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0The Senoia Optimist Club’s annual Oratorical Contest was held Thursday evening, February 27, at the I-58 Mission facility in Senoia. This year’s topic was “How Optimism Has Guided Me Through Trying Times,” and speakers prepared a 4-5 minutes speech to present for their families and three judges.
Middle and high schools in the eastern half of Coweta County received contest information in October 2024, and teachers were encouraged to have their students participate. Local Club contest winners all received Certificates of Participation, and the top three winners also went home with medallions and cash awards.
First place honors went to Susie Park, a seventh grader at Lee Middle School. Jonathan Colon-DeJesus took the second place award, and Michelle Park placed third. These two students attend East Coweta High School. Both Susie and Jonathan will now advance to Zone-level competition on Saturday, March 15, in Carrollton, GA. They will compete against students from Columbus, LaGrange, Newnan, and Zebulon/Pike County.
Zone competition is followed by a contest at the District level, and at this level college scholarships ranging from $1000 to $2500 are awarded. Winners may continue on to the regional and finally world competition this summer.
Since its start in 1928, the Optimist Oratorical Contest has become the longest-running program sponsored by Optimist International. The contest is designed for youth to gain experience in public speaking, perfect self-expression, gain self-assurance, improve communication skills, and provide them with the opportunity to compete for a college scholarship.
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