Abbeville's LeBlanc elected as Louisiana 4-H president; first time parish student state 4-H president since 1965

BATON ROUGE - It’s rare for a Vermilion Parish student to be elected State 4-H President. How rare? It’s been 48 years since the last time it occurred.

Wade Mouton of Kaplan High was elected state 4-H State President back in the late 1965 when he was a senior at Kaplan High School.

Fast forward to 2013, and a Vermilion Parish is fortunate to have another student get elected as 4-H State President.

That honor goes to Anne Catherine LeBlanc, a home-school student, from Abbeville.

She was elected last week during 4-H University being held on the LSU Campus. Austin Gaspard was elected Parliamentarian.

“ 4-H has been a huge part of my life since fourth grade,” said LeBlanc. “I’m not just very involved in 4-H, I’m passionate about the program and what it has to offer. 4-H isn’t just an extracurricular activity to me, it’s a part of my life. I have been given so many opportunities and want to share with 4-H members as well as others all of my different experiences and how much I’ve learned from the program.”

More than 1,400 young people took part from around the state, including just over 100 from Vermilion Parish.

“I hope to visit every parish in our state and share that there is an area of 4-H for everyone and with determination, there is no limit to where 4-H can take you,” said LeBlanc.

The week was highlighted by the election of new officers, the selection of executive board members for the 2013-14 school year and the naming of 49 state contests winners.

Loveless Decuir of Abbeville High is now a National 4-H Conference Delegate. He will be going to Washington DC next school year. National delegates will represent Louisiana at the 4-H National Conference in Washington, D.C., in next spring. Regional representatives will serve as liaisons between the state board and their respective regions, helping plan regional and state events.

Marcus Broussard of Abbeville High was elected Southwest Regional Representative.

“We had an exceptional year,” said Shannon Waits of the LSU Ag Center from Abbeville.

This year marked the 99th time 4-H Club members have ventured to Baton Rouge to compete in contests and hold elections for state leadership positions.

“The 4-H program’s vision is to reach a diverse population by creating opportunities for young people to develop a sense of belonging, independence, generosity and mastery they need to thrive as contributing citizens of our state,” said Mark Tassin, state leader for the LSU AgCenter’s 4-H youth development program. “4-H University plays a big part of that goal.”

Students who did not compete in contests took part in seven hour-long Clover College tracks that presented them with concepts such as forensics, legal matters and social media.

Members also were chosen to serve on statewide boards for fashion, food and fitness, citizenship, shooting sports ambassadors, and science, engineering and technology (SET).

Contest winners received educational trips to such places as Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Louisville, Ky., savings bonds or scholarships.

Contest winners from Vermilion Parish.

Child Development: Sydney Thibodeaux, Vermilion Parish.

Fashion Review-Casual: Leryn Detraz, Vermilion Parish.

Horticulture Demonstration-Use: Adam Gaspard and Caroline Guidry, Vermilion Parish.

Horticulture Judging: Jace Harrington, Vermilion Parish.

Horticulture Judging (Team): Jace Harrington, Gage Meaux and Sophie Vincent, Vermilion Parish.

Insect Identification: Ty Zaunbrecher, Vermilion Parish.

Public Speaking (Any Subject): Shelbi Picard, Vermilion Parish.

Teens Driving Teens to Safety: Britney Broussard and Michaela Herpin, Vermilion Parish.