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4-H Scholarships Awarded to Local Youth: Part 1

Author: Allison Kosto, MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent

Allison Kosto

MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent

The purpose of the Broadwater County 4-H Leadership Scholarship is to help 4-H youth further their education. It is awarded to active 4-H members who have exhibited strong leadership skills and successfully completed at least two 4-H projects each year of high school. This year, we had an outstanding class of graduating seniors in the 4-H program and awarded a total of seven scholarships. This is the highest number of scholarships that has ever been given in a single year, and I’ll be recognizing these accomplished youth over the next two weeks. The recipients of the $700 scholarship are Tanner Bird, Spencer Braaten, Anna Dabling, Lexi Davies, Kenzie Knaub, Mishayla Lambott and Kaitlyn Noyes.

Tanner Bird is a ten-year member of the Toston Blue Ribbon 4-H Club. His 4-H projects have included shotgun, swine, visual arts and archery. Each member in 4-H chooses their own leadership journey and Tanner has chosen to showcase his leadership skills through his 4-H projects. He has participated in the shotgun project for nine years, and with his experience, he is able to assist younger members with their shooting form and marksmanship. As a longtime member with hogs, he helps younger members with tasks such as vaccinations and worming. On his scholarship application, Tanner shares, “4-H means a place where I was given an opportunity to learn new things, the courage to lead and the friendships to grow.”

Another ten-year member of the Toston Blue Ribbon 4-H Club, Spencer Braaten has been involved in a variety of 4-H projects including swine, archery, meat goat, robotics and shotgun. He has held many officer positions within his club, including president, vice-president, treasurer and parliamentarian. He has attended state 4-H events, including 4-H Fall Leadership Training and Montana 4-H Congress, where he placed second in the state in livestock judging in 2025. Through 4-H, he has found a passion for the livestock industry starting his own business raising hogs and selling farm-to-market pork. On his scholarship application, Spencer shares, “4-H has helped shape me into the person I am today from getting involved within my community and getting involved in so many different ways.”

Anna Dabling has been a member of the Crow Creek Clovers 4-H Club for five years. Her 4-H projects have included swine, poultry, photography and visual arts. She has been secretary in her club for the past two years, winning the County 4-H Secretary Award. She enjoys helping younger members and is most proud of her accomplishments in the 4-H poultry project, winning multiple fair awards. When asked on her scholarship application how 4-H will help her prepare for the future, Anna shares, “I’ve learned that success comes from repetition. Though practice may not always make perfect, practice will lead to better understanding, confidence and greater success.”

Toston Blue Ribbon 4-H Club is graduating another ten-year 4-H member, Kenzie Knaub. Her 4-H projects have included gardening, scrapbooking, baking, photography, archery and knitting. She has been an officer in her 4-H club as treasurer for multiple years and parliamentarian. She also has assisted with 4-H scrapbooking workshops, helping younger members learn about the types of materials and creating new projects. On her scholarship application, Kenzie shares how 4-H will help her in the future, “It's helped me to be confident in my way of speaking and presenting to other people. I think this will lead to being a good and proactive citizen of the new community I will enter.”

Congratulations to all! You are a testament to the power of 4-H! Good luck in your future endeavors and thank you for everything you contributed to Broadwater County 4-H. Watch for our next three scholarship winners next week. To inquire about the 4-H program, contact MSU Extension in Broadwater County at 406-266-9242 or broadwater@montana.edu.

Article Images

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PhotoCredit: From the individual families
Image 1 Caption: Tanner Bird Photo Provided by Family
Image 2 Caption: Spencer Braaten Photo Provided by Family
Image 3 Caption: Anna Dabling Photo Provided by Family
Image 4 Caption: Kenzie Knaub Photo Provided by Family