2022 Awards Ceremony

The 2022 Morris County 4-H Awards Ceremony was held on November 12

Congratulations to all of our 4-H'ers, club leaders, board members, volunteers, and families for your contributions and achievements during the 2021-2022 4-H year!

County level awards and higher were presented at our special Awards Ceremony on Saturday, November 12th at Morris County's Public Safety Training Academy. We had the big auditorium and many helpers to make it a success.

The event and all awards, trophies, and plaques were sponsored by the Morris County 4-H Association. A thank-you also to the Morris County Public Safety Training Academy for providing us with the space.

See the slide show or below for the details on our award recipients. Congratulations!

Sean McConoughey

4-H'er of the Year is awarded to outstanding 4-H members who have shown deep commitment and significant involvement in the 4-H program through club, county, state and national activities. The 4-Her of the Year also demonstrates leadership and service to others through their 4-H involvement. For these reasons, the 2022 4-H'er of the Year is Sean McConoughey.

Sean started his 4-H career six years ago as an active member with the Morris Marksmen 4-H shooting sports club. When the pandemic put this club’s activities on hold, Sean sought out other opportunities to connect with 4-H members. He joined a small team of 4-H teens with the goal of recreating the beloved Morris County 4-H Fair within the world of Minecraft. The wildly successful Minecraft 4-H Fair led to the creation of the Minecraft 4-H Club and Morris County 4-H YouTube Channel. In both these efforts, Sean led the design and delivery of virtual events including Minecraft tours to the public and short themed video compilations.

In 2021, Sean’s interest in engineering and technology inspired him to start a new club, the ResistoJets Rocketry 4-H Club. Quickly, the club achieved national success by placing 17th overall in The American Rocketry Challenge (TARC). This allowed the club to submit a proposal to the NASA Student Launch Initiative, a highly-competitive program. Under Sean’s guidance as Team Leader, the club was selected as the only NJ representative out of both the middle/high school and college/university divisions. The team is currently developing their rocket for competition in addition to sharing their work process and love of STEM with the public.

Sean’s leaders describe him as someone who sets steep goals, doesn’t take no for an answer, and will always find a way to bring his vision to life. But he doesn’t do it alone. He knows how to build a successful team and recruits new members along the way. He eagerly shares his knowledge and skills and inspires curiosity for STEM in others. Morris County 4-H is excited to recognize Sean as the 2022 4-H'er of the Year!

Eva Giannella

The National Leadership Award was created by William Danforth in 1941 to recognize young people who have demonstrated qualities of constructive leadership. The award recipients should strive to achieve their highest potential and positively influence others through their service. For these reasons, this year’s National Leadership Award is presented to Eva Giannella.

Eva started her 4-H experience as member of the Dogs R Us 4-H club seven years ago. In this club, she has served as Treasurer and Secretary as well as lended her artistic talents in creating club pages for the yearbook, displays at the Fair, and t-shirts. In recent years, she added the Morris County 4-H Teen Council and NJ 4-H State Teen Council to her 4-H experience.

Eva has represented Morris County 4-H at many county and state events including Holiday Caroling, St. Patrick’s Day Parade, State Dog Show, Cupcake Wars Competition, and, of course, the 4-H Fair. At the 2022 Morris County 4-H Fair, Eva served as the Foods and Nutrition Division Chairperson. Her participation in each of these activities demonstrates tremendous growth from her beginnings as a quiet 4-H member.

With much encouragement from her fellow club members and leaders over the years, Eva built up the confidence to participate in competitions, run for club officer positions, serve as a county representative to NJ State Teen Council, and serve as a Division Chairperson at the Fair. Now, she is serving in a leadership role to younger 4-H members. Her club leaders describe Eva as a welcoming presence to the newest club members. Her journey from shy kid to active teen is something many youth can identify with and learn from her experience.

Congratulations, Eva, for being selected as our 2022 National Leadership Award recipient!

Mahi Gupta

Morris County 4-H is excited to introduce a new award to our program. The President’s Volunteer Service Awards honors individuals whose service positively impacts their communities. Bronze, Silver, and Gold level awards are achieved based on the recipient’s age and total number of hours served. Youth as young as 5 years old can earn this award and we encourage all our 4-H members to consider applying. This year, Morris County 4-H recognizes Mahi Gupta as a Gold level award recipient. Congratulations, Mahi!

Michael Pipoli

This memorial award honors Clara R. Farst, longtime Fair volunteer and club leader for 12 years. This award honors her memory by recognizing an individual whose behind the scenes actions positively impacted the Morris County 4-H program. This year’s award recipient is Michael Pipoli.

Michael enjoys volunteering at many of our county’s 4-H events. At each event, he can be found hauling program materials, setting up tables and chairs, packing and unpacking the county van, and so much more. Over the years, he has spent countless hours assisting the 4-H office with set-up and clean-up of events such as Science-sational Day, Awards Night, Public Presentations, and, of course, the 4-H Fair. It’s hard work, but he does it all with a smile. At the 2022 Morris County 4-H Fair, Michael supported the Facility Managers by moving equipment and supplies, setting up displays and signs, and making repairs as needed. Whenever help was needed, he was ready to lend a hand. Michael’s behind-the-scenes efforts are greatly appreciated which is why he has been named the Clara Farst Volunteer Award recipient for 2022.

Hoffman's Supply Home and garden Center

The Friend of 4-H Award is given in recognition of an organization or individual that provided significant support to the Morris County 4-H program. This year, the honor is awarded to Hoffman’s Supply Home and Garden Center. Their donation of a pole light and dumpsters to the 2022 4-H Fair directly supported the health and safety of our 4-H community and fairgoers. We thank Hoffman’s Supply Home and Garden Center for their generous donation of in-kind items.