Allison Emanuel of Laurys Station was the 2023 Parkland Garden Club Scholarship winner.

Since receiving the scholarship, Allison completed her reign as the 2022 Great Allentown Fair Queen this past September, according to the garden club.

She has had a very busy first year at the Penn State Berks campus.

She is majoring in business, with an agriculture business minor, and finished her first year with a 3.84 GPA.

In February, Allison was selected to be part of the Pennsylvania 4-H State Council, heading up the outreach committee.

This council is a premier group of 10 young people selected from around the state as the official spokespeople for the Pennsylvania 4-H program.

Over the course of their one-year term, these individuals represent the program and industry gatherings, plan state-level events, and attend 4-H activities and meetings across the commonwealth of PA.

During the school year, Allison is employed by Penn State Extension in Berks County as a part time 4-H program assistant.

This role allows Allison to make weekly visits to multiple Reading school children and teach 4-H STEM activities.

When Allison is home during the summer months, she is employed by Penn State Extension in Lehigh County as a full-time 4-H summer program assistant.

She travels throughout the county visiting school-age day care centers where she provides 4-H STEM activities.

In addition to the 4-H outreach programs, Allison has planned and run multiple evening camps designed for Lehigh County 4-H members.

Programs have included candy making, woodworking, rocketry and more.

In addition to her full time position, Allison works on her family’s farm.

Emanuel Farm is a small fruit and vegetable farm located in Laurys Station.

Allison’s specialties include organically grown strawberries and blueberries.

As a member of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Allison had the opportunity in January to attend the Young Agriculture Professional Convention.

She took a tour of the Land O’ Lakes facility and saw the process from raw milk to a prepared stick of butter.

A very active member of the Lehigh County 4-H Potato Judging Club, Allison received fourth place in the honors division in the 4-H PA State Potato Judging Competition.

In addition to the 4-H Potato Judging Club, she is also a member, former president, of the Lehigh County 4-H Farm to Table Club.

This year, Allison, along with her fellow 4-H Club members, grew seedling and planted the garden plot for Allentown West Rotary Green Thumbs Garden Project.

This year, she has been writing articles for the Friends of the PA Farm Show newsletter.

Her articles focus on different aspects of the Pennsylvania 4-H program.

Allison will be returning this fall to Penn State Berks for her second year.

This year, she as taken on a new role assisting other on campus college students as a resident assistant.

Next fall, Allison is planning to continue as a resident assistant at Penn State Main Campus.