Clarkston Optimist Club Essay Contest winners, from left, Jack Gibbs, Gold; Grace Nolan, Silver; and Nathan Zimmer, Bronze. Photo by Phil Custodio

Three student writers earned honors and cash prizes in the Clarkston Area Optimists Club Essay Contest.
Topic for the 700-800 word essays was “Chasing Optimism in the Face of Challenges.” The winners were invited to the Optimists’ March 15 breakfast meeting to share their writings.
Gold medal winner Jack Gibbs wrote about harnessing the power of optimism in the face of the tragic loss of his father, Jeff Gibbs, to cancer.
Grace Nolan, winner of the Silver medal, wrote about how an optimistic outlook helped her overcome the pain and obstacles of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis to become a successful athlete at Clarkston High School
Bronze medal winner Nathan Zimmer shared how hard work and optimism helped him build the fastest CO2 car in his class for an assignment.