Written by: Raleigh Dawson, Franklin County 4-H Agent
Northeast Junior/Senior District Project Achievement was held last weekend, March 1-3, at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton, Georgia. Project achievement empowers young people with research, communication, and presentation skills for a lifetime. In order to compete, 4-H’ers must choose a project area of interest, compile a portfolio that outlines their 4-H, community, and extracurricular involvement for the year, and lastly present their project to a panel of expert judges.
This year the following students were recognized for their hard work and determination at DPA. Jenny Sigala, an 8th grade student, placed 2nd with a wildlife project that studied wolf behavior, communication, and environmental impact. Jenny has a passion for wildlife and is interested in the ways wolves impact the environment in areas that they live. Sydney Allen, a 9th grade student, placed 2nd in the beef project with a study analyzing E. Coli concentrations in water troughs based on the trough material, metal versus plastic. She hopes to continue this study further and to generalize this information in a way that beef producers in our county can begin to utilize. Makenzie Godwin, a 10th grade student, placed 2nd in the safety project with a project that compared and contrasted different popular livestock trailer flooring types to determine which one was the safest in terms of traction control when hauling animals. She wants to continue researching this topic and other viable flooring options to ensure maximum livestock safety during transport. Other Franklin County competitors whose projects were worthy of honorable mention were Anna Whitlock, a graduating senior with a project in Performing Arts and Abigail Whitlock, a 9th grade student with a project in Performing Arts -Dance. Franklin County was represented well and these girls are great examples of how hard work and determination can pay off. To summarize this event perfectly Makenzie Godwin said, “DPA is not just about competing, it is also about growing as a student, learning about the world around me, and meeting new people from around the state.”