Kaleb Hanna of Union County was one of 83 4-H members recently recognized with the Vol State award at the University of Tennessee at Martin during State 4-H Roundup.
The Vol State award is the highest level of recognition a Tennessee 4-H member may achieve. The award is presented to high school juniors and seniors in recognition of excellence in all phases of 4-H work, as well as service and leadership rendered in their communities.
Kaleb serves as a teen leader for other 4-H students in Union County and is the current president of the Union County 4-H Smoky Mountain 4-H club. As a 2019 Tennessee 4-H state public speaking winner in the extemporaneous category, he attended the Western National Conference in Denver, Colorado.
He has also taken initiative to attend several National 4-H events including the National 4-H Healthy Living Summit and the National 4-H Agri-Science Summit. In these events, he was able to connect with 4-H students from all across the nation and bring that information back to Union County.
As part of the Healthy Living Summit, he developed a proposal to increase access to fresh foods here in Union County and was awarded a $1,000 grant to put his plan into action.
During the Agri-Science Summit, Kaleb worked with several other students from Union County to put together a bee education exhibit to use at community events. All that Kaleb has done in 4-H has been framed around his 4-H project: personal development.
Apart from being a role model to other students in Union County 4-H, he also serves on the 4-H state council and serves as a role model for all 4-H students in Tennessee.
We are blessed to have him in our Union County 4-H program to continue the legacy of strong 4-H student leaders.