Recently 105 students in Mrs. Shannon Holmes’s and Mrs. Andrea Gilson’s Honors Junior English classes wrote and presented Optimism Club speeches answering the question: “How Optimism Has Helped Me Through Trying Times.”

Eight students were selected to deliver their speeches to the two Green Bay Optimist Clubs and compete in the Optimist Club Speech Competition held here at NDA on Monday, April 7.

Sara Vande Hei took first place, Audrey Owusu second place, and Mia Dreger third place.

Vande Hei and Owusu will present their Optimist Club Speeches at the District Competition on April 26 in Stevens Point.  Winners there will be eligible for scholarships.

“We are extremely proud of these students for their poise, dedication, and talent,” said Gilson, who coordinated the competition here at NDA.

The Optimist Club Speech Competition has been a longstanding, traditional speaking competition at NDA, a tradition initiated by one student’s Optimist Club dad.  The student was Allie Metzler.