Nelson earns 4-H's highest honor with Diamond Clover Award

Ethan Nelson, a nine-year member of the Bunkerhillbillies 4-H Club and the Nebraska 4-H program, was recently awarded the highest recognition that can be achieved in the 4-H program with the Diamond Clover Award for his yearlong entrepreneurship project, "Starting a Business, You Can Do It!"

Nelson worked alongside one of his key supporters, Sidney Public Library Director Doris Jenson, for the Nelsonart© note card sales display at the Sidney Public Library. Nelson's project included a marathon of book signings, workshops, business displays and presentations throughout 2013 and 2014 that evolved from his collaboration with author Charlotte Endorf to illustrate her book, Bless Your Hearts, The North Platte Canteen.

His schedule included the 2013 Visionaries Youth Art Exhibit at the Western Nebraska Art Center in Scottsbluff, the Western Nebraska Community College Art Gallery opening, book signing and outreach and the Sidney Public Library book signing.

He also participated in an entrepreneurial outreach with Endorf – a six-week Nelsonart© note card sales display that designated the profits to support the library, a Cheyenne County Art Guild Artist of the Month display and a presentation to the Nebraska LEAD 33 Fellows at the Western Nebraska Community College. Nelson's project reached 40,224 people.

Nelson said that he owes the success of his project to the support and encouragement of his community sponsors: Jenson and Endorf; Judy Amoo, dean of business at Western Nebraska Community College; and Mason Burbach, Western Nebraska Art Center executive director.

"In addition to having my note cards and artwork displayed at the library, I also worked as a library volunteer," Nelson said. "I can strongly recommend that any youth wishing to gain experience, learn professionalism, work with the public and serve your community to check out the programs at the library."