Otsego High School’s DAR Good Citizen Award winner lives out the qualities of this designation; the high school staff chose senior Cooper Smalldon for the Class of 2023. 

“Cooper is the absolute epitome of hard work, dedication, citizenship and joy. You can always find him smiling and selflessly lending a helping hand. He is well-deserving of this award and it has been an absolute privilege watching him pour his heart and soul into all he does at OHS over the past four years,” says HS teacher Nancy Zyzelewski.

This award, sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) began in 1934. It encourages and rewards the qualities of good citizenship. Specifically, this is awarded to high school seniors who possess the qualities of dependability, service, leadership and patriotism. 

"I am truly honored to receive this award, and it feels amazing to know that my teachers and staff recognize me as being an outstanding citizen. I have always tried my best to make a positive impact on the people around me, so it is extremely fulfilling to see that I have been successful in doing so,” Smalldon says of receiving this honor. 

Smalldon is involved in several school organizations and athletics. He is the student council president, National Honor Society vice president, was a member of the Purple Committee, and is a senior class officer. He also participates in Basketball, soccer (captain) and golf. 

“Cooper is a natural leader. He gives 100% effort into anything he does and inspires others to do the same. His positive energy and school spirit is contagious. He makes people feel like they belong and that they matter,” says HS teacher and student council advisor, Merry Beth Scott. 

“He is respectful to adults, kind to his peers, compassionate  about his future, humble about his accolades, and the list goes on. He is the type of student that teachers love to have in class as he is always prepared and ready to learn,” adds HS teacher and coach Al Littel.

Smalldon is now invited to participate in the scholarship portion of the DAR Good Citizen program. This consists of a personal statement and an essay. He will gather with the other award winners from Allegan County for the first step of this contest in the spring. Scholarships are awarded to essay winners at the chapter, state, division and national levels.