Eden Prairie Optimist Club’s essay contest winners celebrated at an honorary reception on Feb. 27 alongside contest chairman Ryan Affolter (center). Submitted photo
The Eden Prairie Optimist Club has recognized 13 students for their outstanding submissions in its annual essay contest, which asked participants to write about “Who is an Everyday Hero that Brings Out the Optimism in You?”
Winners were presented with official certificates, medallions, and gift cards at a reception held on Feb. 27 at Star Bank in Eden Prairie. The essays are categorized into three age groups: Elementary, Middle School, and High School.
Harini Senthilkumar
The first-place winners in each category are:
Harini Senthilkumar, a student from Eden Prairie High School, was the overall first-place winner. Senthilkumar’s essay will be sent to the district level to be judged, along with winners from other Optimist Clubs in the DMM (Dakotas, Minnesota, Manitoba) District. College scholarships are available for top winners at the District level.
Lily Shusta of South View Middle School in Edina.
Hannah Foote of Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion.
The second-place winners are:
Kenny Evers of Eden Prairie High School.
Suhana Suthaharan of Valley View Middle School in Edina.
Karin Johnson of Highlands Elementary School in Edina.
The runners-up are:
Allison Schuessler of Eden Prairie High School.
Madina Elmi of Edina High School.
Spandan Datta of Eden Prairie High School.
Bami Olofinboba of Central Middle School.
Yash Gupta of Central Middle School.
Maeve Atkinson of Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion.
Sasha Nimmagadda of Oak Point Elementary School.
According to the Eden Prairie Optimist Club, the essay contest offers young people a platform to express their opinions about the world. Participants are encouraged to share personal experiences or offer perspectives on their country or historical events. In addition to developing written expression skills, the contest provides an opportunity to compete for a college scholarship.
“All students did a wonderful job of articulating this year’s theme,” said Ryan Affolter, Optimist Club essay contest chairman. “They expressed themselves well through the essays and deserved the recognition. Young students today have so many fresh ideas about the world and their future. As Optimists, it is our goal to encourage them and do what we can to bring out the best in each of them. This gives them a wonderful opportunity to tap into their creativity and pursue possible scholarships at the same time.”
The Eden Prairie Optimist Club has participated in the essay contest for more than 20 years and has been active in the community since 1978.
Other programs and service projects organized by the Eden Prairie club include the Floyd Berntsen Annual Hooked on Fishing Event, the Annual Optimist Kids “OK5K” on the 4th of July, and the Eden Prairie Sings! competition.
To learn more about the Eden Prairie Optimist Club, visit its Facebook page.
Lily Shusta of South View Middle School in Edina.
Hannah Foote of Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion.
Kenny Evers of Eden Prairie High School.
Suhana Suthaharan of Valley View Middle School in Edina. 
Karin Johnson of Highland Elementary in Edina.
Allison Schuessler of Eden Prairie High School.
Bami Olofinboba of Central Middle School in Eden Prairie.
Yash Gupta of Central Middle School in Eden Prairie.
Maeve Atkinson of Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion School in Eden Prairie.