On May 31 through June 2, the Jackson County 4-H Club participated in State 4-H Congress at Mississippi State University in Starkville. The team was made up of: Jackson Callahan, Patriona Cannon, Ny’Kqwria Crear, Kia Dickerson, Ayana Dread, Jerrick Dubose, Sabrina Gonzalez, Danielle Hunn, Bionca Johnson, J’Lexus Johnson, Sydney Kendrick, Todd Kendrick, Aaron Lett, Shannon Lewis, Garrett Madison, Nicholas Paro, Kaylee Ramsey, Alysia Rester, Thomas Salter, Emilee Smith, and Calisto Wells. The team was accompanied by Volunteer Leaders Billy J. Carroll and Robin Pate and Jackson County Extension Agents Caitlyn McLeod and Terri Thompson.
State 4–H Congress is an annual state event designed to supplement county 4–H programs. This event provides positive leadership and educational opportunities for senior 4–H members from across the state in an effort to develop these young people to their full potential to become productive citizens and catalysts for positive change to meet the needs of a diverse and changing society. During State 4-H Congress, club members participate in social events, recreational activities, workshops, and competitions.
During the competitive events:
- Jackson County 4-H Club won first place in the male volleyball tournament.
- Jackson Callahan won 1st place in the Computer Contest. The Computer Contest was hosted by Dr. Mariah Morgan. Jackson was tasked with creating an app for the android phone. Jackson created a game called Super Deadpool.
- Ny’Kqwria Crear won 1st place in the Personal Development Contest. Ny’Kqwria created 3 virtual and balsa wood bridge models to determine “Which Balsa Wood Bridge is the Most Efficient”.
- Shannon Lewis, Jerrick Dubose, Ny’Kqwria Crear, and Alysia Rester won 3rd place in the Robotics Contest. The Robotics Contest was hosted by Dr. Mariah Morgan. The robotics team was tasked with building and programming a robot to achieve specific tasks.
In addition to competing, the Jackson County 4-H Club enjoyed an athletics tour of Mississippi State University. The team also enjoyed taking part in workshops and recreational activities at the Sanderson Center and Union Hall.