BUCHANAN — Urban design, cake decorating, woodwork, stained glass work, photography and scarecrow-building may appear to be unrelated areas of interest, but Devin Robbins has completed projects in each.

Since he was 3, the Buchanan High School Class of 2019 member has competed in 4-H projects and won awards for them. Now, in his last year with the youth program, he has the chance to win a statewide recognition.

In August, he will represent St. Joseph County’s 4-H program at the Indiana State Fair in public speaking. His grand champion win in the category at the St. Joseph County Fair earlier this year secured him his spot at the state event.

The public speaking opportunity comes in the wake of other awards. This year, he was runner-up in a 96-county 4-H scholarship contest. He won grand champion in urban design at the St. Joe fair in 2018. Just this month, he was recognized by his 4-H group for his 15 years of 4-H project participation.

Some of those unfamiliar with the youth organizations may take “projects” to mean animal showing at county fairs, Robbins said. The breadth of projects to enter, though, is much larger, and the takeaways from participating go past the numerous colored ribbons he has won since he was in elementary school.

“I actually had to show off a bunch of what I could do,” he said. “All the crazy stuff inside my mind, I just put out there to show a bunch of people, and people actually started loving it.”

Robbins credits his mother, who entered him into 4-H projects 15 years ago, as the person who got him to where he is now in the organization.

His mother, Rebecca Robbins, said she grew up participating in non-animal 4-H programs. She signed him up as a toddler so he could make new friends and learn new skills.

Her son still remembers some of those early projects, like Lego-building, dessert decorating and scarecrow-building.

“I was actually quite excited to try new stuff on my own, and even though my stuff wasn’t as good as the 10-year [participants], I was giving it my all,” he said.

Robbins remembers a rock-and-roll-themed scarecrow he built in third grade. It was made to look like a skeleton. He laughs about it now, but he said back then, other third-grade students found it cool.

Robbins has kept up with scarecrow-making, but he said he has placed a focus on photography these last few years. A picture of his younger sister became one of his best pictures.

Regardless of the type of project he entered, though, Robbins said he found value.

“If any kid is looking forward to being in this, I would say give out your inner talent,” he said. “Not many kids are able to show it in their way, but 4-H came around for me.”

His mother agreed. Even when the pair “spectacularly failed,” they were able to learn something from it, she said.

Without 4-H, Robbins might not have tried out for and won Mr. Buchanan, a ceremonial role given to Buchanan area teenagers.

“He got the confidence to try something like that because he’s done 4-H all these years,” Rebecca said. “It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I can do something new.’ No, he can do something new.”

She said 4-H also taught Robbins how to properly fill out dense project application paperwork.

“It teaches them things like follow-through, which is useful for scholarship applications and college applications and work applications,” she said.

Robbins has filled out some of those applications with success. He will spend a few months in Japan, where he will live at a school, learning the nation’s language and culture. When he gets back to the U.S., he will start school at Southwestern Michigan College and enter its welding technology program.

He also plans to become involved with 4-H again, this time as a supervisor.

“It’s too much fun to give up,” Robbins said.