Prior Lake High School senior Grace Mays is starting her final year of Junior Optimist as a secretary of the club. Grace has been a member of Junior Optimist for all four years of her high school experience. Junior Optimist is a club in which any student in grades 9 through 12 at Prior Lake High School are given various opportunities to volunteer.

Junior Optimist gives lots of different volunteer opportunities. These volunteer opportunities are held throughout the entire the year. “There are before and after school volunteer opportunities each month, and there are also outside of school opportunities available” said Grace.

Grace’s brother Devin Mays was also involved in Junior Optimist during his four years of high school. “My older brother convinced me to join the club when I was a freshman, and I have been involved ever since” said Grace, as she is beginning her fourth and final year in the club.

Junior Optimist also offers many different positions within the club. Grace is the Secretary of the club this year. Since being the Secretary, Grace is the one responsible for taking notes during each meeting and helping out with the different volunteer opportunities.

If a student is involved in Junior Optimist, they are not required to attend all meetings nor are they required attend all of the out of school volunteer opportunities.

Meetings for Junior Optimist are held every other Monday morning at 7:30 am. These meetings take place in the Lecture Hall, which is right next to the upper entrance of the high school.

At the Junior Optimist meetings, the club usually talks about the events that are coming up. Feed My Starving Children, Watzl’s Beach Clean Up, and the Community Halloween Party are just a few volunteer events that have happened in the past few months.

The easiest way to get other students involved in Junior Optimist is by inviting students to the club meetings on Monday mornings! “It has been so fun to see the friendships that have formed all while helping our community” said Grace.

“Junior Optimist gives me something to look forward to at the beginning of each week. It is always a great way to start off a Monday morning” said Kaylee Olson, senior at Prior Lake High School.

“Grace has made such a positive impact on the Junior Optimist community,” said Olson. Kaylee joined Junior Optimist at the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year, and is still currently a member of Junior Optimist.

Olson said that she enjoys attending the Junior Optimist meetings each week because it gives her a steady routine. She also enjoys being a member of Junior Optimist because she is able to help people in many different ways.

Grace hopes that when she graduates and leaves Prior Lake High School, Junior Optimist will continue to grow and maintain a positive impact on the school and the students.