William Shaw wins 1st in state essay contest, $2,500 scholarship

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William Shaw, a senior at Manning High School and F. E. DuBose Career Center, was announced as the overall state winner of the 2019 Optimist International Essay Contest during an event at the Sumter Opera House on Saturday, May 4. Along with his first place recognition, Shaw will receive a $2500 scholarship from Optimist International, South Carolina District 22. William won the local contest, sponsored by the Optimist Club of Clarendon in March, after which his essay was submitted for the statewide competition. Written on the theme of “When All the World’s Problems are Solved, is Optimism Still Necessary?”, Shaw’s essay was selected from 14 other entries sponsored by Optimist chapters in SC. The top three presented their essays during the annual Oratorical Contest, and the winner was announced to the contestants and audience at the awards ceremony. The son of Billy and Jean Shaw, William plans to attend Winthrop University in the fall and major in education. “William did a wonderful job of articulating this year’s theme. He expressed himself well throughout the essay and deserved the honor of first place,” Club President Brittany Tindal said during the local contest. The Club is very proud of William for moving on to win at the state level. This is the first time a state winner has come from the Manning area. The Optimist Club of Clarendon has been participating in the Optimist Essay Contest for two years and has been active in the community since 2017. Optimist International is one of the world’s largest service club organizations with 80,000 adult and youth members in 2,500 clubs in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, and throughout the world. Carrying the Mission Statement “By providing hope and positive vision, Optimists bring out the best in youth, our communities, and ourselves.” Optimists conduct positive service projects that reach more than six million young people each year. To learn more about Optimist International, please call (314) 371-6000 or visit the organization’s website at www.optimist.org. Locally, you can find more information about the Optimist Club of Clarendon through their Facebook page or by contacting President Brittany Tindal, 803-491-8511. The Club meets on the second Thursday of every month. On May 9, the club will meet at Fayz at the Lake at 6:00 p.m. - Lisa Justice