Optimist Award Winners Recognized for Hope

Story by Izumi Huang Fujiwara '26

The Optimist Club of Omaha is a reminder to people of all ages that there is support for everyone somewhere. This group helps young people learn how to see the good in bad things. 

Founded in Oct. 1933, the Omaha Chapter of the Optimist Club is an organization whose goal is to uplift members of the community. The club participates in weekly meetings where members network with each other and listen to speakers.

The Optimist Club also makes it a priority to be involved with youth. Their long list of activities includes sponsoring oratorical contests and Academic Decathlons, honoring students every month, working with Boy Scout Troop 402, fundraising for the childhood cancer campaign, volunteering for the Salvation Army Tree of Lights Campaign and much more. 

Mr. Terry Braxton is the director of the Optimist Club of Omaha. “This club is the oldest optimist club in the city. This particular program is about thirty years old…Some of the other clubs do youth-related activities. Our main thing is honoring students,” Braxton said.

“We do it four times a year with each school; two students are selected from each school. Marian has always chosen seniors. The honoree and the parents are invited.” At the ceremony, the club “provides lunch, and a counselor at Marian will introduce them. They then take the Optimist Creed,” Braxton said. “Counselors present the students with quotes from teachers, counselors and students…it’s pretty uplifting.”  

Sarah Yiel was one of the recently honored students. She is an example of optimism at Marian. An optimist is “a person who’s very caring for others who cares for others’ emotions,” she said. 

Yiel has seen this in people. “They’re there for me and want to support me…It feels really good. It’s nice to know my peers and teachers think I’m fit and qualified for this award,” Yiel said. She believes you can be an optimist by “greeting people, smiling and having a positive mindset.”

Mrs. Jen Christen supported her daughter, Helen Christen, through the Optimist Club Oratorical contest. “She first competed in Columbus, NE last April, and it was actually on the day of Prep’s prom,” said Christen. “We didn’t stay for the awards ceremony, and Helen got ready for prom and left, and then they called us and they told us that Helen won.”

After the State competition, Helen moved on to nationals. Christen said, “She competed in St. Louis, and it was a two-day competition.” The competition results were revealed  “the next day, and if you won, you competed again…so it was intense.” Christen applauded her daughter’s efforts, saying that “she did a great job.” At the end of the competition, “We found out she won, and she competed again…It was a great experience.”

Christen explains Helen’s speech: “It was about her theater journey and not giving up.” She said, “It is also what she found in the theater community here at Marian, she talked about it in such a positive light, because it’s not necessarily about the role on the stage, but about how each cast became like her family.”

In her life, Christen sees optimism as “looking at the brighter side of life.” She sees this is at Marian. “I love my job because I love working with the Marian students. I think they bring a level of positivity even when I’m down.” 

The motto of the Optimist Club is a “friend for youth,” and through their avid community engagement, they have been.