The 2024-2025 Newark Optimist Club recently awarded cash prizes and medallions to the top three place finishers in their annual Essay Contest.
This year’s topic was “How Optimism Has Paved My Road to Success.”
The Newark Optimist Club received a large number of thoughtful and well-crafted essays, making the judging process incredibly competitive.
First place honors and a $200 cash award was presented to Zayna Ansari, a 12th grade student at Newark Memorial High School.
Ansari wrote, “Optimism helps me wake up every morning and throw myself into my studies, my passions, and my future, even when the path forward feels unclear. It’s the voice that says, ‘Even if I stumble, I can try again.’
To me, optimism isn’t false hope or a naive delusion. It’s faith in the story of life and the conviction that no single misstep or obstacle can define its outcome. It’s about trusting that even when I stumble, I’ll find my footing again. And that, I believe, is how it has paved my road to success.”
The second place prize of $100 was presented to Gabriel Linares, a 12th grade student at Newark Memorial, with the third place award of $50 going to Shantilata Sahu, a freshman at Washington High School.
Ansari’s winning essay will now be forwarded to the Pacific Central District competition, with an opportunity to win a $2,500 college scholarship.
