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Kane County Fair board awards 4-H scholarships

The Kane County Fair board of directors has named Meredith Abbs, Noa Greenfeld, and Brooke Wackerlin as its 2019 scholarship recipients.

Each student, who is an active member of a local 4-H Club, will receive $750 per year for four years, or a cumulative total of $3,000, as they continue and complete their higher education.

"We are pleased to continue the tradition of awarding scholarships to worthy young students in our 4-H community," said Larry Breon, chairman of the Kane County Fair board of directors.

"It's an honor for us to award monetary assistance to these three outstanding students who have achieved academic excellence, given back to their communities, and set high goals for future success."

• Meredith Abbs of St. Charles is graduating from St. Charles East High School with a cumulative GPA of 4.531. A passionate conservationist, Meredith plans to attend the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point to study forestry and to pursue her passion of becoming a ranger in a national park.

A lifelong lover of animals and nature, Meredith has cultivated this over the years through volunteer service with the Chicago Zoological Society as a King Conservation Scholar; the Fox Valley Wildlife Center; and exhibiting as part of Kane County Fantastics 4-H.

Abbs' 2018 4-H wildlife project on bison and their journey back from the brink of near extinction was awarded Kane County Fair Grand Champion and earned a Superior ribbon at the 2018 Illinois State Fair.

Abbs was part of her high school's Gamer's Club and a local theater group (Marquee Youth Stage).

• Noa Greenfeld of Elgin is ranked in the top 2% of students at Larkin High School in Elgin. She has been involved in 4-H her entire life and is an independent member of the Westdel 4-H Club.

Throughout her 4-H career, Greenfeld has participated in sewing and construction, visual arts, foods and nutrition, theater arts, and child development. At Larkin, Greenfeld was heavily involved in the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, National Spanish Honor Society, plus volunteering in her school and the community. She was part of the Big Brother, Big Sister mentor program helping underclassmen adjust to life at Larkin.

In her senior year, she was named captain of the cross country team, track team, and of the competitive dance team. She will attend the University of Illinois at Champaign/ Urbana to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance.

• Brooke Wackerlin of Waterman ranks third in a graduating class of 55 students at Indian Creek High School in Shabbona with a GPA of 4.02. She is a member of the Kane County Ambassadors and the Lincoln Highway 4-H Club. Wackerlin is vice president of Future Farmers of America, president of her 4-H Club, and president of the National Honor Society. She is involved with the Youth Environmental Program, community service, and other school activities, in addition to working on her family farm with livestock.

Wackerlin will pursue animal science and pre-pharmacy when she attends the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in the fall.

Since the launching of its Kane County Fair 4-H scholarship program more than 10 years ago, many Kane County area 4-H students have been awarded financial assistance to further their education.

For more information, contact the Kane County Fair at (630) 584-6926.

Meredith Abbs
Noa Greenfeld
Brooke Wackerlin
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