Chloe Gaiters, a sixth-grader at East Coweta Middle School in Senoia, and Stephen Burns, a senior at Northgate High School in Newnan, recently won the Optimist Club of Senoia’s oratorical contest based on a theme of “How My Best Brings Out the Best in Others.”
The annual Senoia Optimist Club Oratorical Contest took place Feb. 25 at the Senoia Vineyard Church. Students from schools in the eastern half of Coweta County were invited to participate in this international public speaking event.
Gaiters and Burns will be sent to the Zone level where they will compete against winners from other Optimist Clubs in the area. The winner of the Zone competition will be sent to the District level with the chance to win a scholarship, and then possibly on to the Optimist International Regional/World Championship for a chance to win an additional $5,000 or up to $15,000 scholarship.
Second place behind Gaiters was awarded to Hope Hazelton, an 8th grade student at Coweta Charter Academy, and third place went to JaMyah Combs, an eighth-grader also from East Coweta Middle.
Anthony Dickerson, also a senior at Northgate, placed second behind Burns, and fourth-grader Ethan Chitnis from Thomas Crossroads Elementary School in Sharpsburg took third prize.
“The students all did a wonderful job presenting their speeches,” Club President Phil Downey said. “The members of our Optimist Club have no doubt that these students have bright futures ahead of them.”
The Optimist Club of Senoia has been participating in the Optimist Oratorical Contest for many years and has been active in the community since 1986. Other programs and service projects that the Club is involved in include their annual Essay Contest, Respect for Law program, and Youth Appreciation dinner.
If you would like to learn how you can help in this or another worthwhile project sponsored by the Senoia Optimist Club, contact the club at senoiaoptimistclub@gmail.com or Downey at 770-833-9242.
A total of eleven local students took part in the oratorical contest. On the front row, from left: Kyleigh Hightower, Emma Watson, Ethan Chitnis. Middle row: Stephen Burns, JaMyah Combs, Chloe Gaiters, Hope Hazelton, Michelle Jennings. Back row: Anthony Dickerson, Johnathan Gardiner, Tyler McDonald.
