UWSAG talks to Veronica LaLonde
of Raven LaLonde Awards

Winner: UWSAG Award Seekers Pick! for April, 2003

1. What got you started in website design?
   
   "Seven years ago I began designing a web as a simple means of sharing my newborn son with our family that was so far away. Through the years my skills increased as I visited other sites and experimented with new ideas. My most recent skills and the ones I consider the most valuable were learned once I began applying for web awards. Through the process I began to learn how to create a pleasing site while maintaining my own style. Now, I not only share my family with others but I also share games and homeschool resources. Placing games on my site has brought a whole new level of sharing to my site. Some games are even personalized with family photos. My journey is not over. I continue to learn."
   
   
2. What do you hope to accomplish with your award program?
   
   "My true goal is to provide a smile to someone, letting him or her know that his or her hard work has not gone unnoticed. As my own skills improve, I wish to impart the knowledge I gain with others."
   
   
3. What advice would you give other program owners?
   
   "Don’t be intimidated by the award indices, as I was when I first began. They are here to help. They are your most valuable resource for information."
   
   
4. What was the biggest problem you faced with your award program?
   
   "Receiving applicants was my first major problem. However, once I became a rated AP, the applications began to slowly come my way."
   
   
5. If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?
   
   "I would have looked harder for advice on how to operate an AP prior to starting my own."
   
   
6. What plans do you have for the future?
   
   "I plan to continue to refine my criteria and scoring to make the details clearer to applicants. I also wish to begin writing articles that help others. And as soon as I have the skills, I want to create better graphics to accompany the program that will reflect quality and style."
   
   
7. What else do you like to do?
   
   "As a mother of three, it is hard to believe I have time for other things, but I do. I currently am completing my IT degree. I will be returning to home schooling my children in the summer. I participate in karate and swimming with my children. I am an amateur photographer, having my first picture published this year. I am currently working on my family tree which has information extending all the way back to Benjamin Franklin. And last, I love to travel with the family. Is that enough? Not really. I love a challenge."