Optimistic mindset could help local youth win $2,500 scholarship

Are you maintaining optimism in your day-to-day life?

If you're under the age of 19 and you find embracing optimism is helping pave the way for a better tomorrow, setting your thoughts down could help win you a $2,500 scholarship courtesy of Optimist International.

Now until February 16, the local service club will accept essay submissions from area students on the theme of, “How does an optimistic mindset change my tomorrow?”

“We want people to be creative and to give them an avenue to be creative and I think that is what this contest does: it gives people a chance to express themselves within the topic and you get the chance to win some money, which is another bonus!” says Rob Gaby, Secretary of the Aurora Optimists, a service club that is dedicated to serving youth through initiatives as varied as in-school healthy snack programs to sports initiatives.

“The way the environment has been for the last number of years with COVID, mental health issues…we all need to have some kind of optimistic view of things. This gets you thinking about positive things instead of all the negative things are around.”

If you're interested in answering the question through an essay, submissions must be between 700 and 800 words and submitted by February 16 to auroraoptimist@gmail.com.

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter