Photo credit: ABC’s “The Middle”

In last season’s finale episode of ABC’s sitcom, The Middle, Trophy Central’s muse, Sue Heck, starts to taste bitter lemons instead of her perennial sweet lemonade.

For the first time in her life, it seems that the perpetually positive, resilient Sue Heck is going to let life get her down.

Having determined to make her senior year in high school “The Year of Sue,” things are looking pretty bright when Sue opens her yearbook to find her picture. Finally, after four years, she’s not completely missing from the yearbook, she’s not in the yearbook under the memorial section and she’s not making a weird face because her braces were bothering her! Sue finally has a great, smiling, pretty picture.

Then she looks at the name beneath her face, and it says Ana Hajarajanaan.

A Long List of Woes, Two Sue Heck-Worthy Inspirations

Photo credit: ABC’s “The Middle”

This is the beginning of an assault of soul-crushing events that leave Sue wondering whether she should even go to her high school graduation at all.

The “senior page” picture Sue took with her friend Brad — two high school seniors wearing sombreros on top of a giant Señor cow — cuts off her face in the fold of the yearbook.

Then Sue loses her yearbook altogether in the midst of yearbook signing.

And she loses her attendance award to another student because, while they both only missed one day of school, Sue went to Arby’s one day for lunch!

Sue is then refused any cords to wear with her cap and gown. Student council members get to wear cords, but only treasury and above (not Sue’s role of Sergeant at Arms) and athletes get to wear varsity cords, but Sue’s self-founded “Wrestlerettes” (cheerleaders for wrestlers) is not on the list of cord sanctioned activities.

The woe-is-Sue list doesn’t end there.

Photo credit: ABC’s “The Middle”

Sue’s graduation pledge is taken away from her by Ehlert Motors when the company donates to the school to save the parking lot. Sue’s brother Brick tries to hone in on her graduation party when it’s recommended to his parents that he graduate a year early from middle school and go straight to high school.

And Sue’s school runs out of size medium caps so she is given a large and instructed to stuff it with tissue paper.

All of this culminates with Sue lying in her bed crying as her dad and brothers wait for her in the car to take her to her graduation. Sue is only partially dressed for her graduation ceremony and crying to her mom that she has no legacy. What’s the point of going to graduation? Sue feels like she didn’t even exist. Who would notice if she weren’t there?

As we watched this scene, all of us at Trophy Central screamed at the screen “NOOOO! You are the Queen of optimism Sue Heck! No matter how many times you fail, no matter how much awfulness life throws your way, you never, EVER give up. That’s why we created our Random Acts of Trophy-ness “Show Us Your Sue” campaign in your honor! Because we want to give trophies to everyday heroes like YOU! Those who make lemonade out of lemons and those who create their own teams when they don’t make the teams they tried out for. You are our hero, Sue Heck! You don’t just exist — you MATTER so much that we are giving out trophies in your honor!”

In fact, we recently delivered two more Random Acts of Trophy-ness Sue Heck awards to two very trophy-worthy people. Both of these people inspire all of us at Trophy Central just as much as Sue Heck does!

The Award for Girl Power Advocacy Goes to…

Everyday heroes come in all forms (even fictional 7 year old girls and their doggy best friends!) Congrats, Chloe Pink!

Chloe Pink received our Random Acts of Trophy-ness “Show Us Your Sue” award for “Best Girl Power Advocate” for June 2015. Congratulations, Chloe Pink! We just LOVE this picture of you and your puppy friend, Pete!

Chloe Pink is a 7 year old girl cartoon character created by Sharna Fulton. Chloe Pink inspires girls of all ages to be strong through her messages of girl power that she shares on social media and in real life!

Upon winning her “Show Us Your Sue” award, Chloe Pink said, “I’m dedicating this super pretty gold cup to EVERY girl like YOU who believes in herself and seeks out support (like I have with Pete) to follow YOUR dreams. And thanks to Trophy Central for making great awards like this one and celebrating the can do spirit and resilient peppiness of everyday heroes and dream chasers.”

You are so welcome, Chloe Pink! Thank YOU for making the world a better place by encouraging every girl to follow her dreams.

The Award for Inspirational Teaching Goes to…

That smile says it all! Congrats, Jill!

Jill Cofsky received our Random Acts of Trophy-ness “Show Us Your Sue” award for “Excellence in Teaching and Inspiring Students” for June 2015. Congratulations, Jill! This smiling picture of you and your trophy made our day to see!

Jill encourages young people to believe in themselves and in a better tomorrow. What could be more trophy-worthy (or Sue Heck-like) than that?!

Perhaps volunteering as a community news broadcaster for the visually impaired, which Jill does, in addition to being a voice actor! She deserves three trophies for her talents and kindness!

More Trophies, More Awards, More Sues!

We can’t wait to send out more “Show Us Your Sue” awards to more trophy-worthy people who inspire us.

Everyone who has been nominated for our Random Acts of Trophy-ness campaign remains a nominee, so if you’ve been nominated here on our blog or on social media using the hashtag #ShowUsYourSue, you are still a nominee!

And you just might find a trophy in your mail box!

An Award-Worthy Legacy

Photo credit: ABC’s “The Middle”

So what ever happened to Sue Heck and her high school graduation?

Sue’s mom Frankie helped Sue fasten her shoes and clumsily dragged her to the car. She told Sue she wasn’t insignificant and she couldn’t miss her graduation because she deserved to celebrate her accomplishments.

During the graduation ceremony, as Sue sat glumly in her seat, waiting for her name (or Ana Hajarajanaan!) to be called, her yearbook made its way from person to person until it was handed back to her.

Photo credit: ABC’s “The Middle”

And when Sue opened her yearbook, she saw that every single page was filled — with glowing comments — from all her peers. Her fellow graduates had written that Sue was an inspiration. They wrote how they admired her good attitude, saying she was always so happy and that no one had ever seen her in a bad mood. They thanked her for always comforting anyone who didn’t make a team or show, even when she was one of them. Her peers went on and on about how Sue was always so positive no matter what. She was called brave and told that she was a role model. She was thanked for all her hugs and all her warmth and all her strength.

And suddenly, Sue became Sue again! Her name — not Ana Hajarajanaan’s! — was called, and Sue accepted her diploma proudly, profusely thanking everyone and declaring that she would hug each and every person after the ceremony!

Her dad bought her a multitude of calendars as her graduation present, telling her that every year should be the year of Sue.

Photo credit: ABC’s “The Middle”

We at Trophy Central couldn’t agree more!

Because as Sue’s mom says, “Really, what is a legacy? It’s not the speaking at graduation, or the awards, or the cords, or the plaques. It’s the thousand moments every day where you touch people even when you didn’t know you were.”

Photo credit: ABC’s “The Middle”

Do YOU know a Sue Heck who’s touching people’s lives and making them better? At Trophy Central, we don’t just deliver trophies — we deliver smiles!

And we would love to deliver BOTH to the special Sue Heck underdog, dream chaser or go-getter in YOUR life!

So please Show Us Your Sue! In the comments section below, please nominate your everyday hero for our Random Acts of Trophy-ness “Show Us Your Sue” award. Tell us why YOUR Sue Heck deserves to win a trophy. We love to be inspired!

You can also nominate your pick to win a Random Acts of Trophy-ness trophy using the hashtag #ShowUsYourSue on our Facebook, Twitter or Google Plus page. And we would love for your to share our Random Acts of Trophy-ness “Show Us Your Sue” campaign to spread around the positivity! Thank you so much for your support!