Freshman Stephanie Pierson won the girls division of the local Optimist International Oratorical speech contest. She received a gold medal and $100 prize for her response to this year’s theme, “What the World Gains from Optimism.”

Stephanie believes optimism helps people move forward in life. As she said in her speech, “Optimism, especially in young people, is a driving factor for change. People change the world, because they have hope for the future.” Stephanie was invited to speak at the local Optimist Club breakfast as part of her win. She will go on to compete in the zone level competition later this spring.