National 4-H Council has named Jonas Pak-Lin, 18, of Charlotte, North Carolina, a runner-up for the 2027 4-H Youth in Action Award, a national honor that recognizes young people who turn their 4-H experiences into positive impact for others. Pak-Lin was selected for his work to help young people build confidence and strengthen their public speaking skills.
Pak-Lin's commitment to helping others build those skills grew from his own journey with communication and confidence. Once hesitant to speak up or connect with unfamiliar people, he found a supportive community through 4-H that encouraged him to embrace his voice, pursue leadership opportunities and build meaningful connections with others.
One difficult public speaking experience helped turn that growing confidence into a desire to help others. After forgetting the words to a speech during a Model UN competition, Pak-Lin began leading workshops to help other young people overcome their own fears of public speaking.
At the center of those workshops is the idea that becoming a stronger communicator takes practice. Through hands-on activities and games such as Balderdash, participants learn to think on their feet, express themselves freely and approach public speaking as an opportunity for growth rather than something to fear.
What began with individual workshops has since grown into an effort to make public speaking practice more accessible to young people. To provide those same opportunities to students across the country, Pak-Lin launched Virtuo, a free AI-based initiative offering practical public speaking resources.
Pak-Lin credits 4-H with changing not only his confidence as a speaker, but also the way he approaches leadership and hard work.
“In the high-achieving environment of my school, it often felt ‘uncool’ to admit to trying hard. 4-H changed that for me,” Pak-Lin said. “I learned to embrace the fact that I love the work: the logistics, the planning, and the persistence required to see a project through.”
His experience has also shaped how he sees the reach and relevance of 4-H.
“I now know that 4-H belongs in all types of communities—suburban, rural, and urban—and I’ve made it my mission to share that everyone can benefit from the four leaves of the clover.”
Pak-Lin will attend Cornell University in the fall and plans to pursue a career in government consulting.
