4-H hosts presentations contest

Brittany Hamilton
4-H & Youth Development Educator
 
“Do you want to hear a story? This is one of my favorites!” 12-year-old Carli Stolhammer stated as she drew the audience into her oral interpretation of a piece titled “Rindercella,” a fun twist on the classic Cinderella story. The 4-H Presentations Contest was held May 26 at the Pinnacle Bank’s conference room and was judged by Carol Thurman. Carli was one of five youth who braved the stage in this year’s contest. 
The 4-H Presentations Contest is a time-honored contest in Weston County and welcomes youth ages 8-18 to compete and children ages 5-7 to participate as Tumbleweeds. Traditionally, youth may do a prepared speech, deciding on their topic ahead of time, or an impromptu speech, not knowing their topic until the contest. Additional categories were added to this year’s contest, including poetry, oral interpretation, and advertising and marketing. These additional categories broadened the presentation experience and allowed youth different avenues to express their creativity in public speaking. 
Audience members learned why Patrick Mahomes is not only a great quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs but also a great guy, from Rylan Fladstol. Connor Stolhammer and Waylon Stolhammer gave their best renditions of works in the poetry category, and Tiernan Stanton shared her knowledge of biodegradable plastics in the prepared category. Tiernan also participated in the advertising and marketing category with an online business website and subscription box business, projects she also used for FBLA and school. 
The evening finished with a few impromptu presentations from Tiernan, Connor, and Waylon. 
The Presentations Contest serves as a great opportunity for members to increase public speaking skills, gain confidence, and improve communication, all tools youth may use for a lifetime to help achieve their goals. It truly is a contest that has life-long positive effects. 
Weston County 4-H would like to extend a huge thank you to Pinnacle Bank for hosting this contest as well as Carol Thurman for taking the time to volunteer her expertise and serve as the judge. Participants had a great experience!