Hawkins County 4-H Agent Recognized for Service With Youth
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The accomplishments of the faculty and staff of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture were celebrated at an annual awards luncheon held on the UT Knoxville campus in the new Agriculture and Natural Resources Building on July 30. Many of the awards are gifts made possible by faculty, alumni and friends of the institute.
UTIA Senior Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice President Keith Carver hosted the luncheon and praised the honorees for their work. “The enthusiasm and expertise demonstrated by our UTIA faculty and staff is unparalleled,” he said. “I am always in awe of their dedication to providing real life solutions to the people of Tennessee. These well-deserved awards represent impacts and accomplishments that benefit Tennesseans and society now and for years to come.”
Emily Barton, 4-H agent with UT Extension Hawkins County, was recognized as the winner of the Vernon and Ida Darter Award. Named for the late UT Extension Dean Vernon W. Darter and his wife, this statewide award honors excellence among the ranks of associate Extension agents.
“It’s a great honor to receive recognition for my work, but I did not act alone,” Barton says. “A large team of program assistants, administrative assistants, fellow agents, community partners, volunteers, teen leaders and 4-H members lead exceptional programing with me. They serve as a guiding body to the programs we offer. This award recognizes our team efforts.”
Barton has been with UT Extension nine years, also working in Carter County in 4-H youth development. She has served as an advisor for the Eastern Region 4-H All-Stars, coached forestry judging teams and taught life skills programming to 4-H youth.
“Sometimes it takes years to know the impact you had on a student, while others happen in just a few moments,” Barton says. “It is a humbling and powerful thing to be curator of opportunities that touch lives so deeply.”
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch, and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.