- Author: Eve Dowdell
Let's give the 2023 California 4-H Diamond Clover awardees a round of virtual applause!
We are so proud of this year's Diamond Clover awardees. They've been developing their 4-H career for years to earn this award. We congratulate them for their commitment to and passion for the 4-H program. Each of the six awardees have dedicated over seven years of service and leadership to 4-H. Some have spent more than ten years, striving since Day One to be the change in their community. We hope that you continue to make the best better throughout your life.
Now for our awardees:
Sanjana Badami, Alameda County
As a senior from Alameda County 4-H, Sanjana Badami has spent her seven years in 4-H wisely. Serving as her club's President, working on Youth Summit and SLC Planning teams, and representing her county as a County Ambassador are just a few ways she has been of service to the 4-H program. Her contributions to 4-H also include civic engagement, spending her time to serve her community through coat drives and food bank donations. Sanjana also leads her club's Service-Learning Project. As a Teen Leader, she helps project members fundraise and put together projects like hygiene kits for homeless shelters, sock drives for kids, and more. Sanjana has demonstrated her commitment and care for the 4-H program and has grown, thanks to her time in 4-H. As she says herself, “I'm learning to be strong when faced with adversity and become a leader that is ready to face the challenges of the world”. We celebrate Sanjana and are proud to see what inspiring things she does next.
Michaela Beckman, Orange County
As one of your 2022-2023 4-H State Ambassadors, Michaela Beckman strives to demonstrate key 4-H values. Her time in 4-H has made her a passionate believer in the power of youth and inspiring others with actions. As an active member in her club and county, Michaela spends her time working to leave a positive impact through holiday-time service projects, environmental projects, and youth mentorship projects. Furthermore, her work with the Second Harvest Food Bank helps provide fresh, healthy produce for those in need. Her belief in the childhood mantra, “Sharing is Caring” guides her every action, inspiring her to show the importance of caring more for others than our own self. This philosophy has helped her get far in the 4-H program and will help her as she moves through her final year in 4-H. We celebrate Michaela and cannot wait to see how she helps makes the world a more united, caring place.
Ben Cederlof, Madera County
As one of your 2022-2023 4-H State Ambassadors, Ben Cederlof uses the six “C's” to cultivate his leaderships skills and involvement in 4-H. From starting a multi-county initiative that promotes leaderships opportunities in 4-H – to serving in several club leadership roles – to representing California 4-H at the National 4-H Conference – Ben's experiences have taught him how to use his skills to find solutions for problems in his community. Using the competence and confidence from his leadership and public speaking experiences, Ben has been able to connect with people across the nation. He has developed an awareness of the words and actions he uses which has led to the development of his character. Last, but not least, Ben has created opportunities to show care and support to 4-H'ers throughout the state. Throughout his nine years in 4-H, his contribution to the 4-H program has grown and made a difference in the lives of those around him. We celebrate Ben and look forward to how he continues to practice the six “C's” to accomplish his goals.
Serafina Martinez, Orange County
Missy Pendleton, Sonoma County
4-H has instilled a passion for community service in all of its participants, but few are as active as Missy Pendleton. In addition to partnering with local service agencies like Salvation Army and Oakland Children's Hospital, Missy collected numerous donations for homeless shelters, senior homes, and military drives. Furthermore, she has been recognized by various organizations through awards like the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, the San Francisco 49ers' Community Quarterback award, and the Soroptimist Divisional level award. These awards acknowledge her drive for civic engagement and leadership from her early years of 4-H to now as an adult volunteer. Missy has served in leadership roles like County "All-Star" Ambassador and Executive Club Officer, cultivating her teamwork and communication skills. Missy spends her time now giving back to the 4-H program, advising her County Ambassadors as the All-Star Advisor. Young Alumni, like Missy, who see the value in the 4-H program are now using their California 4-H Grown skills to shape the leaders of tomorrow.
Collin Robinson-Burmester, Yolo County
Collin Robinson-Burmester's 4-H journey started in 2009. Since then, he has completed over 50 projects, contributed to countless service opportunities, led various county events and more as a passionate 4-H'er. As a Yolo County Ambassador, Collin demonstrated to his peers how much 4-H can add to a life. He developed his connection and communication by collaborating and building positive relationships with both youth and adults. Collin's civic engagement has included using his spark for metal working to support his community. In partnership with a local non-profit, Bike Garage, he repaired bikes and taught the basics of bike maintenance to his community. Collin has also worked in countywide and multi-county events like the Youth Summits, through which he taught youth to respect others and their contributions. He credits his strength of character, confidence, and competence to the 4-H program. We celebrate Collin for his commitment to the 4-H program and can't wait to see how he grows as a successful adult that makes a positive difference in his club, community, country, and world.
CONGRATULATIONS, again to our HIGHEST ACHIEVING YOUTH of 2023. You truly are the best of the best!
If you are interested in applying for the Diamond Clover Awards, you can find more info on our Diamond Clover Awards page. Though you can apply as early as 17-years-old, you need to start working on the qualifications a few years before applying. Applications are open year-round and evaluated each June.
- Author: Eve Dowdell
The 2023 University of California 4-H Golden Clover Awards recognize outstanding achievements of members, volunteers, program staff, and groups within the UC 4-H Youth Development Program. This 4-H year, we offered Special Edition Golden Clover Awards in two categories, Robert Brownlee Science and Jack and Robert Clay Outdoor Adventure. We had four winners, two in each category, that demonstrated excellence in their corresponding category.
These youth and adult leaders were announced during the Closing Ceremonies at the 4-H State Leadership Conference. Here are your Special Edition awardees!
Robert Brownlee Science Golden Clover Award
The Robert Brownlee Science Award recognizes science inquiry and experiential learning in 4-H work to help youth increase knowledge, skills and competencies and improve their attitudes about science. This includes increasing science awareness and use in 4-H projects by testing predictions and making sense of observations. The Robert Brownlee Science Award is sponsored by the Robert Brownlee Foundation. In honor of the visionary, Robert Brownlee (1942-1991), the Foundation was established in 1987 to provide financial awards for creating and maintaining innovative programs for youth.
Hannah Perry, Sonoma County
Hannah Perry earned this award for her research and work writing a paper on the importance of beeswax and its uses by both bees and humans. Her outstanding essay titled, “The Importance of Beeswax”, demonstrates her knowledge of bees and how they rely on beeswax for the success or failure of their colony. Hannah explains in her essay that humans have been utilizing beeswax for thousands of years. From embalming in ancient Egypt to letter seals in Rome to perfecting beauty products in the USA, beeswax and humans have a long history together. Hannah's essay brought light to the cleverness of bees as well, pointing out that bees build their hexagonal combs close together to ensure they have enough room for food and to raise their young. Hannah went above and beyond with writing this essay. We will be sharing her full essay on this blog soon.
Liza Stefani, Placer County
Liza Stefani earned this award for her leadership of her club's Swine project for eight years. In addition to instilling a passion for swine, Liza helped her members have a close-up experience with raising swine. Her goal for each project was to teach the “why” behind the swine and the broader livestock industry. Furthermore, Liza advocated for more opportunities for youth in her community to experience the “behind the scenes” of the swine industry. Liza went above and beyond the basic swine school lesson for her youth, giving them a taste of what it is really like to pursue a career in swine. Through this, Liza inspires youth to find their own spark and use it to give back to their community.
Jack and Robert Clay Outdoor Adventure Golden Clover Award
The Jack and Robert Clay Outdoor Adventure Award recognizes outstanding achievement, leadership, and promotion of 4-H camping and outdoor adventures such as camping, fishing, hiking, climbing, GIS/GPS, among others. The Jack and Robert Clay Outdoor Adventure Award is sponsored by the Friends of Jack and Robert Clay. Following a tragic accident in 1987, this Memorial Award was established by the family and friends of Jack Clay and his son, Robert, who were enthusiastically involved in the 4-H camping and outdoor adventure projects as leader and junior leader in Alameda County.
Duarte Goncalves, Madera County
Duarte Goncalves earned this award for his longtime commitment to his county as a chaperone, project leader, and camp adult staffer. With a passion for 4-H Shooting Sports, Duarte became certified in rifle, shotgun, and archery to start his club's 4-H Shooting Sports project. This provided opportunities for youth to experience Shooting Sports and learn about gun safety and marksmanship. In addition, Duarte has been a great presence and influence at his county's summer camp. From hauling materials to camp, to leading Shooting Sports activities, to making campfire and dances safe and fun, Duarte's bright attitude ensures that each camper makes the best memories every year. In every area of his participation, Duarte goes out of his way to ensure members have a positive and beneficial 4-H experience.
Diane McLoughlin, Placer County
Diane McLoughlin earned this award for her efforts and outstanding leadership in addressing and raising awareness in 4-H Shooting Sports and outdoor adventure. Her time as the Penngrove 4-H Club Project Leader for the Shooting Sports – Archery, Outdoor Adventure, and Gardening projects has fostered a collaborative culture for her members and inspired them to embrace knowledge, passion, and advocacy in each project area. Whether she was demonstrating Archery techniques at 4-H events, transporting youth to 4-H competitions, or leading youth through outdoor adventures, Diane consistently motivates youth and guides them as they achieve their goals. With her many accomplishments and involvement in 4-H activities, she embodies the mission of 4-H, engaging youth to reach their fullest potential.
CONGRATULATIONS again to all of our 2023 winners! We celebrate each of you for all you do to help young people reach their full potential and thrive.
Check out our other Golden Clover Award winners.
Applications Open until September 11, 2023
Golden Clover Awards are open to 4-H members, volunteers, groups and staff. Be sure to apply for a Golden Clover Award before September 11th, 2023. There are many types of Golden Clovers you can earn. Learn more about the different awards on our Golden Clover Awards page.
- Author: Laura Snell
I just wanted to give a little update on the 2023 Devil's Garden (DG) Colt Challenge. We had 40 youth in 4-H and FFA enroll in the program from 18 counties all over California. This year, weanlings through two year old wild horses were available to participants from the 2022 Devil's Garden Wild Horse gather. Youth picked up their horses around January 1, 2023. A competition will be held on June 17th at the Junior Livestock Showgrounds (8th and Nagle) in Alturas starting at noon for them to compete for awards in halter, showmanship and obstacle course.
Video Challenge
Each April we have held a video challenge for youth to show us how far they have come with their horses. This was a great activity during Covid but has continued to be a highlight and opportunity to share more about our youth and their horses with partners and interested parties. Videos were evaluated on 4 criteria: Creativity, Horse Behavior, Trainer Ability, and Grooming. The winners this year are below, please enjoy watching their videos. All three winners are 4-H'ers this year!
Thank you for your support of this program and the unique opportunity it provides for youth in California. Please feel free to share this with other contacts that may be interested in the success of this program as well.
Third Place
Zoey and Ginger: Fresno County, Reedley 4-H
Second Place
Anika and Rusty: Contra Costa County, Brentwood 4-H
First Place
Aubrielle and Mystic: Shasta County 4-H
For more information see our website at devilsgardenucce.org and follow Devils Garden Research and Education on Facebook.
- Author: Eve Dowdell
Congratulations to our California 4-H Grown Youth in Action winner, Sruthi Sudarsan!
Despite struggling with social anxiety, Sruthi found the confidence and skills to start her organization, Project C.A.R.E.
Throughout her adolescence, Sruthi Sudarsan struggled with social anxiety. With the help of her 4-H club public speaking and puppetry projects, she found the voice and confidence to rise, despite those struggles. 
Sruthi hopes her outreach and efforts will motivate future generations to rise to the challenge of leadership and community development.
Unsurprisingly, Sruthi's work doesn't stop there. Using her spark of teaching traditional Indian dance to young children, she raised enough money to build and supply a preschool bathroom in Cambodia. She also used her resources to provide the preschool with educational services on the necessity of basic hygiene. Her passions for encouraging youth to overcome personal obstacles and ignite positive change led her to host a mentorship program with Project C.A.R.E. This program trains students to find their civic engagement spark and execute projects using those sparks. She hopes this program will motivate future generations to rise to the challenge of leadership and community development. Sruthi currently has trained over a hundred middle schoolers to become dynamic community leaders and activists. Sruthi also works with younger children, using her puppetry skills to create educational skits about social issues to connect with children ages five to eleven.
As both Youth in Action and State Ambassador, Sruthi cultivates her impact through events, service, and projects.
Sruthi's mentors, leaders, friends, and family both in and outside of 4-H are proud to see her conquer challenges and utilize her personal development to make a national impact. We cannot wait to see what more she accomplishes over this next year—and beyond!
- Author: Eve Dowdell
The 2022 Member of Excellence Golden Clover Award
The Member of Excellence Award recognizes a 4-H member for personal achievement and improvement, setting goals and completing them, excelling beyond expectations, overcoming hardships, and for outstanding and long-term contributions to the 4-H Program. The Member of Excellence Award is sponsored by the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation.
Recipient: Johnathan Salters, San Joaquin County
Johnathan Salters earned this award for his longtime contribution to the 4-H program. His service as County and State Ambassador has shown him to be a true leader, planning and representing his County and State at events and conferences on every level. He charismatically inspires and mentors his fellow 4-H'ers. Johnathan excels at partnering with adult volunteers and staff to promote the California 4-H platform. Furthermore, he has a heart for his community, serving homeless children, fire fighters, and many others.
The 2022 Robert Brownlee Science Golden Clover Award
The Robert Brownlee Science Award recognizes science inquiry and experiential learning in 4-H work to help youth increase knowledge, skills and competencies and improve their attitudes about science. This includes increasing science awareness and use in 4-H projects by testing predictions and making sense of observations. The Robert Brownlee Science Award is sponsored by the Robert Brownlee Foundation. In honor of the visionary, Robert Brownlee (1942-1991), the Foundation was established in 1987 to provide financial awards for creating and maintaining innovative programs for youth.
Recipients: Harini Muthu, Alameda County and Sudharsan Gopalakrishnan, Contra Costa County
Harini Muthu earned this award by designing and publishing a cell phone app that logs 4-H activities by Record Book category, which in turn makes the Record Book process less daunting. Harini encountered a setback when working on her Record Book and worked to resolve it not just for herself, but for all California 4-H'ers. Harini pressed through the arduous process of learning a new programming language, coding the app, and making it compatible for all devices. Once the app was created, Harini worked to get the app approved by the State Incentives & Recognition Advisory Committee. With only a few changes, Harini was able to get it approved. The 4-H Activity Tracker is now available for free on the Apple and Google app stores.
The 2022 Jack and Robert Clay Outdoor Adventure Golden Clover Award
The Jack and Robert Clay Outdoor Adventure Award recognizes outstanding achievement, leadership, and promotion of 4-H camping and outdoor adventures such as camping, fishing, hiking, climbing, GIS/GPS, among others. The Jack and Robert Clay Outdoor Adventure Award is sponsored by the Friends of Jack and Robert Clay. Following a tragic accident in 1987, this Memorial Award was established by the family and friends of Jack Clay and his son, Robert, who were enthusiastically involved in the 4-H camping and outdoor adventure projects as leader and junior leader in Alameda County.
Recipient: Dean and Kai Wu, Santa Clara County
Dean and Kai Wu earned this award by starting the first Rolling Hills 4-H Fishing Project to share their passion and key techniques for fishing with other urban 4-H'ers. This project started online in 2020 and by 2021, they transitioned to meeting in-person. Shifting from distance-learning activities to hands-on activities was exciting for everyone because many of the project members had never fished before. Using the skills they gained as Fishing Project leaders, Dean and Kai organized a fundraiser fishing tournament for the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University. They raised over $8,000 to support kids who struggle with life threatening food allergies. Dean and Kai Wu not only supported their fellow 4-H members with their skills and passion, but they benefited the broader community as well.
The 2022 Fundraising Award Golden Clover Award
The Fundraising Award recognizes an individual and/or group for efforts in fundraising for both financial and in-kind donations generated for local, county, and state levels. Recipients share methods and processes to raise funds and educate others in the fundraising process. The Fundraising Award is sponsored by the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation.
Recipient: County Judging Team, Placer County
The Placer County Judging Team earned this award for their marketing and fundraising efforts to raise money for their county. To fundraise, this team of two 4-H members – Myah Davidson and Joey Stephani - started a “Knowledge Skill-A-Thon” at each of their counties' fairs. They contacted their fairs, proposed their idea, and got both fairs to agree to the event. They spent hours creating and finalizing their idea of a youth-led knowledge test and marketed their event. The “Knowledge Skill-A-Thon” had an amazing turnout. The team also received a $1,000 add-on from an observer for their “hard work” and dedication. Through their successful event, they created a memorable learning opportunity for youth of all ages.
The 2022 Volunteer Leader Mentoring Golden Clover Award
The Volunteer Leader Mentoring Award recognizes a volunteer who changes the life of a peer or youth in a positive manner. The Volunteer Leader Mentoring Award is sponsored by the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation.
Recipient: Michelle Sawyer, Sonoma County
Michelle Sawyer earned this award for embodying a “4-H is about the kids” attitude and her unwavering support of the 4-H members in her county. On top of being an active project member, county council member, and club leader for over ten years, Michelle has been a confidante and friend to many members. She always pushes youth to demonstrate and test their skills at events, both within and outside Sonoma County. Michelle goes above and beyond to encourage and inspire youth at 4-H camp, fair auctions, community service projects, and countless other events.
The 2022 Emerging 4-H Leader Golden Clover Award
The Emerging 4-H Award recognizes a volunteer with five or fewer years of excellent 4-H volunteer service in the 4-H Youth Development Program. The Emerging 4-H Leader award is sponsored by the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation.
Recipient: Elizabeth McWhorter, Alameda County
Elizabeth McWhorter earned this award for her broad range of contributions to the 4-H program at the state and county levels. In 2020, Elizabeth joined 4-H and has provided excellent service in just 2 years! Her service on the State 4-H STEM Education Advisory Committee led her to promote youth engagement in STEM and STEM-related careers at various events, including the State Leadership Conference and State 4-H Field Day. Elizabeth's county work includes Alameda County Ambassador Co-Advisor, Countywide Career Exploration project leader, and co-planner for several events and fundraisers. Elizabeth exemplifies dependability, competency, and commitment to 4-H and its members.
The 2022 Collaboration & Outreach Golden Clover Award
The Collaboration & Outreach Award recognizes individuals or groups who increase awareness of the 4-H Program with communities that are new to 4-H. The Collaboration & Outreach Award is sponsored by the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation.
Recipient: Nature Explorers Camp, Santa Clara Count
The Nature Explorers Camp earned this award by increased interest in environmental education through a 5-day 4-H day-camp for Latinx children in K-3rd grade. Camp teen and adult leaders worked to promote the camp and provide Spanish translations for campers and their families. This camp partnered with several Cooperative Extension programs and other youth-serving programs. Each partner group led one day of activities, ranging from Project Learning Tree to Valley Water and “Veggielution” field trips.
The 2022 Civic Engagement Golden Clover Award
The Civic Engagement Award recognizes a group or individual for contributions that demonstrate living the definition of civic engagement: working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values, and motivation to make that difference. The Civic Engagement Award is sponsored by the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation.
Recipient: Civic Engagement Academy Planning Team, Statewide Team
The Civic Engagement Academy Planning Team earned this award by planning and hosting the one-time, five-day Civic Engagement Academy. This statewide conference was organized in under three months. Both youth and adult delegates learned more about civic engagement and how to make a difference in their communities. The delegates developed a community service-learning project to ignite positive change in their counties.
The 2022 Special Event Group Award Golden Clover Award
The Special Event Award recognizes a member and/or volunteer for individual leadership roles within 4-H camps, conferences, and trainings. This award is given to a group for outstanding educational events or activities that involve youth-adult partnerships in planning and delivery, reach a wide array of youth, and strive to meet local needs. The Special Event Award is sponsored by the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation.
Recipient: Public Speaking & Communications Advisory Committee
The Public Speaking & Communications Statewide Advisory Committee earned this award for their research and programming to support 4-H'ers to learn and practice skills, improve attitudes toward public speaking, and strengthen self-efficacy. This committee was formed in 2020. In just two years, they have coordinated regional and state public speaking events, activities, research, and evaluation. This committee of 26 members has greatly aided the California 4-H program to help youth improve their public speaking confidence and abilities.
Learn more about the 4-H Golden Clover Award, eligibility standards, and award categories.
