The Wilmette Optimist Club is proud to present local high schools in the New Trier High School District with a unique opportunity to give recognition to students for the strength of their character.

“These students are not necessarily the star athletes or class leaders, but could well be the kids with the biggest heart and generosity of spirit,” said Mike Scatena, chairman of the Wilmette Optimist Club Educational Grant Committee.

Eligible students are hard workers who approach life with honor, humility, and genuine good humor. Each school will nominate the best candidates who embody these attributes. To be eligible, a recipient must be a first year, full time college/university undergraduate or trade school student in the 2012/2013 academic school year, must have participated in a school sponsored sports team or extracurricular activity during his/her high school term, and be nominated by a coach, teacher or mentor. Awards will be presented to the winners at school sponsored events later this spring. 

Wilmette Optimists will award 6 scholarships to high school seniors this year. Last year’s winners included Kristin Wright and Rachel “Rae” Lindenberg from New Trier and Theresa McDermott from Regina Dominican High School. 

Originally founded in 1923, the Wilmette Optimist Club is one of the oldest affiliates of Optimist International. Optimists are one of the world’s largest service club organizations with 107,000 adult and youth members in 3,400 clubs in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, and throughout the world. With the motto “Bringing Out the Best in Kids”, Optimists conduct positive service projects that reach more than six million young people each year. To learn more about Optimists, call (314) 371-6000 or visit www.wilmetteoptimists.com or www.optimist.org.