To senior Ella Schneider, the world can be made better if we just believe that each of us has the power to make a difference.

Schneider said as much in her winning speech on April 1 during  the Brazos River Regional school day program for the Deaf. The program is held annually by the DHH Optimistic Speech Contest, which was sponsored by The Optimist Club of Weatherford and The Frank Walters Foundation. 

Schneider won first place among three other students who took to the stage to compete for scholarship money and, based on the prompt, teach us how to change the world with optimism. The top three contestants will compete at the district level for the scholarships.

Schneider won first with her closing statement, speaking for all while saying “Without optimism, there is no beginning, and without a beginning, there is nothing.”

She will be invited to compete at the district level competition in May for an opportunity to win a scholarship worth from $1000 to $2500 dollars.