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Ohio 4-H Youth Development

Ohio State University Extension

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Celebrating Our Clock Trophy Winners

Clock trophies are laid out to be distributed to class winners.

More than 250 clock trophies were awarded to the most outstanding 4-H youth participant in each project class at this year’s Ohio State Fair. Gyllien Anderson, Addison Mullins, and Miles Ott are just a few of the 4-H members honored with this award, and they shared details about their project work and what it means to compete at the Ohio State Fair and win a clock trophy.

Gyllien Anderson is from Portage County and in her eighth and final year of 4-H. Not only has she completed sewing projects every year since joining 4-H, but she was also selected to compete at the state fair each year. This is the third clock trophy Gyllien has won, with her previous trophies being awarded for the “em*bel*lish” and “Ready, Set, Sew Active!” clothing projects. This year, Gyllien decided to challenge herself by taking the “Creative Gyllien Anderson poses in her award-winning costume.Costumes” project. She made a structured skirt out of plaid wool fabric, complete with a stage and two working marionette puppets controlled through a pocket in the front of the dress. She completed the outfit by making bloomers, a wool corset, an envelope hat, and clothing for the puppets. The finishing touch included decorating her mother’s wedding shoes to match the pattern on her dress.

For Gyllien, the clock trophy represents what it means to be in 4-H. “It’s not just about who can create the best outfit; it’s also about sharing yourself and your work to the judges. You have to be able to explain your project and be knowledgeable about the techniques and skills that went in to making each piece.” As a first-generation 4-H member, Gyllien said “Joining 4-H changed my life. My sewing projects brought me closer to my mother, the person who taught me how to sew, and I’m excited to pass these skills on to my own children in the future and get them involved in 4-H.”

Addison Mullins competed in the advanced senior division of the cake decorating project this year. She started 4-H as a Cloverbud and has been a member in Scioto County for the past seven years, where she Addison Mullins stands with her enchanted forest-themed cake.completed cake decorating projects every year. This year marks her fourth trip to the Ohio State Fair with her project, but the first time she has won a clock trophy. “I’ve been working toward this for a long time, so if feels really good to have my hard work acknowledged at this level,” said Addison.

The inspiration for many of her cakes come from the books Addison reads, and this year her enchanted forest-themed cake was no different. She learned much of what she knows about cake decorating from her grandmother, who has experience working as a professional cake decorator. “She’s taught me a lot of tips and tricks over the years,” said Addison, “It’s also been great to have a common interest and something that we can do together.” Addison plans to continue taking cake decorating projects for the rest of her 4-H career and is hopeful she will be selected to compete at the Ohio State Fair again. She is also grateful to have a lifelong hobby that will allow her to continue to try new designs and practice her skills.

Miles Ott from Franklin County also won his first clock trophy at this year’s Ohio State Fair, where he shared his “Science Fun with Electricity” project. He started 4-H as a Cloverbud and has been a member Miles Ott displays his poster and battery-powered electric motor.of his 4-H Club for two years. This was his first trip to the Ohio State Fair as a competitor, and he said he was thrilled to have the opportunity to present his project at the state level so early in his 4-H career. “I felt really proud for achieving this goal,” he said.

Miles’ interest in science, math, and engineering prompted him to select this project, and believes it has been a great fit for him. His favorite experiment was learning how to use fresh fruit to power an alarm clock. He also enjoyed figuring out how to build an electric motor and said, “I thought it was really cool that you could power fans and other electric things with magnets and a little bit of battery power.” He learned a lot taking this project and said he looks forward to taking more science-related projects in the coming years.

The Ohio 4-H Foundation congratulates all the 2022 clock trophy winners. Thanks also to the clock trophy sponsors whose generosity enabled recognition of these young people and their outstanding efforts. A complete list of the 2022 clock trophy sponsors can be found at our website. If you know a clock trophy winner, thank-you notes for sponsors can be sent to the Ohio 4-H Foundation, 2201 Fred Taylor Drive, Columbus, OH 43210, and we will make sure they are delivered to the appropriate sponsor.