Local student wins national 4-H honor

A Fort Valley teen’s project to help veterans has landed her the biggest 4-H honor.

Amelia Day, 18, was awarded the 2017 National Youth in Action award in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.

Each year, the National 4-H Council presents four awards in the categories of agriculture, healthy living, STEM and citizenship — for which Day won — and one of those students receives the top prize. Day, the daughter of Ken and Kellie Day, has been in 4-H since age 9, and she is the first Georgia 4-H member to win a Youth in Action Award.

“When they called her name, we were literally stunned,” Kellie Day said. “We’re still a little overwhelmed. It was so much bigger than we understood or comprehended.”

Day, a home-schooled student who graduates this spring, created her Operation: Veteran Smiles service project in 2012. She has delivered more than 4,000 handmade cards and care packages to patients in the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center in Dublin. Each kit includes a toothbrush, toothpaste, tissues, soap and usually a deck of playing cards.

Day received a $5,000 scholarship for her citizenship award and an additional $5,000 for the national award. She plans to use the money to go to culinary school in a year.

As the national 4-H spokesperson for the next year, she will do speaking engagements at events across the country. Amid her travels, she plans to complete college core classes online and do some part-time work.

“I’m very grateful for this award. I’m very honored to receive this. I know it’s going to help my project grow nationally, and I know it’s going to help 4-H,” Day said. “I’m representing all of 4-H. I’m kind of the image of 4-H and what 4-H has to offer.”

4-H has 6 million members now but wants to reach 10 million by 2020. Day hopes she can encourage more young people to get involved in the organization. Sponsor U.S. Cellular is using Operation: Veteran Smiles as its employee community service project and is in the process of creating a website where community members can make donations.

This story was originally published March 22, 2017 at 4:53 PM with the headline "Local student wins national 4-H honor."