When I sat down to write this "tribute" to Dawn, the first word that popped into my head was "poised". I found myself wondering, however, "do I really know - exactly - what that word even means?". So I looked it up (thank-you online dictionary) and this is what I found:
Poised - having a composed and self-assured manner.
YES!! YES!! YES!! This IS Dawn! She exemplifies poised perfectly. One of the first things I noticed about Dawn when I met her is how completely comfortable with (and confident in) herself she is. This is a very rare trait in people, particularly in teenagers (I, for one, was NOT like this in high school). But when you see Dawn, you see someone who is truly being HERSELF. Her ideas, her hobbies, her friends, her clothes, her music, her books... she owns it all. You don't like her style, her opinion? Fair enough, but really not something that Dawn is going to worry about.
Another trait about Dawn that I greatly admire is that she is a risk-taker. I don't mean that she jumps out of airplanes and swims with sharks (though, for all I know, these are actual interests of hers), but rather that she takes chances, tries new things, risks failure. Here's a partial list of things I know she has participated in while at King George (I'm sure the full list would be about three times as long): book club, creative writing club, swimming, dancing, bass guitar (and assorted other instruments), volunteering, activism, newsletter creation, etc. Want to get the most out of life as possible? Be like Dawn! Try new things. Even things you might not be very good at (though Dawn seems to be good at a LOT of things).
Of course, what makes Dawn so especially wonderful is not all the many things she is DOING, but rather, the great person she is BEING. Dawn is thoughtful, kind-hearted, and hard-working. She is soft spoken and unassuming, but she is also wise and dynamic. Oh, and she has a great sense of style too!
Dawn, I am inspired by the way you attack life fully. I have actually thought of you at different times over the past few years when I have considered learning something new (knitting, computer programming, etc) and used your example to convince myself to "just go for it". You have so many different talents and you are such a fantastic person. It's easy to picture you being successful doing one of many, many things. I can't wait to see which area(s) it will be for you! Good luck and keep living your life to the fullest!