The Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club announced the conclusion of its 2024 Oratorical and Essay Contests, which culminated in an awards ceremony held at a recent club meeting.
The Oratorical and Essay Contests, long-standing traditions of the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club, aim to encourage and recognize excellence in communication skills among youth in the community. Participants were tasked to either write an essay with the theme “Optimism: How it Connects Us” or a speech with this year's theme, "Discovering the Optimist Within Me," according to a news release from the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club.

    Pictured (L to R) are, front row: Emilia Samaranayake, Margareta Loebs, Neil Viswanadha and Shashank Upadhyay; back row: Oratorical Chair Jeff Owens. Photo Provided.
  

The Oratorical Contest winners were first place, Shashank Upadhyay, Warsaw Community High School; second place, Emilia Samaranayake, WCHS.
The essay contest winners were first place, Caleb Smith, WCHS; second place, Bryttin Wagoner, Lincoln Elementary School; third place, Lynk Klinefelter, Wawasee High School.

    Pictured (L to R) are Lynk Klinefelter, Bryttin Wagoner, Caleb Smith and Essay Chair Shari Benyousky. Photo Provided.
  

During the awards ceremony, winners read or performed and were presented with certificates of achievement, medals and/or monetary prizes or Kosciusko Cash.
The Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club extends its gratitude to all participants, judges, sponsors and volunteers who contributed to the success of this year's contest. Through events like these, the club remains committed to fostering optimism, leadership and academic success among youth in Warsaw and beyond, stated the release.
For more information about the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club and its initiatives, visit https://warsawoptimist.org/.