AlidaFarrens

Each month, one Marian senior is recognized and honored for being optimistic.

The Omaha Optimist Club recognizes selected students from Western Hills Magnet School, Lewis and Clark Middle School and Marian High School.

Mrs. Kathy DeWispelare, a Marian student counselor and Optimist Award student sponsor, said, “the Optimist Club is a group of people in the community who come together to support the youth and run different programs. They recognize the good things students are doing on a daily basis.”

“Most of the time people just focus on the bad things teenagers do, but the Optimism Club uplifts and inspires kids to do well in the future,” DeWispelare said.

Optimism is having an attitude about the future that is positive or expecting the best. Winners of the Optimist Award exhibit this quality along with hopefulness, kindness and hard work.

Senior Grace Bentley, October recipient, said, “the award recognizes people who have been notably positive. It was humbling to win! I definitely did not see it coming; I didn’t even know it existed. I think it’s important to recognize students and to be apart of this tradition.”

Once the student has been notified about winning the award, she is invited to a luncheon at Oak Hills Country Club that takes place every two months. The students get to enjoy a delicious lunch while being surrounded by their parents, sponsor and principal. Most sponsors at Marian are the student’s counselor.

After lunch, the recipients recite the Optimist Creed and the committee then presents the awards to the two seniors. Students receive this award through suggestions given by counselors, teachers and peers.           

This tradition has been at Marian for several years and it continues to recognize Marian students for their hard work, good attitude and kindness.

“I think it is an important tradition for the Marian community because it gives students the opportunity to be honored for their kindness and positivity,” senior Ashley Goldsmith, September recipient, said.