Optimist Oratorical Contest
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The Clinton Optimist Club hosted its annual Oratorical Contest , providing local students with an opportunity to showcase their public speaking skills while competing for scholarships. This year’s topic, “The Moment I Realized I Belonged—My Definition of Community,” inspired thoughtful and personal reflections from participants. The contest, open to students under the age of 19 who have not yet graduated from high school, required each student to submit a written speech and incorporate the official topic into their opening sentence.
Participants included Jesse Amuso, Matthew Walden, Claudia Hepler, Jack Foley, Sierra Townsend, Annalise Perry and Josey Bauer. Congratulations to Sierra Townsend who won first place, and Claudia Hepler who won second for this round. Said high school ELA teacher Taylor Staskowski, “I am so proud of these kids! Coaching them was such a wonderful experience!”
The Clinton Optimist Club continues to celebrate and support student achievement, with winners advancing to district and potentially international levels, where scholarships of up to $15,000 are awarded.