Avondale students make their optimism come true

Six students from Avondale School District took top honors at the Auburn Hills Morning Optimist Oratorical Contest speaking on the contest topic, “How My Optimism Will Help Me Press On to the Greater Achievements of the Future.”

Receiving gold medals at the competition were seventh grade students Amanda Dowd of Troy and Jad Fakhoury of Rochester Hills. Earning silver medals at the event were eighth-graders Zofia Wagner of Auburn Hills and Akhil Reddy of Rochester Hills. Bronze medal winners were seventh-grader Hannah Bahorski and eighth-grader Mustafa Baig, both from Auburn Hills. All of the students attend Avondale Middle School.

Dowd and Fakhoury will compete against winners representing other Southeast Michigan Optimist Clubs in April at the Regional Oratorical Contest in Clarkston. From there the top orators travel to Olivet College in May for the District Contest and face competitors from around Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. The top male orator and the top female orator at the District level will each receive a $2500 scholarship.

The speeches are judged using specific criteria including poise, content of speech, delivery and presentation and overall effectiveness. The students delivered their speeches during recent Optimist Club meetings in front of parents, educators and community leaders. “All of the students did a wonderful job,” said Club President Bill Johnson. “Each of them had an interesting and unique interpretation of the topic which was to share how optimism will help them achieve their goals. Their words were inspiring.”

The Auburn Hills Morning Optimist Club has been sponsoring the contest since 1976 when the club was first chartered. In addition to the Oratorical Contest, the Club sponsors many activities around the community supporting Avondale students and staff. Those activities include Christmas and Back-to-School shopping with area youth, Tri-Star Basketball Competitions, Bicycle Safety Clinics, Educator of the Year Awards and student recognition awards.

Optimist International, dedicated to “Bringing Out the Best in Kids”, is one of the world’s largest service club organizations with 2,900 clubs around the world. Six million young people are impacted each year through club service projects. The Oratorical Contest is one of the organization’s most popular programs with approximately 2,000 clubs participating annually. More than $150,000 in college scholarships funded by the Optimist International Foundation is awarded annually through the contest.

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