13 SPPS Students Awarded 2024 Optimist Club Scholarships

Group of four students and two staff holding awards at an event

The Optimist Club of St. Paul held its annual Youth Appreciation Dinner on November 7, awarding 15 students from St. Paul (13 from Saint Paul Public Schools) with $3,000 scholarships. Each honoree was nominated by a school counselor in recognition of their success in overcoming significant obstacles in their young lives.

Said one attendee of the event: "It was truly a night that I will never forget and an experience that I've been telling everyone about, from my colleagues to my friends and family."

This year's honorees from SPPS are:

David Ortiz, Creative Arts Secondary
Maxine Yeboah, Gateway to College
Abdullah Abdulaziz, Harding Senior High School
William Rubio, Harding Senior High School (read more about William's story)
Oscar Tadeo, Harding Senior High School
Tiffany Tran, Harding Senior High School
Noah Grisham, Johnson Senior High School
Jessica Vue, Johnson Senior High School
Eh K Yaw, Johnson Senior High School
Murtaza Ahmadi, LEAP High School
Maybelin Henriquez, LEAP High School
Lorena Rosas, LEAP High School
Mariyam Kajela, Washington Technology Magnet High School

Congratulations to all of the 2024 honorees!

Group of 15 scholarship winners posing with their certificates