The Poss-ABILITIES Showcase was on Wednesday, July 13, at the 2022 Kosciusko County Fair. It allows those with special needs to show animals with the help of mentors. Participating were from left: Front — Jordyn Leininger and Skylar Payton; middle — Hannah Kohler, Kiya Miller, Anna Seewald, Taelyn Tom, Sofia Nieto, Marisa Alvarez, Jenna Knepp and Sarah Yoder; back — Abbi Kohler, Evan Goshert, Cameron Zimmerman, Railly Miller, Max Andrew, event judge Barb Martz and Mireya Alvarez. InkFreeNews photos by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Hannah Kohler was straight to the point about getting to show animals through the 2022 Kosciusko County Fair’s Poss-ABILITIES Showcase.

“I like to do this,” she said.

The Wednesday, July 13, showcase was Kohler’s fifth one, and the sixth time overall for the event. It allows children and teenagers with special needs in kindergarten through 12th grade to show animals with the help of so-called mentors, who have volunteered for the program.

Participants meet a few times with their mentors before each year’s show to learn about the animal they’re showing. The showcase is non-competitive, but it does include a judge who asks participants about their animals.

Serving in that role this year was Warsaw Community High School special needs teacher Barb Martz, who also is in charge of myTEAM TRIUMPH locally, which allows those with special needs to participate in runs.

Kohler showed a goat with the help of her mentor and sister, Abbi Kohler.

Their mother, Jennifer Kohler, praised the program.

“We just love the Poss-ABILITIES program just to give children of all abilities the ability to show and be a part of 4-H,” she said, adding thanks to former 4-H’er Mikaela Bixler for starting the showcase.

“Hannah shows in the regular show too and her sister (Abbi) was behind her in showing and just stepped up even there, helping her set up her goat and get her prepared,” added Jennifer Kohler.

Anna Seewald’s participation in Wednesday’s showcase marked the sixth time she’s done so. She shared that she’s enjoyed being in the showcase and getting to know her mentor, Cameron Zimmerman, and his family through it.

Her mother, Amy Seewald, noted that four of the eight participants who showed animals Wednesday with the help of mentors also participate in regular 4-H too.

“Our goal is for them to learn here, because here is a stepping stone into real 4-H,” she said. “So if these kids can get started early enough, they can step right into (regular) 4-H and they can be in both programs.”

Amy Seewald further explained how the program benefits participants.

“Well, some of these kids, even though we’ve got four already in regular 4-H, some don’t really have that opportunity,” she said. “Some are afraid to take that step out there because it’s a lot more people, and they just can’t be involved with that many people. … So we do this so there’s not as many people. It’s them and one other family and so it makes it easier on them.”

She emphasized that what participants “want is what every other kid in this area wants is to be included.”

“They just want to know that they’re just like everybody else and that’s what we want to do this for,” she said. “They deserve to be out here showing these animals the same way every other kid does.”

“It’s a huge awareness. It’s an acceptance, you know understanding that these people are just like you and me and giving them this opportunity is huge,” said Martz regarding Poss-ABILITIES.

Amy Seewald praised the kids who volunteer to be mentors. She cited the fact that one mentor, Evan Goshert, actually reached out to his schoolmate, Kiya Miller, to see if she wanted to participate in the program.

The two showed a pig together Wednesday.

Bixler also mentioned the “connection” that forms between participants and their mentors.

“I have loved seeing all the kids just kind of becoming part of the family and how the mentors have just made a picture of inclusion and acceptance, and that’s my favorite part,” said Bixler.

To learn more about how to be mentors or participants in the program for 2023, people should contact the Kosciusko County Fair Extension Office.

Posing for a photo before the showcase are Leininger, left, and Payton.

Before the showcase are Tom, left, and Railly Miller.

Posing are Knepp, left, and Yoder.

Taking a moment for a picture are Seewald, left, and Zimmerman.

Andrew, left, stands with Nieto.

With their goat are sisters Abbi Kohler, left, and Hannah Kohler.

Posing with their goat are sisters Marisa Alvarez, left, and Mireya Alvarez.

With their show pig are Goshert, left, and Kiya Miller.