Presenting the University of Kentucky Provost scholarship at Monroe County awards night is a great honor.   This year, it was not only a great honor, but also a testament to the impact on Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference.  

The 2025 Monroe County Hight School valedictorian was awarded a Provost Scholarship.  This student, who holds an exceptionally impressive ACT score, and perfect GPA, credits Teen Conference for his decision to choose the University of Kentucky.  

He has attended Teen Conference since his freshman year.  Being familiar with the campus and seeing all the University of Kentucky has to offer helped him make his decision.  He even stated that UK “already feels like home.” This feeling of closeness with the campus comes completely from his time at Teen Conference.  He plans to major in biology and someday become a vet.   

As a youth who has overcome ADHD, his mother also feels Teen Conference has given him the confidence to step out and choose such a great university.  She said the ease he demonstrated while on a campus visit made her know this was the right choice.  She said, “I feel 100% certain that if he had not attended Teen Conference every year, he would not have picked UK.”

During the 2025 Teen Conference, he stepped up and became a teen mentor for our younger 4-H’ers attending for the first time.  He was eager to help them navigate the majors, minors, activities,  and the campus.  He was also very willing to help younger 4-H’ers from other counties who were new to the Teen Conference experience.  I have personally watched him become familiar and at ease as a leader of younger 4-H’ers at Teen Conference, 4-H Camp, and as the President of the Monroe County 4-H Teen Club.  Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference is helping to build tomorrow’s leaders by allowing them to become emersed in the campus and all it has to offer.  I will be anxiously watching to see the many successes ahead for this active 4-H'er.