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So I was able to spend some more time with our March Madnezz champion and Sweet Diggity Dawg, Lauren Thames. I’m telling you, impressive. This girl is not only busy with making the world a better place today, she has plans to change the world.

So what’s it like to be crowned the Zinch 2009 Sweet Diggity Dawg?

“I don’t know if it’s hit me yet” said Lauren through the phone.

Maybe once she gets through reading the 150 txts that hit her cell phone to congratulate her on winning the $20,000 scholarship it’ll start to sink in. Lauren beat out Elias Boujaoude (another amazing student with great things on the horizon) with 1906 votes to his 1873.

Lauren is a very active and involved student. From student government to arts and crafts, state tennis to working with kids with disabilities, or winning choir competitions to preparing for a trip to Romania to volunteer at an orphanage this summer. Her attitude is care-free, but with direction. She’s a simple church going girl from Kansas with faith and confidence that she is doing what’s right and things work out the way they’re supposed to. What are the two things she can’t live without? Her bible and her teddy bear.

“It was great seeing how much support I had out there. Hard work pays off. It nice to see a lot of people love me” Lauren continued to say.

A lot of people spread the love to all 64 finalists involved in the competition. Ultimately yes, Lauren received the most love, but hundreds of thousands of votes were cast for our final 64 students. Votes from all 50 states and multiple countries as well. Lauren even mentioned getting votes from Sweden.

“I am passionate, caring, and determined. I aspire to be a nurse and dream of working on a medical missions team.” Lauren says through her Zinch profile. She’s taking her dream and aspirations to Baker University. A small school in Kansas, one that she puts as “close to home, but not too close.” Her plans are to play tennis for 2 years and then head up to the nursing school in Topeka. She’s learned that she loves to work with people and wants to always be in a position to help. That’s why she’s going to become a nurse.

She did everything needed to pull off this win. For those that want to enter into next year’s Sweet Diggity Dawg scholarship, take some notes…From facebook to mass emails, parents support to campaigning in her high school (as seen in the pic to the side). She felt that face to face, one on one campaigning was still the most effective. That personal touch is what’s important to her and she thinks it’s what got her the win.

More than anything, from the start she never looked at the end picture. She says she focused on the moment, one step at a time. She just wanted to get to the next level, next round. Not until the Final Four did she think she could actually win.

“I feel like I got lucky, I never expected it all. I was just hoping.”

Well the girl from Kansas did. She won. All those days (and late nights) paid off. The conscious and sub-conscious thoughts of zinch…scholarship…zinch… were worth it. The obsession, the highs and lows, and the support of her friends, family, Zinchers and strangers ultimately brought her the crown of Zinch’s Sweet Diggity Dawg.

Now that this is over she can go back to being her busy high school self. But for the next year she’ll wear the prestigious title of Zinch’s Sweet Diggity Dawg. Congrats to Lauren Thames!!

For those looking to get involved in the competition next year, make sure you go apply HERE.