Several Perry High School students participated in an essay contest with the Optimist Club and were awarded medals.

Perry School Board President Linda Andorf tells Raccoon Valley Radio that this year’s prompt revolved around how optimism connects people. She notes that the question was presented to both the high school English teachers and their Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) composition class. 

Andorf explains that the students were unable to submit their essays by the February 1st deadline due to the January 4th shooting, but a DMACC teacher returned to session to offer her students an opportunity to present the question to her class. Andorf said the Perry community has connected well after the shooting, but the students weren’t allowed to elaborate on that in their essays.

“We have done a lot of connection since the event in January, students were not able to actually reference the shooting at the high school, so they had to go a different direction.”

Andorf highlights that medallions were given out on April 3rd at Hotel Pattee. The students submitted 32 essays with Ericka Guardado taking home first place, Jennifer Ramos was second, and there was a tie for third place with (to me, using the term “both” indicates there are only two things, which there were 32 essays submitted for this contest) Mia Munoz and Kain Killmer. 

In addition, Andorf shares that Guardado’s piece is moving on to the district contest, which includes receiving a $500 scholarship on Senior Awards Night in May.