93 Vermilion students compete at 4-H University

Numbers were slightly down from the more than 100 students Vermilion Parish brought to 4-H University last year.
The event takes place each year on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge. More than 1,500 4-H members representing every parish in the state traveled to LSU last week.
“It wasn’t too much of a decrease,” Vermilion 4-H Youth Development Agent Shannan Waits said of the parish’s numbers this year. “We had 93 competitive kids.”
To say the least.
Those 93 members competed in 35 of the possible 40 contests held at 4-H University. Twenty-five Vermilion 4-Hers returned home as state winners. The students received their awards last Thursday during a ceremony at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. There were also five First Alternates and 41 Blue Ribbon winners.
“We were extremely well represented across the board,” Waits said. “All 93 contestants prepared very intensely for their competitions. They represented both our parish and their schools extremely well.
“We are very proud of them.”
Vermilion Parish contest winners were:
Career Preparation Interview: Austin Gaspard
Dairy Judging: Dylan Hebert
Dairy Judging (Team): Dylan Hebert, Shelby Lemaire and Abby Miller
Entomology Demonstration: Annamarie Broussard and Cailyn Simon
Family and Consumer Sciences Demonstration: Kelsey Trahan and Olivia Trahan
Horticulture Demonstration-General: Marcus Broussard and Ty Zaunbrecher
Horticulture Demonstration-Use: Kenzie Gaspard and Sydnee Gaspard
Horticulture Judging: Alexander Hargrave
Horticulture Judging (Team): Samuel Dailey, Alexander Hargrave and Clay Zaunbrecher
Soybean Illustrated Talk: Bret Lee
Teens Driving Teens to Safety: Kelsee’ Thibeaux and Sophie Vincent
The Louisiana Chef: Adam Gaspard and Caroline Guidry
The Next 4-H Food Star: Britney Broussard, Victoria Frederick and Anne Catherine Leblanc
The students ranged from grades 8th through 12th. The group displayed tremendous versatility.
“We offer something for everyone,” Waits said. “The students make it happen and everyone here on our (Vermilion 4-H staff) helps to prepare the students. It’s a reflection of everyone involved.
“It is a true team effort.”
The 25 state winners will move on to various spots later this year. Those destinations include all-expense paid trip to either 4-H Club Congress in Atlanta, New Orleans to the Great American Seafood Cook-Off, West Virginia to compete in the National Forestry Contest, the educational trip to Walt Disney World, or a Gulf Coast beach trip.
“They will be taking those trips later this summer and into the fall,” Waits said. “Some of them have follow-up contests. For some of them, their contests ended at 4-H University, and this trip will just be a reward trip. It will be for fun.
“All of the trips are well earned and well deserved.”
Local 4-Hers also left an imprint last week outside of the competitions. Some applied for National 4-H Conference and State Executive Board positions. Connor Waits and Marcus Broussard were two of the four participants chosen to attend National 4-H Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. The following were selected to serve on State Boards: SET (Science, Engineering and Technology) Board, Anna Zaunbrecher, Abbey Zaunbrecher, and Ty Zaunbrecher; Food and Fitness Board, Madison Primeaux and Clay Zaunbrecher; Fashion Board, Jessica Jarred; Citizenship Board, Emma Broussard, Jayla Campbell, and Lauryn Fulkerson; Performing Arts Board, Draven Menard and Blake Broussard.
Last week also served as a farewell for many 4-Hers. Out-going State 4-H president Anne Catherine LeBlanc offered a fond adieu to the crowd. Last year LeBlanc became the first state president from Vermilion Parish since Wade Mouton in 1965. Austin Gaspard, who served this last year as Parliamentarian, joined LeBlanc in saying goodbye.
For many who attended 4-H University, the event served as an opportunity to say hello to a college campus.
“The students attend educational workshops throughout the week on topics of their choice,” Waits explained. “They get the opportunity to spend a week on a college campus. They stay in the dorm rooms.
“They get a feel for what college life is like, to a certain extent.”
Waits said there is plenty of hard work that makes it all happen.
“I want to thank all of the parent support and volunteer support that we received to get everyone ready,” Waits said. “It truly is a team effort.”