Essay Contest 2025

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Below is the official Optimist International Essay Scholarship Competition Application, which must be turned in along with your essay for judging. The essay and application can be mailed or delivered to Harper Creek Optimist Club, 4275 Capital Avenue SW, Battle Creek, MI 49015 or emailed to HarperCreekOptimistClub@gmail.com and must be received prior to deadline. The sponsoring Optimist Club Name is Harper Creek Optimist Club and the club number is 17200. Please read over all the rules as a well written essay could be docked points due to technicalities. If you have questions, contact Dr. Craig A. Miller at the noted email address or call 269-979-1561. Good luck and a reminder that last year not enough essays were turned in leaving potential financial winnings unclaimed!  

Tanna Bliler, a Harper Creek High School senior is the winner of this year’s annual Harper Creek Optimist Club Essay Contest and has been awarded with a $500 check for her accomplishments. Her winning essay will be turned over to the Optimist District contest where she will have a chance to win a $2,500 scholarship. 

The contest is open to all local students under the age of 19 as of October, 2022. Principals, Counselors or English teachers were notified about the event at 11 surrounding high schools and asked if they would pass on the information about the event to their students. Unbelievably, Tanna was the student who stepped up to the challenge. That left the 2nd place $300 award and the four 3rd place awards of $100 unclaimed! Typically, there are around 10 essays turned in for judging; not sure why participation was so anemic this year? Thankfully, Tanna’s essay was an excellent composition and our club is proud to pass it on for District judging. This year’s topic was “Optimism: How it Connects Us”. Tanna presented to our club accompanied by her parents and read her essay to our club on February 22nd. Dr. Craig Miller was the HCOC chairperson of the event and is hoping for better participation next year. Pictured (L-R) are Dr. Miller, Tanna, George and Linda Bliler. 

Ashley Lindsley, a Harper Creek High School senior is the winner of this year’s annual Harper Creek Optimist Club Essay Contest and has been awarded with a $500 check for her accomplishments. Her winning essay will be turned over to the Optimist District contest where she will have a chance to win a $2,500 scholarship. Second place finisher and receiving a check for $300 is Harper Creek High School senior Lauren Higgs. The HCOC also designated 4 3rd place awards this year and they each received $100 for their compositions. Awarded third place monetary awards were the following: Josey Peet, a HC sophomore; Christopher Fytczyk, a Calhoun Christian School sophomore; Cooper Fry, a HC senior; Elizabeth Slocum, a HC senior. 

The contest is open to all local students under the age of 19 as of October, 2022 and twelve students from the community stepped up to the challenge and entered an essay this year. This year’s topic was “Who is and Everyday hero that Brings Out the Optimism in You?” Of note: the most common hero of the compositions was mother, which generated 5 essays. Other heroes were father, grandfather, sister, a local nurse, God and 2 defined their everyday hero as a version of themselves. Returning this year to judge the essays were Christine Iavelli, a retired HC English teacher and Seth Berry, who is Editor of the Marshall Chronicle. The third judge and new this year was Revered Lawrence Bacik, pastor of the St. Elias Eastern Orthodox Church in Battle Creek. Dr. Craig Miller was the HCOC chairperson of the event. To read the winning essays, click on the links below. 

The Winners pictured (L-R) are Lauren Higgs, Cooper Fry, Ashley Lindsley, Elizabeth Slocum, Christopher Fytczyk and Josey Peet. 

Cooper Fry, a Harper Creek High School junior is the winner of this year’s annual Harper Creek Optimist Club Essay Contest and has been awarded with a $300 check for his accomplishments. Second place finisher and receiving a check for $200 is Harper Creek High School freshman Josey Peet. Tied third place finishers and each being rewarded $50 are HC High School junior Jessie Cummins and HC High School freshman Ondreana Mather. This year’s topic was “How Does an Optimistic Mindset Change My Tomorrow?” Dr. Craig Miller again chaired the program and was privileged to have the three well-qualified judges: Christine Iavelli, a retired Harper Creek English Teacher, Sandy Morgan, a retired Pfizer computer scientist and Seth Berry, a Harper Creek and Western Michigan graduate who is a journalist for the Marshal Advisor and Chronicle. Cooper's essay has been submitted to the Optimist District Contest where he will have a chance to win a $2,500 college scholarship. Click on the links below to read the students essays. Pictured below are Cooper Fry, Andreana Mather and Josey Peet. Jessie Cummins was unable to attend the awards banquet.  

Aiden Saunders, a Harper Creek High School junior is the winner of this year’s annual Harper Creek Optimist Club Essay Contest and has been awarded with a $300 check for his accomplishments. Second place finisher and receiving a check for $200 is Harper Creek High School junior Sydney Wieseler. The third place finisher is Harper Creek High School Mitchell Kyger, who is also a junior; his award is a $100 check. Although it was not a teacher assignment this year, 11 students stepped up to the challenge and entered an essay. This year’s topic was “Reaching your Dreams by Choosing Optimism”. Dr. Craig Miller again chaired the program and was privileged to have the three following judges: Christine Iavelli, a retired Harper Creek English teacher, Sandy Morgan, a retired Pfizer computer scientist and Seth Berry, a Harper Creek and Western Michigan graduate who is a journalist for the Marshal Advisor and Chronicle.  Aiden’s essay has been turned over to the Optimist District Contest where he will have a chance to win a $2,500 college scholarship. Click on the links below to read the student’s essays. 

Paige Pattison, a senior at Sturgis High School was the winner of this year’s annual Harper Creek Optimist Club Essay Contest and was awarded with a $300 check for her accomplishments. Second place finisher and accepting a check for $200 was Harper Creek High School senior Gabriele Bishop. All local High Schools were contacted relative to the event, but only two students stepped up for the challenge?! Fortunately both essays were worthy of recognition. This year’s topic was “Is Optimism the key to Achieving the Dreams you iMagine?” And yes, that is the way imagine was noted on the official entry form. Due to scheduling conflicts the two winners presented to our club with family members on two different Thursdays to read their essay and collect their winnings. Dr. Craig Miller again chaired the program and Al Miller and John Peruzze assisted with the judging. Paige’s essay has been turned over to the Optimist District Contest where she will have a chance to win a $2,500 college scholarship. Click on the links below to read the student’s essays. 

Shelby Grable, a senior at Harper Creek High School was the winner of this year’s annual Harper Creek Optimist Club Essay Contest and was awarded with a $300 check for her accomplishments. On Thursday evening, March 7th, the second place finisher Lauren Willerick, a freshman at Harper Creek High School ($200 award) and third place finisher Samuel Bussler, a senior at Harper Creek High School ($100 award) read their essays to the club. Shelby was unable to attend the ceremony due to a school conflict; her essay was presented to the club by the Essay Chairperson, Dr. Craig A. Miller. The students were accompanied to the meeting by their family and meals were provided by our club. This year’s topic was “When All the World’s Problems are Solved, is Optimism Still Necessary?” All local High Schools were invited to enter contestants into the contest. Six essays were turned in by the deadline and the difficult job of judging the essays was completed by club members Dr. Craig Miller, Al Miller and John Peruzze. Shelby’s essay has been turned over to the Optimist District Contest where she will have a chance to win a $2,500 college scholarship. Click on the links below to read the student’s essays and the pictures for captions.

Sophia Weller was the winner of this year’s annual Harper Creek Optimist Club Essay Contest and was awarded with a $300 check for her accomplishments. On Thursday evening, February 22nd, she along with the second place finisher Devin Whitlock ($200 award) and third place finisher Andrew Irons ($100 award) read their essays to the club. The students were accompanied to the meeting by their family and meals were provided by our club. This year’s topic was “Can Society Function without Respect?” Nineteen essays were turned in by the deadline and the difficult job of judging all the essays was completed by club members Dr. Craig Miller, Al Miller and John Peruzze. Sophia’s essay has been turned over to the Optimist District Contest where she will have a chance to win a $2,500 college scholarship. To read these top three essays, click on the downloads below.