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Reynolds builds leadership skills through 4-H, school

By Gwen Sour 4 min read

VINCENT - For Levi Reynolds, an interest in shooting sports began with lessons from his grandfather. Now, the 16-year-old wants to help other young people have the same opportunity to learn.

The Warren High School junior balances college coursework, student leadership and national 4-H shooting competitions while serving as a shooting sports ambassador. Across those commitments, Reynolds is building skills he hopes will eventually help him serve his community in public office.

But his introduction to the sport came long before those ambitions, when his grandfather began teaching him firearm safety at age 4.

Reynolds said those supervised experiences established habits that continue to guide him as a competitor and advocate for safety.

"Not everyone got the pleasure that I did for having someone at such a young age to teach me," he said.

Now in his seventh year of 4-H, Reynolds has pursued projects ranging from livestock to shooting sports. He showed feeder calves at the Barlow Fair for three years before moving into market dairy goat projects. He also has shown a market goat at the Washington County Fair.

His interest in shooting led him to the Washington County Bullseye 4-H Club and eventually to an opportunity that arrived during a difficult time.

In January 2025, shortly after his grandfather died, Reynolds received a call about an opening on Ohio's air pistol team for the national 4-H shooting sports competition.

He accepted, beginning a new chapter in the activity they had shared.

That first national competition brought team accomplishments Reynolds still recalls in detail. He said the air pistol team scored 903 in rapid fire, surpassing the previous team record by 151 points, and 964 in slow fire, exceeding that record by 35 points. The team also tied the silhouette record, he said.

This year, Reynolds competed in muzzleloading and earned an individual achievement. He said his score of 129 in the second day's 25-yard novelty competition set an Ohio record and placed him 10th nationally for the day. His team finished 12th overall.

The experience also tested his ability to support a teammate.

Before his turn, Reynolds was spotting for a teammate whose firearm malfunctioned, leaving her little time to complete her shots. Afterward, the two had to regroup so she could spot for him.

Reynolds went on to score 10s on his first four critter targets, a performance he said excited his coach and helped turn the day around for both teammates.

Now preparing for pistol competition in June 2027 in Grand Island, Nebraska, Reynolds hopes to build on those results.

"I hope to break records again," he said.

Practice is part of that preparation, but Reynolds said being mentally ready when he reaches the competition will matter, too.

His involvement extends beyond his own scores. Reynolds said he was selected as one of two young people representing Ohio as national 4-H shooting sports ambassadors.

He attended ambassador training in Eatonton, Georgia, where participants learned how to represent the program. Since then, he has helped present awards at regional matches and taken on speaking responsibilities.

Closer to home, he wants to help rebuild participation in Washington County shooting sports, which he said has lost both young participants and instructors.

Giving others access to safety instruction is a central part of that goal.

"And to have fun with a firearm is to be safe," Reynolds said.

Leadership also has been a consistent part of his school experience. Reynolds has participated in student council since fifth grade, helping plan dances, fundraisers, pep rallies and spirit weeks.

He also has participated in student-led restorative practices, learning about conflict resolution, leadership and managing difficult situations through group discussions.

Although he takes classes at Washington State, Reynolds said he remains involved at Warren and helps with school activities whenever he can.

His college coursework includes American national government and business management, with business law among his upcoming classes. He is working toward an associate degree in business administration and hopes to graduate from high school with that degree completed before pursuing a bachelor's degree.

"It's the same classes I would take in college, out of high school," Reynolds said. "So might as well start now."

Outside school and competition, Reynolds enjoys fishing, hunting, tying flies and traveling. He also works with leather, a hobby he discovered at 4-H camp. Colorado ranks as his favorite travel destination.

After completing his business education, Reynolds hopes to gain experience working in a bank, law office or another professional setting. Eventually, he would like to return to school to study political science.

Then, he said, he hopes to bring that experience home and possibly run for office.

Starting at /week.