served as National 4-H Pollinator Week Ambassador and received multiple awards for her environmental advocacy, including the 2023 President’s Environmental Youth Award and International Young Eco-Hero Award. She is now a first-year student at Harvard and looks to become an environmental lawyer.
Kaycie Hollrah, 16, St. Charles, Missouri, University of Missouri Cooperative Extension: Hollrah’s role in launching the Extension Council Youth Leadership program allows her to attend – and have a voice at – local Extension Council meetings as a non-voting member at the University of Missouri Extension. Representing youth in her community, this leadership program has opened the door for other young people to collaborate and make community related decisions that impact their lives and well-being. Hollrah’s experiences in 4-H have shaped her goal to work as a leader with the organization after college, creating additional avenues to help young people grow as servant-leaders and forge their own paths.
Kingston Ryals, 16, Vidalia, Georgia, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension: Initially hesitant to join 4-H due to a speech impediment, Ryals overcame his fear of public speaking and became President of the Georgia 4-H State Board of Directors. He focuses his time on addressing educational disparities through his non-profit, The Rock Project. The organization has grown from serving five to 40 local African American youth and boasts a 100% college enrollment rate among its graduates. Ryals is a high school junior who plans to study law and political science.
Ronak Suchindra, 17, Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, Penn State Cooperative Extension: Suchindra began 4-H as a shy youth and has now become a passionate advocate for STEM education through the online learning platform he created, Kids Connect. Kids Connect offers more than 50 STEM workshops that have reached over 3,000 students globally. Suchindra plans to study business and engineering with hopes to launch a future start-up.
“We are deeply proud of all that Katie, Kaycie, Kingston and Ronak have achieved in 4-H,” said Jill Bramble, President & CEO, National 4-H Council. ”We are excited to see them continue to engage and inspire their fellow 4-H’ers, making an impact in their communities and becoming Beyond Ready for college and life.”
Since 2010, the 4-H Youth in Action Awards recognize 4-H’ers who have applied the knowledge gained in 4-H to create a lasting impact in their communities and prepare for future careers (link to youth survey). In addition to receiving a $5,000 scholarship, the winners will spend 2025 showcasing their work and impact nationally, networking with prominent 4‑H alumni, and sharing their stories as official 4-H spokespeople.
To learn more about Youth in Action, please visit here.
ABOUT 4-H
4-H, the nation’s largest youth development organization, grows confident young people who are empowered for life today and prepared for careers tomorrow. 4-H programs empower nearly six million young people across the U.S. through experiences that develop critical life skills. Through Beyond Ready, 4-H will increase that number to ten million youth annually. 4-H is the youth development program of our nation’s Cooperative Extension System and USDA and serves every county and parish in the U.S. through a network of 110 public universities and more than 3000 local Extension offices. Globally, 4-H collaborates with independent programs to empower one million youth in 50 countries. The research-backed 4-H experience grows young people who are four times more likely to contribute to their communities; two times more likely to make healthier choices; two times more likely to be civically active; and two times more likely to participate in STEM programs.
Learn more about 4‑H at 4-H.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
