CONTINUED BEST WISHES TO OUR PREVIOUS WINNERS: SHANNON MC DOWELL, GREGORY GUTIERREZ, GLORY HOM and PHILIP TAMULIS, New Jersey MATIS MILLER, QUINCY SHEDRICK, RYAN WELLS,  PATRICK TUTHILL and ROBIN BURGER, New York ADAM DI GIOVANNI, DANIEL MATTHEWS, MICKEY RUGGERI, PATRICK O'NEIL, HEATHER EMERY and MICHAEL HOLDERMAN, Georgia CHAD DONNELL and JUAN MALDONADO, JR., Texas KIMBERLY BEESLEY and KATIE KAPLAN, Colorado JACOB RUIZ, RAY RODRIGUEZ, ZOE BURNS and KEVIN HO,  Illinois AMBER BAKER, HANNAH SCALISE and CASSIE HINES, Michigan         TYSON CAZIER, Vermont ASHLEY LOVE, KENNETH HEMPILL, JESSICA GLAGO, AARON NATHE, DEREK STRATA , JESSICA STAYER, ANGELA SAYERS and SARAH STARNER, Ohio BRIAN ANDERSON, Kansas         JANE LINGWALL and KEVIN LIVINGSTON, Utah JAMES TALBERT, KATHRYN ZAWADZKI, DREW CHEATWOOD, NETA VAN ZWAREN, KENNETH PERNSELY JR. and LAURA LITCHFIELD, North Carolina  ADAM WEAVER, MARK A. GOOD and CHRISTOPHER WILSON, West Virginia ETHAN HELM, Arkansas        BRAD ATCHELY, Tennessee  BENJAMIN BREAULT, SAMANTHA TETREAULT, JESSICA ALLARD, PAIGE KALIKA and HUNTER DURFEE,  New Hampshire APRIL OWINGS and T.J. HUTCHINGS, Oklahoma ANDY SEIPEL, DE ANDRE JONES,VINCENT J. GOODWIN, ELIZABETH STAUFFER, NICK KLOSKA and KERRI HOLBROOK,  Pennsylvania BARRY WILLIAMS JR., Maryland        JOEL MCKAY, Louisiana        JAMES FOWKES, Oregon KYLE COUGHLIN, REBECCA QUINONES, GEORGE KAPLAN and ANNAMARIA WILLIAMS, Florida BRIAN DOMBROWSKI, CHRISTINE BUFFONE, ANDREW DORNER, ANNI KACYNSKI, BRITTANY MABIS and ZACH REZK, Wisconsin BASIR SYED, ADRIENNE B., CASSIE NGUYEN, CALEB DOMINGUEZ, SIMON JOHN WILLIAMS, MATTHEW SASAKI and BROOKS PAUL,  California JOEL SOUKUP, TORREY LINE and NATHAN WALZ, Minnesota CASEY REIS, Mississippi          DYLAN McDANIEL, Nevada               JORDON PERRY, Arizona BEN LUKING, Kentucky           JOSEPH CUSICK, Maine ANDREW McCUSKER and DANIEL WARILA, Massachusetts HALEY CHAPLIN, South Carolina       JOSEPH DAIGLE, Rhode Island TIFFANY ANNE ANDREWS, CRYSTAL BIALAS and TIMOTHY JARVIS, Virginia JOHN ROBERT HICKS, DAVID BROOK MIDDLETON and KENZIE DERR, Alabama STEVE PAYNE, EMMA C., RYAN SCHLOSSER and AMY E. HAYES, Indiana JAMIE LYNN FARLEY, Idaho    BRENT SCHILPEROORT, Washington BRIDGET FROSINA, Connecticut        KELSEY LEE, Iowa

JARED BALK is 18 and lives in Illinois, where he has just started college in pursuit of a career in gas line welding.  The road to college has been difficult for Jared, who was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma at age 15 shortly before the start of his sophomore year.  An avid football and basketball player, Jared had to sit out the season while he underwent radiation and chemo.  Through hard work he managed to keep up with his classwork despite prolonged absences from school, and later worked a part-time job to help pay for his truck expenses.  Midway through his junior year, Jared was sidelined again when the cancer recurred.  This time, an even more grueling regimen including a stem cell transplant resulted in Jared missing much more school, but he was not going to be defeated.  He was elected Homecoming King and was crowned while in the hospital!  A videotape was shown at the Pep Rally and another tape was made of the Homecoming Queen dancing with Jared in the hospital.  Having missed most of his senior year, Jared was still able to graduate with his class and resume his life.  His hope is to "someday make a difference in this world."  We think you already have, Jared.  You've shown others how to deal with a terrible situation with dignity, courage and determination. CONGRATULATIONS, JARED!

TAYLOR BETHARDS, from Washington, was diagnosed with Large Cell Anaplastic Lymphoma at age 15.  Now 19, Taylor is finally able to look forward to starting college at the University of Washington this fall after losing months of school due to treatment.  Taylor's first encounter with lymphoma resulted in a year of chemotherapy, followed by a very short remission.  Imagine how discouraging it is to endure an entire year of chemo only to relapse a few months later.  This time, Taylor underwent a stem cell transplant but this, too, gave only the briefest of remissions and Taylor was back in the hospital for a second transplant less than a year later.  She is now dealing with Graft vs. Host Disease as a result of her transplants, but Taylor has her sights set on her future as a child life specialist working with seriously ill children.  Who can better understand what these kids are going through than this exceptional young woman.  Bravo, Taylor! CONGRATULATIONS, TAYLOR!

LAUREN HOLBROOK has probably spent more time in hospitals than most people ever will.  From Illinois, Lauren has undergone three heart transplants in her young life, the first when she was a baby.  As with all tranplants, anti-rejection drugs are required which greatly weaken the immune system.  As a result, Lauren has been diagnosed with a type of non-Hodgkins lymphoma known as post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) three times.  Each recurrence of PTLD necessitates a long regimen of chemotherapy and hospitalizations.  Now 18, Lauren has been fighting for her health since she was 18 months old.  She refuses to be discouraged and not only graduated with her class, but took some AP classes and made National Honor Society as well!  How does she do this?   We don't know, but we DO know that Brigham Young University is lucky to have enrolled this fine young woman!  Lauren, you are an inspiration - best wishes as you start college this fall! CONGRATULATIONS, LAUREN!

KAITLYN SUAREZ has just started school at Union College in her home state of New York.  Kaitlyn, 18, was an avid lacrosse player in her freshman year of high school when she was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma.  She spent her summer vacation undergoing chemotherapy in an experimental program which, unfortunately, did not grant her a long remission.  During her sophmore year she faced yet more chemo, surgery and radiation.  Somehow Kaitlyn managed to keep up with her school work and completed her junior year of high school with a high grade point average.  But mid-way through her senior year, the cancer recurred and this time Kaitlyn underwent a stem cell transplant with additional radiation and a long period of isolation.  Demonstrating the incredible fortitude and grace that all of our cancer warriors display, Kaitlyn kept on with her life plans and was accepted into Union College's prestigious Union Scholars' Program.  She intends to pursue a career in the health professions.  We know she will attain her goal and be an inspiration to others. CONGRATULATIONS, KAITLYN!! Save your appetite because soon we will have a new chef!  And not just ANY chef, but a young man who has weathered the ravages of Burkitt's Lymphoma.  KEEGAN MITCHELL, from Massachusetts, is now a student at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America (CIA) pursuing his dream of becoming a Certified Master Chef in French cuisine.  After being diagnosed in March of his junior year of high school, Keegan was unable to return to school but managed to keep up with his work despite numerous surgeries, side effects from chemotherapy and many hospitalizations and set backs.  All the while, Keegan kept his dream alive and was able to attend the CIA's career discovery weekend where he dazzled the teaching chef - and all this just a few days after a surgical procedure!  We are very excited about Keegan's future and we want to be the first to sample his amazing cooking.  Congratulations, Keegan!