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From Cryptography to the Constitution, Union County 4-H Students Share Their Passion

 

Union County NJ Adrian Lam 4H State Award
Adrian Lam of Westfield was one of seven Union County 4-H Club members to compete in the statewide 4-H Public Presentation Contest at Rutgers University this year. Credit: Union County 4-H.

Union County, NJ – Each year, dozens of Union County students in grades one through 12 join a Union County 4-H club to explore their favorite interests and activities. This year a select group of seven 4-H’ers from Union County qualified to demonstrate their knowledge of cryptology, the U.S. Constitution, and other topics at the statewide 4-H Public Presentation Contest held at Rutgers University in June.

Competing among a statewide field more than 150 students divided into groups, Union County 4-H’er Adrian Lam was awarded the “Best in Room” honor for his speech entitled “Journey to the East.”

“On behalf of the Freeholder Board, I’d like to commend Adrian and all of our Union County 4-H contestants on a job well done,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohammed Jalloh. “Participating in this statewide event gives students the opportunity to pursue their passions and is testament to their hard work and commitment.”

4-H is a long running national youth development program. It originated in efforts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to connect rural youth with up-to-date farming practices and community health information, through a nationwide network of county-based Extension offices.

In its modern iteration, 4-H clubs offer young people the chance to develop expertise in a wide range of topics while gaining experience in public speaking, organization, team building and other essential skills. Union County 4-H clubs include horticulture, history, archery, Lego robotics, cooking, pet care and much more.

The 4-H schedule runs concurrently with the school year. Each spring the students can provide a formal presentation of their project before a live audience. The presenters who earn a score of “Excellent” are invited to participate in the statewide contest each June.

The seven Union County contestants in the statewide event were:

  • Adrian Lam of Westfield, Journey to the East (Best in Room award)
  •  Vivek Sreenivasan of Westfield, Cryptography: The Language of Secrets
  • Kyle Grant of Union, President Barack Obama’s Morehouse Commencement Speech
  • Jada Peterson of Rahway, how to make chocolate chip brownies.
  • Isaac Oluwaku of Union, the Bill of Rights.
  • Ken Adibe of Hillside, music foreshadowing
  • Camille Herbert of Plainfield, gardening

For more information about Union County 4-H contact 4-H Agent James Nichnadowicz at 908-654-9854 or Nichnadowicz@njaes.rutgers.edu, or visit ucnj.org/rce.

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