News Release

ROCHESTER — The Optimist Club of Rochester is offering students three opportunities to win scholarships: the Optimist International Essay Contest, the Optimist International Oratorical Contest and the Optimist International Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

The scholarship contests are sponsored by Optimist International to give young people the opportunity to write and speak about their own opinions regarding the world in which they live. The approach can encompass a young person’s personal experience, the experience of their country or a more historical perspective. In addition to developing skills for written and spoken expression, participants also have the opportunity to win a college scholarship.

“Young students today have so many fresh ideas about the world and their future,” local club President Greg Mellinger said. “As Optimists, it is our goal to encourage them and do what we can to bring out the best in each of them. This gives them a wonderful opportunity to tap into their creativity and pursue possible scholarships at the same time.”

Essay and oratorical contests

The contests are open to contestants under the age of 19 as of Oct. 1 of the current Optimist International contest year (Oct. 1 through Sept. 30) and who have not yet completed secondary school or its equivalent. There is no minimum age.

Interested students must contact their local Optimist Club. They need to submit an entry on the assigned topic.

The essay topic for the 2022-2023 school year is: “Who is an Everyday Hero that Brings Out the Optimism in You?”

The essay deadline for entry is Feb. 20. The essay and application must be submitted in hard copy to Becky Mahoney by 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 20,. Call (574) 529-3266 to schedule a time to drop off the information.

The oratorical topic for the 2022-2023 school year is: “Discovering the Optimism within Me.”

The deadline for entry to participate in the oratorical contest is March 20.  The application must be submitted in hard copy to Becky Mahoney by 4 p.m. Monday, March 20. Call (574) 529-3266 to schedule a time to drop off the information.

Communication contest for deaf/hard of hearing

The Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is open to young people through grade 12. Students must submit the results of an audiogram completed no longer than 24 months prior to the date of the contest by a qualified audiologist. Students must be certified to have an uncorrected hearing loss of 40 decibels or more, which must be supported by the audiogram in order to be eligible to compete. Students with permanent correction should compete in the Optimist International Oratorical Contest.

The topic for the 2022-2023 deaf and hard of hearing communication contest is: “Discovering the Optimism within Me.”

The deadline for entry to participate in the deaf and hard of hearing contest is April 3.  The application must be submitted in hard copy to Becky Mahoney by 4 p.m. Monday, April 3. Call 574-529-3266 to set up a time to drop off the information.

Applications for all contests can be found at indiananorthdistrict.org/scholarships.

Optimist International is one of the world’s largest service club organizations with 80,000 adult and youth members in 2,500 clubs in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, and throughout the world. Carrying the motto “Friend of Youth,” Optimists conduct positive service projects that reach more than 6 million young people each year.  To learn more about Optimist International, call (314) 371-6000 or visit the organization’s website at https://www.optimist.org.

The Rochester Optimist Club, supporting the community for more than 40 years, awards a variety of scholarships annually to local teens, maintains a Compassion Fund for unforeseen charitable needs in the community such as H.O.P.E. for the Homeless and supports organizations financially such as CASA, local Boy Scouts troops, Tri-Star basketball, the local soccer club, United Ministries, and youth league baseball. The club also supports Camp-We-Can, a camp designed just for children and adults with special needs, and their caregivers. Information about the club can be found on its Facebook page, which can be found by searching for the Optimist Club of Rochester, Indiana.