Making Connections

A teenager speaks at a podium as two adults and another teen look on.

Mississippi 4-H President Morgan White of Oktibbeha County, left, speaks to the Mississippi House of Representatives. Behind her are Mississippi Speaker of the House Jason White, representative for Attala, Carroll, Holmes, and Leake Counties; Mississippi House Agriculture Committee Chair Bill Pigott, representative for Lamar, Marion, and Walthall Counties, and Mississippi 4-H President-elect Joshua Brown of Lee County.

Mississippi 4-H Ambassadors meet state leaders at 2026 4-H Legislative Day

Story by Leah Bowers | Photos by Kevin Hudson

Each year, Mississippi 4-H Ambassadors travel to the State Capitol to meet their representatives, senators, and other state leaders of Mississippi. The 2026 visit gave these 4-H leaders the chance to meet the state’s top decision-makers: Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann, and Speaker of the House Jason White.

Scroll on to see highlights of several Mississippi 4-H’ers who participated.

Teens in green jackets sit on a balcony, while adults sit in the main audience. — *Mississippi 4-H Ambassadors visited the House of Representatives to support* **Mississippi 4-H President Morgan White’s** *address to state leaders.*

Six teens wearing green jackets talk with a seated person at a wooden desk. — *Mississippi 4-H’ers including, from left* **Annalyn Cates** *of Lamar County,* **Karley Jo Harrison** *of Union County,* **Hannah Hood** *of Holmes County,* **Connor Stokes** *of Monroe County,* **Joshua Brown** *of Lee County, and* **Michaela Failla** *of Hancock County, met and talked with* **Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves***, seated.*

Two teens in green jackets talk to a man wearing a suit and gesturing. — **4-H’er Isabella Hancock of** **DeSoto County***, left, and* **Annalyn Cates** *of Lamar County talked with* **Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann** *at the 4-H Legislative Reception following their visit to the Capitol.*

Mississippi 4-H Ambassadors and the counties they represent include:
Tori Bankston, Jasper	AubriAnna Hutcheson, Union
Kelcey Beene, Alcorn	Neely Grace Jordan, Leflore
Jordan Brooks, Holmes	Cameron Kelley, DeSoto
Joshua Brown, Lee	Joy Kitchens, Wayne
Dalton Buchanan, Rankin	John Clayton Kitchens, Wayne
Emma Claire Burwell, Holmes	Brianna Lance, Washington
Annalyn Cates, Lamar	Padaris Lawrence, Oktibbeha
Jonathan Champion, Washington	De’Breylon Lee, Pike
Julian Chavez, Lincoln	Mariah Malone, Oktibbeha
Lilly Conn, Lincoln	Emily Mauney, Tippah
Robert Cox-Osborne, DeSoto	Joseph McDaniel, Lincoln
Willow Cox-Osborne, DeSoto	Alexia Murray, Washington
Dusti Cox-Osborne, DeSoto	Roxie Robertson, Union
Makayla Davis, Claiborne	William Ross, Rankin
Chloe Ervin, Alcorn	Abigail Russell, Lincoln
Michaela Failla, Hancock	Roxy Ryan, Alcorn
Payton Farris, Jasper	Myrtralynn Shanks, Alcorn
TJ Ford, Oktibbeha	Emmalee Grace Smith, Leake
Jaria Fulton, Washington	AnneMarie Smith, Pike
Abby Grant, Union	Korie Stallings, Oktibbeha
Elliott Haffey, Itawamba	Connor Stokes, Monroe
Theodore Haffey, Itawamba	Emaline Swindoll, Yalobusha
Isabella Hancock, DeSoto	Josie Thompson, Lauderdale
Karley Jo Harrison, Union	Kylee Tomlinson, Oktibbeha
Londyn Harrison, Yalobusha	Amber Wells, Claiborne
Hannah Hood, Holmes	Morgan White, Oktibbeha
Jacob Hoover, Pearl River	Charlotte Wiltshire, Pearl River
Orin Howell, Holmes