RHS Senior Wins Optimist Communication Contest

Michael  Bruins, a senior at Rosemount High School, won the Dakotas-Manitoba-Minnesota (DMM) Optimist District's Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CCDHH), which was held in Watertown, South Dakota on May 5, 2012.  The theme of this year's contest was “How My Optimism Helps Me Overcome Obstacles.”  Bruins, who was sponsored by the Optimist Club of West St. Paul, talked about how his dog Ty chewed up his hearing aids and how his new pair of hearing aids enabled him to hear a phone conversation through his left ear for the first time. 

The DMM Optimist District has been holding the CCDHH since 2000.  The contest is open to students who have a hearing loss of 40 decibels or more, and students can sign or speak their presentation or communicate through a combination of the two.

“Michael did a great job.  His stories about overcoming obstacles were humorous, and he was prepared and confident,” said Cheryl Bergstrom, President of the Optimist Club of West St. Paul.  “He has a bright future ahead of him.”

This is the second year that a student sponsored by the Optimist Club of West St. Paul has won the Optimist District’s CCDHH.  In 2011, Jamie Korpela, a Rosemount High School student, won the contest.

The Optimist Club of West St. Paul has served West St. Paul and surrounding communities since 1971.  Other club projects include the ISD 197 Spelling Bee, Optimist Essay Contest, Oratorical Contest,  Learn to Bowl, and Skates for Kids.  On May 19 from 3 to 6 p.m., the club will host Bowling Blast at West Side Lanes, 1625 South Robert St., West St. Paul.  Admission is $10 and includes two games of bowling, rental shoes, and five drawing tickets.  For more information about any club activities, contact Cheryl Bergstrom at ckbergstrom@hotmail.com.

Optimist International is one of the world's largest service organizations with more than 75,000 adult and youth members in more than 2,900 clubs throughout the world.  Carrying 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 the Optimist International, please visit its website at www.optimist.org.