Juniors Audrey Owusu and Sara Vande Hei recently competed in the Optimist Club District Contest.

Owusu placed third, and Vande Hei placed second.  

The Optimist Club Contest is an event that challenges students to reflect on the power of optimism in their lives. 

This year’s topic was “How optimism has guided me through trying times,” encouraging students to share their personal stories of perseverance. 

Owusu’s speech focused on her experience of moving countries and the obstacles she faced during the transition. 

With honesty and courage, she shared her journey of navigating through a new environment and overcoming cultural challenges. 

“It took me about a week to write my speech,” she shared. 

Although Owusu was nervous while presenting, she was proud of what she accomplished. 

“I was delighted with myself for what I accomplished and proud of how far I had come from the first time I presented my speech to my last presentation,” said Owusu. 

She also found comfort in having her friend Sara Vandre Hei by her side through the process. 

“Having Sara with me the whole time made the experience much more enjoyable,” she said. 

Vande Hei also shared her experience. 

“For my speech, I shared a personal story and how it made me a better human because of it,” she said. 

Vande Hei’s speech took two days to write, and she spent hours editing it. 

With help from her English teacher and mom, she was able to use her story to create a moving speech.  

Like Owusu, Vande Hei was at first nervous to present. 

“I was leading up to the presentation, but as soon as I was up at the podium, I felt almost calm and relaxed,”  she shared. 

Although she is grateful to have received an award, Vande Hei would like to recognize all the people who stepped out of their comfort zone to give their speech. 

“I thought there were many well-deserving people for the award, but I am beyond grateful they chose me,” she said. 

Not only did the juniors receive a prestigious award, but they also won a Scholarship to help pay for their college tuition. 

Having the courage to be vulnerable, these juniors turned hardships in their lives into motivation to succeed.