Melton wins regional Doodle 4 Google contest

Makenzie Melton, a third grade student from El Dorado Springs R-2 School District has been named a regional winner in the 2010 Doodle 4 Google Competition. Makenzie was chosen as the kindergarten through third grade winner from this region. There were 33,000 nationwide entries. Melton will join 39 other U.S. students from the four grade levels and six regions as they celebrate their win and find out who the national winner is in a special ceremony in New York City.

The National Winner will win a $15,000 college scholarship to be used at the school of their choice, a trip to New York City for the event on May 26, a laptop computer, a Wacom digital design tablet, and a T-shirt printed with his/her doodle on it. The winner's school also will receive a $25,000 grant to be used toward the establishment/

improvement of a computer lab.

The winning doodle will also be featured on the Google.com homepage on May 27, 2010. Doodle 4 Google is a competition open to K-12 students of U.S. schools to create their own Google doodle inspired by the 2010 theme, "If I Could Do Anything, I Would...".

Each contestant had to write a brief statement with their entry. Melton's doodle was titled "Rainforest Habitat," and she wrote, " I chose this doodle because the rainforest is in danger and it is not fair to the plants and animals. I love everything except the spiders and snakes, but I would still save them."

A special Doodle 4 Google assembly was held on Tuesday, May 18th in the El Dorado Springs High School gymnasium. Google representatives Emily Williams and Ben Emmrich were on hand to grant the regional award and present a Google program. The program lasted about 30 minutes and was geared toward teaching students how to use Google in their studies.

Emmrich also explained that the final winner would be chosen by people voting for their favorite doodle on the Google Web site. Emmrich walked Melton through the process of casting the first vote for her entry and encouraged all those present to log on to the Web site and vote.

Students, faculty, parents and community members were all invited to attend the assembly. A Bon Voyage reception and press conference was held afterwards with Makenzie answering media questions. Melton and her mother, Tammy Melton, are set to leave on their trip to the Big Apple on Tuesday, May 25. Melton said the most exciting part of the whole thing was "the trip to New York City," and that she's anxious to go there.