Shannon DeWitt, Union County Extension Agent & County Director

Congratulations to a former Union County 4-H member Mrs. Cadie Chapell, who was selected as the 2022 Spring Graduation commencement speaker for the UT Knoxville College of Arts and Sciences.

Chapell contacted her former 4-H agent, Shannon DeWitt, to let her know the big news.

“Do you remember all of those years of public speaking? I loved competing every year, even if I never made it past regionals. It was a great experience for me. Well, all these years later, I think the practice finally paid off. I’ve been selected to be the commencement speaker for the College of Arts and Sciences graduation. I’ll be speaking in front of like, 10,000 people. I’m so excited, and I wanted to let you know.”

“You supported me as a speaker for years. I remember that I didn’t even plan to compete in my first competition, but you singled me out and encouraged me to try. Because you believed in me, I fell in love with public speaking. Now, I’ll be speaking on a larger scale than I ever could have imagined.”
 
“Thank you for pushing me all of those years ago. Know that what you’re doing with 4-H is growing and inspiring people in ways you may never know.”

Shannon added, “I can’t tell you how proud I am of this young lady!”