Washington, DC. – Illinois 4-H member Paris Van Dyke of Clay County was chosen as a one of two national brand ambassador for Ignite 2025 following a nationwide search.
The Ignite by 4-H Summit, held March 13-17 in Washington, D.C., is a four-day experience where high school-aged teens from across the country connect, make memories, and explore the best 4-H has to offer in STEM, agriscience, healthy living, career readiness, and emotional well-being. The event features inspiring speakers, hands-on workshops, and opportunities for youth to develop their leadership skills while networking with peers and industry professionals. The brand ambassador is a new role for 2025, created to conduct youth interviews and share updates throughout the event.
“I have always been passionate about 4-H, and showing every year, I knew I wanted to give back,” says Paris. “4-H has had an immense impact on my life. It has taught me many skills and responsibilities in the barn and life.”
During her time at Ignite, Paris was able to further develop a range of valuable skills. One key area was her ability to prepare and conduct interviews, where she learned the nuances of asking the right questions, connecting with interviewees, and creating an engaging and insightful conversation. This experience also played a significant role in enhancing her skills for her podcast, as she gained more hands-on practice in producing, editing, and delivering content. The combination of refining her interviewing techniques and gaining deeper knowledge in podcast production has allowed her to grow both as a communicator and a content creator, laying a strong foundation for future projects.
“The people were incredible, and their energy was contagious. You could immediately tell they were motivated by their passions, and that kind of designation resonated with me,” says Paris. “It was inspiring to see how everyone was aligned with a common purpose, working not just for success but for something they truly believe in. That's exactly what I aspire to do—be part of something that ignites that kind of passion and makes a positive impact.”
Paris is a freshman at Lake Land College in Mattoon, studying Ag Communications.
About Illinois 4-H: Illinois 4-H is the flagship youth development program of University of Illinois Extension and administered through the College of Agriculture, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences. 4-H grows true leaders, youth who are empowered for life today and prepared for a career tomorrow. The hands-on approach in 4-H gives young people guidance, tools, and encouragement, and then puts them in the driver’s seat to make great things happen. Independent research confirms the unparalleled impact of the 4-H experience, demonstrating that young people are four times more likely to contribute to their communities, two times more likely to make healthier choices, two times more likely to be civically active, and two times more likely to participate in STEM programs.
For Further Information Contact:
Source: Paris Van Dyke, 4-H Brand Ambassador
News Writer: Sophia Schneider, 4-H Communications Intern, sschn1@illinois.edu
Press Contact: Carissa Nelson, Media Communications Manager, carissa7@illinois.edu
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.