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competitions on a high note on Wednesday, July 23, as he earned 3rd place in the general recreation category of the competition at the Georgia 4-H State Congress in Atlanta.
Barrow, who recently graduated from Montgomery County High School in May, has been competing in the Georgia 4-H DPA competitions since fourth grade. Each year, Prior to the competition, he prepared a presentation, speech, and portfolio on a topic/category of his choice; after sharing his presentation at the competition, he was judged on presentation skills and style, subject knowledge, and portfolio content.
In January, Barrow competed in his last Southeast District Junior-Senior DPA competition at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center near Eatonton, and won 2nd place in the general recreation category, earning him a trip to the State Congress for a chance to achieve the distinction of “Master 4-H'er.”
Barrow’s project focused on his experience as the Montgomery County High School Marching Eagles Drum Major, as he informed the audience about all of the ins and outs of the role. Barrow served as the school’s drum major for three years and completed his last marching season last fall.
“I cannot wait to show off all the hard work that I’ve put in,” he reflected on his district victory. “I’m so excited to make my county proud.”
Last week, Barrow traveled to Atlanta for the state competition, after spending several weeks perfecting his presentation. He presented around 9 a.m. on Wednesday, July 23, and was announced as the competition’s 3rd place winner later that night.
“I feel honored and humbled to not only attend State Congress, but to also get 3rd in the competition,” Barrow emphasized. “DPA has absolutely helped me with public speaking. The hardest part is finding the confidence to get in front of a room of others to present, but it has definitely helped me grow in that area.”
Montgomery County Extension Agent Lauren Stanley commented, “DPA is a great way for our students to develop necessary leadership, interpersonal, and intrapersonal skills to carry with them throughout their lives. I am so proud of Max and all that he has accomplished, and am so glad he got to shine for his last year in the program.”
“District Project Achievement is about students trying new things, breaking free from their comfort zones, and learning how to become great leaders,” Montgomery County 4-H Program Assistant Julie Waller remarked. “Having a senior get the opportunity to continue to share his project at State Congress makes this year’s competition even more special. Public speaking does not come easy to everyone, and when you factor in that Max has hearing loss that has affected him his whole life, that third place win gets a little bit sweeter. He had to work three times harder than everyone else, but succeeded every time. I am so proud of Max, and grateful that he was able to end his time a 4-H'er on a high note.”
Barrow, Stanley, and Waller also reflected on Barrow’s time in the Montgomery County 4-H program, as he will now move on to college. “4-H has been my second family and my largest friend group,” Barrow said. “I would absolutely recommend it to anyone.”
Stanley remarked, “To know Max is to love him, and I’m so thankful for the time I’ve been able to spend with him since starting with extension. I hope he will come back and make more memories with us as a volunteer!”
“Max has been such an important part of our Montgomery County 4-H program,” Waller added. “I have watched him grow so much over the past years, but one thing always stayed the same: his desire to be the best version of himself. He has the ability to do and be anything he sets his mind to. We will miss him dearly but are so excited to see him thrive in the future.”
Next month, Barrow will move to Statesboro, as he pursues a degree in psychology. He plans to remain active with the Montgomery County 4-H program as a volunteer.
