Band Together for Foster Children - Meet Dimon

August 07, 2019 0 Comments

Hi! I’m Dimon Sanders, an 18 year old dance loving, makeup doing, pageant fanatic. I’m currently a freshman at Western New Mexico University studying Special Education.

I was originally born in Lancaster, CA, but transitioned to Arizona at a very early age. On June 16, 2009, my life changed drastically when I was placed in the foster care system as a result of abuse and neglect. During my time in care, I struggled with managing my emotions and behaviors; I was angry, hurt, sad, depressed, and pretty much any other negative emotion that you can think of. My emotions and behaviors caused me to be moved around from home to home. After 13 different foster care placements and 2 failed adoptions, I finally met a family that changed everything. I was officially adopted October 22, 2014.

I had always struggled with low self-esteem and low confidence. My adoptive family searched for ways to help me overcome not feeling good enough. After watching my Aunt compete for Miss North Carolina, I decided to give pageants a try. This also gave me the opportunity to pursue my passion for dance since the Miss America Organization requires a talent. After competing for 3 years, I was finally crowned Miss Arizona’s Outstanding Teen 2017 on June 24, 2017. With the Miss America Organization, you have to have a platform or a cause that’s important to you.  My platform is and will always be creating hope for kids in the foster care system. I gave up my title in June 2018 after my year of service and began competing in the Miss Teen USA system where I now hold the title of Miss Tucson Teen USA; I will be vying for the crown of Miss AZ Teen USA this January so send your well wishes my way!  In addition to pageants; makeup, dance and volunteerism are my other passions.

Determined to not let my past dictate my future, I have dedicated the past 4 years of my life giving a voice and being an advocate for children in foster care. I volunteer and partner with organizations that offer support and services to those kids. A few of those are various CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) programs, I Am You 360, Together We Rise, and Arizona Children’s Association.  The services that these organizations provide this “Circle of Hope” for children in the foster care system. When I heard about a bracelet being named after me and about what it stood for, it felt like fate!

Hope is light casting out darkness. As long as you have hope, you can overcome. I want foster children to not let their past dictate their future. Look at me and what I’m accomplishing in spite of who people said I’d be, in spite of the abuse that I suffered, in spite of the people that couldn’t see my worth, and sometimes in spite of the doubt that I placed on myself. “I am not what happened to me; I am what I choose to become.”

You can follow me on all social media networks by searching for Dimon Sanders or follow my personal hashtag, #ShineBrightLikeADimon to watch me continue to change the world one day, one person, one event at a time.