By Jen Cushman 

UConn 4-H is fortunate to have dedicated volunteers who go above and beyond to impact the lives of youth. These dedicated 4-H volunteers share their time, resources, and knowledge to mentor, lead, and work behind the scenes to implement positive youth development 4-H programming. UConn 4-H is proud to share that three of these outstanding volunteers were nominated for and were selected as recipients of three national awards. June Zoppa is selected as a 2026 National 4-H Hall of Fame Laureate, the National Salute to Excellence Volunteer of the Year Award winner is Sam Spain, and the National Salute to Excellence Lifetime Volunteer Award winner is Patricia Miele Bianchi.  

Hall of Fame  

The National 4-H Hall of Fame Laureate Award was established in 2002 to recognize the significant lifetime impact of 4-H volunteers, professionals, and donors within 4-H. June Zoppa becomes the fifth individual from Connecticut to receive this esteemed recognition. In October, June will be inducted during a formal ceremony to be held in Kansas City, Missouri.  

June Zoppa is a lifelong 4‑H volunteer and leader with 53 years of service to Hartford County 4‑H. Beginning as a junior leader in 1971, she has impacted the lives of UConn 4-H members and volunteers as a Club Leader, Hartford County 4-H Fair Association Advisor, Hartford County 4-H Advisory Committee Treasurer and Chair, and Hartford County 4-H Camp Board Trustee. She also served in numerous state 4-H committee roles, including as the State Expressive Arts Day Committee and chaperoned many 4-H trips. June is the only volunteer to have served simultaneously on all three county governance bodies.  

She was recognized for her impactful volunteer service at the county, state, and regional levels. She has mentored more than 55 Fair Officers, helped raise funds for numerous county 4‑H programs, and ensured safe, enriching experiences for tens of thousands of 4-H youth.  June is a previous recipient of the 2021 Connecticut and Northeast Regional Salute to Excellence Lifetime Volunteer Award.   

Her tireless energy and can-do attitude make her the “go-to” volunteer. She is highly regarded for her humility, work ethic, youth centered leadership, and the ability to employ collaboration, creativity, and compromise. June’s impact on Hartford County 4‑H will be felt for generations.  This 53‑year volunteer truly “Makes the Best Better” every day in the way she gives of her time and efforts to UConn 4‑H.  

Salute to Excellence  

The National 4-H Council selects volunteers annually for the Salute to Excellence Volunteer Awards. Volunteers with more than 10 years of service are selected for the Lifetime Volunteer Award, and Volunteers with 10 or less years of volunteer service are considered for the Volunteer of Year Award. Annually, there may be one winner in each of these two categories of awards for each 4-H regional area. The regional winners are then nominated for consideration to become the sole recipient of the National Volunteer Award in each of their respective categories. 

As a dedicated volunteer in Hartford County and at the state level for 49 years, Patricia Miele Bianchi has significantly contributed to the 4-H community in Connecticut. Pat has earned the distinct honor of being the National Salute to Excellence Lifetime Volunteer Award winner. Her current roles include serving as a National 4-H Conference Chaperone, Hartford County 4-H Fair Association Advisor and a Hartford County 4-H Camp Board Trustee. Previously, she was a club leader, a Hartford County 4-H Fair Association Director and member of the Hartford County 4-H Advisory Committee. Patricia’s willingness to take on various tasks makes her a role model for 4-H youth and the community, highlighting her commitment to the 4-H program. She leverages her experiences as a 4-H member and volunteer to highlight the positive influence of 4-H on young people’s lives, always striving to “Make the Best Better.”  

Patricia’s lifelong involvement with Hartford County 4-H began in her youth when she actively participated in South Windsor 4-H Clubs. She took part in County Fashion Shows, Foods Shows, 4-H Fairs, Big E demonstrations, interstate exchange programs, and various state and national events, earning numerous recognitions. Her journey with 4-H also included attending Hartford County 4-H Camp as a camper, counselor, and staff member.  

Through her 4-H experiences, Patricia developed leadership skills and participated in the Fair as an exhibitor and officer of the Hartford County 4-H Fair Association, contributing to many successful fairs at Bradley Field. Today, she continues to give back to Hartford County 4-H by helping at the camp, evaluating at Expressive Arts Day and the Food & Nutrition Show, viewing Public Speaking Demonstrations, and judging Public Speaking and Record Books at the Hartford County 4-H Fair. She also volunteers in the Food Building, cooking, and running activities. Additionally, she is a past 4-H Club Leader of Cookies & Cutters and was inducted into the UConn 4-H Hall of Fame in 2021. Patricia’s contributions to the organization are as significant as the benefits she has gained from it.  

Sam Spain was honored with the National Salute to Excellence Volunteer of the Year Award. She has been an incredibly active presence in Hartford County 4-H since joining as a leader 9 years ago with Athena’s Warriors 4-H Robotics Club. In an average year, there are 25+ members in her robotics club. In addition to the 500 hours she clocks leading the 4-H Team each year, she allocates countless hours to coordinating and traveling to FIRST regional and district competitions. Sam is a strong advocate of 4-H amongst the FIRST robotics community and regularly promotes 4-H to others.  

Under Sam’s leadership, 4-H programming opportunities in FIRST robotics have been expanded, and the awareness of 4-H within the FIRST club has been promoted.  Sam has developed unique program opportunities for the 4-Hers in her club and has motivated members to become involved in community service activities. Sam goes above and beyond to provide opportunities for 4-H members and has expanded her 4-H club leadership to include opportunities for middle school youth to engage in 4-H robotics programming. The 4-H club has expanded to a build space in the Downtown Hartford Makerspace in the former G Fox Building. In 2023, Sam approached the Hartford County 4-H Fair Association with a proposal created by the Athena’s Warriors 4-H Club to create a FIRST Robotics Competition at the 4-H Fair. Under her leadership, 4-H teams are now able to participate in a FIRST robotics scrimmage during the Hartford County 4-H Fair. 

The team has had many successes in recent years including being finalists in the Hartford Competition, qualifying for the World Competition, and winning numerous district event awards. Sam Spain is a champion of 4-H and provides numerous opportunities to youth across the robotics project area and truly exemplifies the qualities of a 4-H volunteer that is worthy of being recognized as the National Salute to Excellence Volunteer of the Year.  

UConn 4-H is stronger because of the dedicated volunteers who support the over 29,000 youth engaged annually in programming. Nominations for the Connecticut selection of Salute to Excellence and Hall of Fame as well as other state 4-H awards are due to the county offices by July 1 each year.