This Oriole is an Optimist Oratorical Finalist

Avon High School senior Mercy Olaniyan recently won the Indiana South District Optimist Oratorical Finals. Her victory marks the fourth year in a row that the Avon Optimist Club has sponsored the student who won the district competition.

The Avon Optimist Club posted the following on their Facebook page.

For the 4th year in a row, the Avon Optimist Club sponsored the youth that won the Indiana South District Optimist Oratorical Finals. The Avon Club sponsors an Oratorical Contest each year but have never had a winner four years in a row at the District level. Well, it finally happened at the 3rd Quarter District Conference in Jasper, Indiana on April 26.

Mercy Olaniyan, a Senior at Avon High School, won the Indiana South District Oratorical contest based on a theme of "How Optimism Has Guided Me Through Trying Times”.  Mercy was awarded a $2,500 Scholarship for the honor. She is now eligible to compete in a regional competition in St. Louis, Missouri, at Saint Louis University. Winners of the regional contests will compete in the World Championship also held at Saint Louis University. Students could possibly win up to $22,500 in scholarships!

You'll have a chance to hear more from Mercy — along with a few fellow members of the AHS class of '25 — in our upcoming Senior Sendoff episode of the Orioles In-the-Know podcast. Subscribe so you don't miss it!

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Congratulations, Mercy! We look forward to hearing how you do at the regional competition.