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The school year is almost over and high school seniors are making plans for their next big rite of passage: graduation. But before they graduate, many are seeking scholarships. Some might say it's a last minute attempt to "cash-in" on their good records; however, Optimist Clubs seem to seek out students who may not always be the top candidate for a prize so that they can give them the recognition and a boost when needed.

Take the Optimist Club of Washington, NC for example. They have scholarships available for students with 2.5 GPA or better who have participated in high school or Optimist sports programs.

At first, I thought what? Rewarding athletes again? And then I looked at the Club website and thought, that is an effective use of their money. The Optimist Club of Washington has quite an extensive soccer program in addition to offering the traditional Optimist Club programs. By connecting with the kids through soccer, they are able to engage students in living an optimistic lifestyle, being good students and good citizens, and they have a pool of participants for the Optimist International sponsored programs.

It's only right that the Optimist Club returns the favor to those who have supported their programs throughout their young lives by awarding scholarships to them.  That's an optimistic thing to do.

Find out about the Optimist Club of Washington scholarships here.