Students turn optimism into award-winning essays

The Eden Prairie Optimist Club recognized 10 local students for their exceptional writing skills and reflections on optimism during its annual Essay Contest, held on Feb. 25.

Eden Prairie High School junior Spandan Datta was named the club’s 2024 Essay Contest winner. Datta’s essay, along with more than 60 others submitted by students under 19, explored this year’s theme, “How Optimism Has Paved My Road to Success.” As the first-place winner, Datta will advance to the district-level competition for a chance to earn a scholarship.

This year’s winners are:

First place

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• Spandan Datta, Eden Prairie High School

• Swara Deepak, Central Middle School

• Ruhi Nayak, Eden Lake Elementary

Second place

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• Josephine Richards, Frederic High School (Frederic, Wisconsin)

• Karin Johnson, South View Middle School

• Vihaan Deepak, Prairie View Elementary

Third place

• Allison Schuessler, Eden Prairie High School

• Zulayho Habibullaeva, Eden Prairie High School

• Akshaya Ramanujam, Central Middle School

• Karina Haidai, Eden Lake Elementary

Ryan Affolter, an Eden Prairie Optimist Club member and chair of the event, praised the students for their dedication to writing.

“We encourage everyone to keep writing, keep learning, and keep spreading optimism,” Affolter said. “Remember, your voice matters, and your perspective has the power to connect us all. Here’s to Spandan’s success in the Optimist District competition, and to all the aspiring writers who participated!”

Since its founding in 1978, the Eden Prairie Optimist Club has supported youth through various programs and service projects, including the annual Essay Contest.

For more details, visit the club’s Facebook page.

Below are two of the three first-place essays from the Eden Prairie Optimist Club’s annual Essay Contest, lightly edited for clarity. The third winner, Swara Deepak, chose not to publish her essay, but her photo is included.

Spandan Datta

My road to success can be described in a number of different ways – many of them with a negative connotation. Words such as challenging, taxing, uncertain, and rough often come up. Regardless of these setbacks, I have still been able to achieve many of the goals I have set for myself.

At first, I thought this was due to my hard work, determination, and just a hint of good luck. But upon deeper analysis and reflection, I have realized that the success in my life can be directly attributed to the optimistic mindset I have. Embracing optimism in the face of adversity, maintaining an optimistic outlook in my personal relationships, and creating opportunities for myself with an optimistic lens is how optimism has paved my road to success.

Life is full of setbacks – this is a lesson I learned quickly throughout my youth. The biggest aha moment for me came in sixth grade when I qualified for the University of Minnesota Talented Youth Mathematics Program (UMTYMP). Joining UMTYMP seemed like a natural choice for me since, growing up, I always had an affinity for math.

I still remember, to this day, opening my first UMTYMP test, reading the first question about integrals, and drawing a blank while the clock counted down. When the scores were released, I watched my peers excel while I was one of the lowest-scoring students in the class. This was my first true academic struggle.

Instead of dwelling on my shortcomings, my parents told me to take on an optimistic mindset. They urged me to treat this as a learning experience by improving my study habits, watching tutorials, and asking for help. I am now in my fifth and final year of UMTYMP, and my scores have consistently climbed since that initial setback. I can look back now and say that optimism gave me the foundation to turn my challenges into success.

Beyond just using optimism when I am facing a challenge, it has also helped me develop my personal relationships. By maintaining an optimistic mindset, I have been able to make deep and meaningful connections with people. I have found that optimism draws people in and fosters positive relationships.

For example, I recently joined DECA, a competitive business club at my school. Many of the people I was competing against were already experts and had competed on an international level. I recall being so nervous when getting ready for my first roleplay event. I watched as seasoned members walked by without a sense of stress. However, instead of being intimidated, I decided to introduce myself to a few of them. After chatting, I learned more about them and the strategies they used.

This small act of optimism helped me build friendships with national-level competitors who later mentored me on how to think critically during competitions. By my second year, I won second place in my category at the international level. I believe my optimism played a key role in their willingness to invest in my growth, further paving my path to success.

Finally, optimism has also helped me create opportunities. Having an optimistic mindset pushes me to have the determination, hard work, and resilience to carve my own path. The most significant example of this is when I decided to launch my own nonprofit consulting company.

I first pitched my idea to local nonprofits and faced rejection after rejection. One director told me bluntly, “You’re too young to understand how nonprofits operate.” Instead of letting this deter me, I optimistically refined my approach. I researched case studies, connected with professionals in the field, and leveraged my network to get introductions. Eventually, one nonprofit agreed to give me a chance.

I worked tirelessly to develop a strategy that increased their donor engagement by 40%, which led to a domino effect of more organizations reaching out for my help. My nonprofit team has now grown to six people, and together, we consult for 50-plus local and national companies. This can be attributed to my optimistic outlook – by reinforcing the faith I had in myself, I was able to create a meaningful and impactful difference within my community. This showed me that optimism is not just a lifestyle – it is a catalyst for real-world change.

Upon reflection, I have realized that optimism has not only paved my road to success but has served as a compass to follow whenever I am lost. Optimism has guided me when I was faced with adversity, allowed me to foster deep, lasting relationships, and, most importantly, inspired me to create new opportunities for myself.

Ruhi Nayak

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.” – Helen Keller

This quote often comes to mind during moments in my life when I feel a lack of motivation or determination. Keller’s life story proves that resilience and perseverance can overcome even the most significant challenges. Helen Keller and those around her would never have succeeded had they not chosen optimism over defeat. Optimism has undeniably paved a strong path toward my happiness and success.

I firmly believe that the key to living a joyful and fulfilling life lies in determination and the ability to find the good in the bad and the opportunity in the misfortune. Having a hopeful mindset will never backfire on you, and many will agree with this belief. Optimism has helped me in many ways. Over the years, I have realized just how much I rely on it.

Gymnastics is a sport that has taught me the importance of embracing optimism in my life. Whenever I fall, get injured, feel exhausted, or struggle to reach my goals, I realize that this sport relies heavily on a positive mindset and the courage to push forward.

A few years ago, one summer, while playing with my friends at a park, I couldn’t do the monkey bars. I couldn’t even hold on for five seconds. I felt left out watching my friends enjoy them with ease. I came home sad and disappointed. I felt weak.

That was when I thought of legendary athletes like Simone Biles, Trischa Zorn, and many others. Trischa Zorn is the most decorated Paralympian swimmer of all time. All Paralympians have incredibly inspiring stories, but I would like to put Zorn’s into perspective. She was born on June 1, 1964, with an eye condition called aniridia. Zorn competed in seven Paralympic Games from 1980 to 2004, winning 55 medals – 41 gold, nine silver, and five bronze.

Competing in a sport that relies on vision requires tremendous determination. Even though her eyesight wasn’t excellent, she overcame this challenge with resilience. Trischa Zorn’s incredible journey to success was fueled by an optimistic mindset. Her story inspired me in many ways.

One other example is the journey of the legendary gymnast Simone Biles. Despite a calf injury during the Paris 2024 Olympics, she pushed through the pain with a positive mindset, winning three gold medals for the team and one silver individually. Inspired by these athletes, I made up my mind not to give up. I stayed consistent, practiced every day, and ate healthily. By the end of summer, I had improved my grip on the bars.

With practice, I learned how to do cartwheels, handstands, and round-offs on my own. Seeing my dedication and determination, my parents discovered the gymnast budding in me and decided to enroll me in gymnastics for further training. Ever since, I have enjoyed my journey as a gymnast. Isn’t it amazing how optimism can pave your path through pain and hardship toward victory?

One important thing to understand is that having a positive outlook can bring many benefits. Due to unavoidable circumstances, I have had to change schools multiple times. This situation can feel overwhelming and challenging as you enter a new environment. Still, instead of getting discouraged, I saw it as an opportunity to make new friends and gain new perspectives from a fresh circle of teachers, seniors, and peers.

I always maintained a positive mindset, pushed myself out of my comfort zone, and approached new peers and teachers. I started participating in extracurricular activities, meeting more people, and sharing my experiences from my old school. Gradually, this built new friendships for me. Despite being new at school, I kept a positive mindset, made friends, and grew comfortable there. This clearly shows that my perspective can significantly impact how I react to change.

In conclusion, an optimistic lifestyle benefits you no matter where you go or what challenges you face. Optimism can benefit us in countless ways, and maintaining a positive mindset is always worthwhile. It has laid a solid foundation for my journey toward happiness and success.