Drum Roll Please...

First, I want to say Thank YOU! to all of you who took the time to enter the contest. There were so many wonderful entries of Seniors that will soon graduate and go into our world to make a difference. Some of you made me laugh & some of you made me cry, it was a great contest and I can't wait for next year. It was not an easy process in choosing the winner but a decision had to be made.

And the winner is......

Dillon!!

Winner: Dillon
Scoop: 17 yrs old, graduating senior from Sandalwood High School Class of 2010!

Meet Dillon... in the eyes of his mom, dad & other friends & family. This straight from the email I received from his mom for nomination and the reason that Dillon won the contest.

"You want to know why he is amazing. That is such a big question. He is loving and caring. He has a heart of gold and shares it with everyone blessed enough to know him. He is an amazing friend to all that knows him. He takes it personal when his family or friends are hurting and wants to do something to help. He is an individual that doesn't care what other people think, he does what is right because its right not because its popular! He takes that a step further and encourages his friends to do the same. He has a very deep love for God and also shares that with his friends. From the day he was born he has been my heart and strength.

He plays Lacrosse for his high school, and has also been known to enjoy skateboarding, surfing, fishing, karaoke, and is often the clown of most situations, not to be disrespectful but to make life in general more fun! He also has a quiet love for writing poems, raps and songs, writing his thoughts in general."

And a few other comments I have about Dillon:

"Dillon has changed my life in many ways that I cannot explain. He taught me to stand up for myself and even though I stood up for myself because of him, I learned well."

"He is a ray of sunshine and I do believe that he will do great things with his life. He is a joy to be around."

"When I feel like I want to give up, he helps me find strength to push forward.
When he makes me proud, he makes me want to go do something to make him proud.
He is unique because he has the ability to put a smile on anyone's face even when they are sad.He is unique because he has the ability to identify when someone needs advice or when they just need him to just listen so they can vent."

"I think Dillon has turned my life upside down and made me realize the finer things in life. I look up to him as some sort of savior, a constant savior. I strive to be as smart as he is and be as brave, he's taught me to not have a spine of a jelly fish and to be on top of things like white on rice. He's also taught me to put things in gods hands when all else fails. And if he were to ever leave me, I would never forget him, because I can honestly say he's taught me things no one else is capable of teaching me, and I love him for that."

"He has a tender, gentle spirit with a truly genuine way of caring...nothing fake here....he would sacrifice his own happiness to make someone else happy...he is a very good listener and wise beyond his years. Somehow, for the most part, he has managed to escape this world and all its' craziness."

So as you can see, Dillon is an amazing 17 year old and I can not wait to spend the day with him so that I can see for myself what every one sees. Stayed tuned for his photos, coming soon!

Until then, here is a couple of snap shots his mom sent to me...