On 4-H and FFA Day at The Big E, three students were presented with the Ruby Morris 4-H Scholarship at the Mallary Complex in West Springfield, Mass. Erin Judd, Tahlia Watson and Emma Roeben earned their scholarships through a commitment to their 4-H clubs within their home states as well as Eastern States Exposition’s (ESE) agricultural programming. The awards were presented by ESE Director of Agriculture, Elena Hovagimian; ESE 4-H Animal Science Specialist, Andrew Samuelson; Erin Judd; ESE Trustee Bonnie Burr of the UConn Extension; and Christina DiCenzo, R.I. 4-H Program Coordinator., before a packed show room.

The Ruby Morris Scholarship was established by a vendor at The Big E, Ruby Morris, the former owner of International Housewares, Inc. (IHI). Morris was in the fair business for 15 years. He participated in 4-H activities and was positively impacted by the program while at The Big E. Though IHI is under new ownership and Morris has passed away, his family and business successors continue to support 4-H youths by honoring his commitment and legacy with the scholarship.

Erin Judd of Massachusetts has been an active member of the Massachusetts 4-H teams at The Big E since she became eligible in 2021. She has represented her state exhibiting dairy cattle, in the Dairy Quiz Bowl, while judging dairy and in grilled cheese competitions. She has been a member of the Hampshire County 4-H Cattle Club since 2017 and has served numerous leadership roles, including as reporter, treasurer, vice president and president. From 2023-2025, she also served as a youth county representative on the Massachusetts 4-H Dairy Cattle Advisory.

Her dairy cattle exhibition history includes the New England 4-H Dairy Show, where she earned Reserve Grand Champion Jersey in 2024 and the Junior Champion and Reserve Grand Champion Guernsey in 2025. She has demonstrated exceptional dedication to dairy education and competition. She has been a member of her state’s Quiz Bowl team from 2021-2024, and she served as captain in 2023. Among her many accolades with Quiz Bowl, her 2024 team won first place at the New England 4-H Dairy Bowl contest, where she received the Senior General Knowledge Award. The team went on to compete at the National 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl Contest in Louisville, Ky., placing seventh in the nation.

This fall, Judd will attend SUNY Cobleskill to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science with a concentration in dairy cattle.

Tahlia Watson of Connecticut has been a UConn 4-H member for the past nine years. She has participated in a variety of 4-H projects, including dairy, beef, rabbits, public speaking, leadership and STEM. She has also served as a county 4-H Fair Association officer as Fair President, Vice President of Livestock, Corresponding Secretary and Program/Publicity Chair in addition to numerous club-level roles and as a member of the State 4-H Council.

She has shown livestock at numerous levels, including at the Hartford County 4-H Fair, the Connecticut-Rhode Island Holstein Show as well as the Northeast All Breeds Spring Show and the Big East Beef Show, both at Eastern States Exposition (ESE), where she has exhibited dairy cattle, beef and meat goats.

Watson has a passion for livestock. She has represented UConn 4-H as a delegate at the National 4-H Dairy Conference and judged on the 4-H livestock team at the North American International Livestock Exposition. She is currently pursuing an animal science degree at the University of Connecticut, where she is also engaged in numerous extracurricular activities, including the 4-H Dairy Club.

Emma Roeben of Rhode Island feels that 4-H is a major part of her life, and she credits it with making her the person she is today. In her home state, she volunteers at county fairs and with the R.I. 4-H Club Foundation.

At The Big E, Roeben has shown dairy cattle every year since 2022 and has participated in every kind of relevant competition. Her experiences at the Fair have helped her improve the genetics of her own dairy cattle herd, and her tireless dedication to her projects has paved the way for her to show cattle at the international level. She also credits 4-H to providing her with friends across the United States, expanding her social circle so that she is a part of a community of fellow hardworking students with like-minded interests and commitments.

The education of youths in New England and the prioritization of the agricultural industry are vital pieces of ESE’s mission. The organization congratulates these three young ladies on their leadership achievements and thanks them for their enduring commitment to their own education and agriculture in New England. ESE also thanks IHI and the Morris family for their continued support of 4-H students.