Four Sussex Academy students represented Delaware at the National 4-H Ignite Summit in Washington, D.C. March 25-29.

The group included sophomores Lillie and Reid Bradley, freshman Ella Marquez and eighth grader Alex Mavity. This was Lillie Bradley’s second year attending the event.

Now in its fourth year, Ignite is presented by the National 4-H Council and features six focus areas: agriscience, animal science, community accelerators, Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF), STEM, and healthy living.

More than 1,800 teens from 53 states and territories attended the event, where they explored their selected tracks through field trips, hands-on workshops, career sessions, panel discussions and networking opportunities. New sessions on public speaking, career readiness and presentation skills were added this year, contributing to a total of 329 workshops. In addition to Sussex Academy students, seven other Delaware pupils attended.

In addition to specialized workshops throughout the week, Ignite attendees heard from keynote speakers, took tours of Arlington National Cemetery and visited several museums, galleries and landmarks relevant to their cohorts.

The Delaware delegation also took time for sightseeing and a tour of the monuments in and around Washington, D.C. before concluding the week by attending a dance for all state representatives the final evening.

Mavity, the youngest delegate, learned about leadership and the forms it takes.

“Like the summit, life is full of different paths, and 4-H has taught me there are many ways to lead,” he said. “I enjoyed learning about engineering and military families in my pathway and meeting teens from across the country.”

Lillie Bradley attended the community accelerators track with Marquez after participating in the healthy living track last year. She said returning to Ignite strengthened her commitment to 4-H.

“I had another amazing experience,” she said. “I gained knowledge I can bring back to my fellow 4-Hers and made great connections.”

Reid Bradley, who focused on healthy living, had a similar thought on his trip.

“It was a lot of information presented in a fun, engaging way,” Reid said. “I encourage anyone interested in Ignite to apply and join Delaware 4-H—it has opened so many doors for me and helped me learn how to connect with others.”

Marquez said the summit encouraged her to take initiatives in the state, county and local 4-H club.

“I enjoyed learning how I can make a positive impact in my community,” she said. “Ignite inspired me to start projects, advocate for others, and connect with people from across the country.”

All 11 Delaware delegates are active 4-H members representing all three counties. Each student completed an application and interview process to earn a spot at the summit. For more information about the Ignite Summit, visit 4-H.org/events.