Kane County Fair board awards $15,000 in 4-H scholarships to three local students

The Kane County Fair board of directors in St. Charles has announced that Cecilia Ochs of Algonquin, Katelyn Dorn of St. Charles, and Willa Getzelman of Hampshire have been named as its scholarship recipients for 2026.

Each student, who has been an active member of a local 4-H Club, will receive $1250 per year for four years, or a cumulative total of $5,000, as they continue and complete their higher education.

“We are pleased to award these high-quality high school 4-H members with monetary assistance to pursue higher education,” said Larry Breon, chairman of the Kane County Fair board of directors. “They achieved high academic excellence while being actively involved in their 4-H clubs and at the Kane County Fair, as well as giving back to their communities.”

Dorn, a graduate of St. Charles North High School, is a member of the Burlington Ag 4-H Club. She will be attending the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and will pursue a major in nursing.

She earned a weighted 5.421 GPA and was an active member of the National Honor Society in Math, Science and Social Studies at her high school. Dorn was active in many other activities, including Key Club, Monday Math Tutoring, SCN Science Peer Tutoring, and Business Tutoring. She is involved with the Vacation Bible School at Saint Patrick Catholic Church in St. Charles.

Dorn is proud of her participation with 4-H. She was an active member of the Kane County Ambassadors and participated in the Illinois Spring Thing in the dairy bowl division, where she qualified for the Illinois State team and the National Dairy Quiz Bowl Competition in South Dakota.

“My rural upbringing on my grandparents’ dairy farm provided me with experiences that I would never give up,” says Dorn. “The most important experience I had with 4-H is that it let me show cattle while teaching me leadership skills and helping me improve my communication abilities. Through 4-H, I gained experience by following government officials and participating in camps, which showed me different career options.”

Getzelman, a graduate of Hampshire High School, is a member of the Burlington Ag 4-H Club. She will
attend Joliet Junior College with agriculture/animal science as her area of study.

She earned a 3.84 GPA and received academic honors with a FFA Greenhand Pin, FFA Chapter degree pin, and nominated for the National Honor Society. She was active in FFA, student council, FFA leadership team, fishing club, pep band, and marching band. Her community activities included: Feed My Starving Children and assisting with the District food bank and running elementary PTO events.

Regarding her 4-H experience, Getzelman states, “4-H has been a huge part of my life for the past 12 years. I joined 4-H as the nervous little 6 year old, who was very shy and quiet. Here I am 12 years later, having been club president for 3 years, historian of my current 4-H club, and also a Kane County 4-H Ambassador for three years. For the upcoming 2026 Kane County Fair, I will be showing horses, sheep, and 2 angus heifers. Fair week is easily the best week of the year.”

Ochs, a graduate of Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville, is a member of The Mighty Titans 4-H Club. She will pursue a major in psychology and minor in music at Illinois State University.

She was ranked number 1 in her graduating class of 550 students and earned a 4.0 GPA. Ochs received many academic honors, such as Illinois State Scholar, AP Scholar, National Honor Society member and vice president, Illinois Music Honor Society and vice president, National STEM Honor Society and executive board member. Her community activities are many, including as an Altar Server at her church; teen and children’s choir mentor; making birthday bags for the Community Crisis Center, and much more.

“Growing up in a 4-H family greatly impacted the person I am today,” says Ochs. “My parents and family grew up doing projects and going to the fair, so that is how I was raised, too. Kane County Fair week and the days leading up to it are always fun (and crazy) times for my family. Some projects that I enjoy doing consistently include clothing, foods, visual arts, civic engagement, leadership, and woodworking. By participating in these areas each year, I have been able to build on my skills from the year prior and continue becoming more proficient in diverse areas.”

Since the Kane County Fair board 4-H scholarship program began over 16 years ago, many Kane County area 4-H students have been awarded financial assistance to further their education from the Kane County Fair board.

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