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The recipients of the 2023 4-H Council Senior Scholarships are Lillian Hoerle and Levi Cronk.

Applicants must have exhibited 4-H projects four years during 7th through 12th grades, as well as other criteria. Applicants were required to write about their 4-H career and how the organization has affected them.

Hoerle, of Amelia, is the daughter of Mark and April Dexter and will be graduating from Chambers High School. She has been enrolled in 4-H for 15-plus years.

During her career, she showed dairy goat, companion animal, art, sewing and other consumer and family science/home environment classes. Hoerle served on the Holt County 4-H Council and attended several 4-H camps. She will be attending college for school psychology.

"4-H has had many opportunities that I have been able to experience," Hoerle said in her application, "It has helped build the person I am today and will forever be my favorite activity I'm involved in. 4-H may not have anything to do with school psychology, but the way I have gained experienced through 4-H has built that spark."

Cronk, of Page, is the son of Alan and Karen Cronk and graduated from Summerland Public School earlier this month.

Involved in 4-H for 14 years, Cronk has been involved in a wide variety of projects, from livestock to wildlife to food and gardening, with his favorites being meat goats, canning and woodworking. He has shown the former at the Nebraska State Fair, helped with community events and served as various club officers. He will be attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to study agronomy.

"Through 4-H, I have learned many life skills and lessons that will help me in my next step in life. Patience is a great skill to have in life, I learned that through the time it takes to train animals so that they know what you are asking of them while in the show ring. Also, with patience, is that you don't always make the perfect cut the first time. I learned that being patient will get you further on your first try. Communication is a very important life skill that I have acquired from 4-H. This is from interview judging to the confidence in public speaking. I have learned from the many years of interview judging, how to think on your feet. The 4-H program has helped prepare me for college," Cronk said