Optimist Club Selects Students of the Year for Three Middle Schools, Centralia Christian

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The Optimist Club of Chehalis/Centralia recently awarded $500 scholarships to its students of the year at Centralia, Chehalis and Adna middle schools, and Centralia Christian School.

Students of the year are Izabella Shortridge, Centralia Middle School; Jordyn Watson, Chehalis Middle School; Tovah Engle, Adna Middle School; and Thomas Mullin, Centralia Christian School.

Each honoree at Centralia, Chehalis and Adna is selected from the Optimist Club’s students of the month. At Centralia Christian, the student of the year was chosen from among students of the trimester.

The monthly/trimester students are picked by the staff of each school each month.

 At an awards ceremony, the students are presented with a certificate for the month/trimester they represented. The student of the year then receives a certificate and the scholarship.

Following are biographical sketches of the students of the year, and a listing of the monthly/trimester honorees.

Centralia Middle School

Izabella Shortridge has two occupations in mind — either an attorney or a criminal investigator. Her dream schools are either the University of Washington or the University of North Carolina.  Harvard is a huge goal in her life but wants the college experience before attempting Harvard.

Shortridge spends most of her free time reading and writing.  She reads many different books from an amateur book app and even writes her own books to add to that app. In WE day club, she helps arrange dates to volunteer at the animal shelter, spend time with the elderly and plant trees.

During summer, she volunteers at the Centralia Timberland Library to encourage children to get involved with reading and “hopefully find a love for it like I have.” The persons she finds inspiring are Alessia Cara and Grace Vanderwall. “Alessia Cara has a genuine passion for writing meaningful songs, even at her young age,” Shortridge said. “Grace Vanderwall does not take her fame for granted and is very humble.” Shortridge’s favorite tenant is “To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.”

 “Your own success will have a lot more meaning to you if you know that you fullheartedly care about the success and wellbeing of others around you,” Shortridge said.

The students of the month were Sofia Hinojosa, Faith Duffy, Regan Kane, Rebecca Demaris, Adam Rosales-Reyes, Satine Sas, Emily Heppe, Izabella Shortridge and Melina Almanza.

Chehalis Middle School



Jordyn Watson is interested in architecture and home design.  She is looking into Western Washington University, Eastern Washington University and University of Oregon to attain these goals. She writes novels and believes music and art helps express her emotions. She also paints and draws.

Watson is a dedicated singer with the Wildcat Choir. She spends her spare time with her family, church youth group, reading or browsing through books at the library or writing in one of her many book series. When the opportunity arises, she and her mother volunteer to help the Lewis County Drug Court Program.

 During Christmas, she will help put on a fundraiser and Christmas party for people who are working to turn their lives around. She likes the Eighth Creed — to wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile because she noticed walking around town that many people appear to be feeling down and rarely smiling.  “Making someone’s day by smiling at them improves your own day also,” she said.

The students of the month were Jacob Blomdahl, Tianna Jeffries, Bryan Bach, Madison Mencke, Jay Caird, Jordyn Watson, Darren Gray, Abby Kay and Lawsen Goldsby.

Adna Middle School

Tovah Engle aspires to be either a teacher or guidance counselor. The college she would like to attend is the University of Arkansas and take its elementary education course. She said she likes sports because it teaches teamwork and how to lose graciously.  It also improves her endurance. Music teaches her discipline and patience, she said, and believes without either sports or music she would not be the person she is today. She likes writing and would like to become a professional like J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Engle looks up to the actress Emma Watson because while she was filming “Harry Potter” movies she was still focused on her studies and becoming a better person. Watson is also an ambassador for woman’s rights and helps Tovah believe that she can do anything a guy can do.

Students of the month were Carlie Latimer, Paige Wagner, Hailey Rainey, Keaton Dowell, Emma Eko, Tovah Engle, Ryder Walker, Joe Bennight and Delanie Hill.

Centralia Christian School

Thomas Mullin plans to go to WSU as the two occupations that inspire him are civil engineering and architecture. Sports also play an important role in his education because he said it teaches teamwork, self-disipline, commitment and leads to friendships. Football has been very beneficial for him. His hobbies are serving the Lord, outdoor activities, reading, camping with his family, backpacking and mountain biking with his dad and friends.  

The Sixth Tenant is important to him as he is as enthusiastic about the success of others as he is about his own.  He gives to the community through Boy Scouts of America, helps beautify his community by cleaning up trails and building bird house kits at the youth fair.  He has volunteered at Love INC and helped serve in Sunday afternoon Bible services at Riverside Nursing Home.  He has been serving the community since sixth grade.

The students of the trimester were Joel Johnson, Malaki Sunipha and Thomas Mullin.