BHS Junior Wins Contest for Web Site Design



The following was used with permission from the Bronson Journal. The article was written by Ardis Baad and was first published in the Bronson Journal on January 12, 2006.

     Eric de Araujo, age 17, entered a three-didstrict church contest, which resulted in impacting Christians worldwide.
     Araujo, a junior at Bronson High School, won a contest for Web site design last December, and won $100 and a $500 scholorship to Bethel College in Mishawaka, Ind.
     However, he accomplished more than to win a contest. He designed and uploaded the Web site for a new mission organization, His Wheels International, which has resulted in expanding the mission's work internationally.
     The contest was part of competition held each year for young people who attend 3DYC, a three-district youth conference for teens from the Missionary Church.
     Araujo had participated in the contest before but did not win. In 2005, his mother's best friend, Alice Teisan, executive director for His Wheels International in Wheaton, Ill challenged him to design and upload a Web site for her newly-formed mission organization.
     His Wheels International was incorporated in May of 2005. Its mission is to provide bicycles and bicycle expertise for Christian missionaries around the world.
     Teisan says, for many around the world a bicycle meets the same transportation needs that cars do in the U.S.
     "An African leader once told me, 'You just think of everywhere you drive your car. If you had to walk there, how would it be?'" he said.
     "It's their car," Teisan said. "If a church gave $100 for a bicycle, it would allow one missionary to travel to five villages."
     Araujo took the challenge and began working on the Web site design last summer.
     Since he'd never uploaded a site before or worked on graphics, he sought the advice of one of Teisan's friends.l He also read information on the subject.
     "He taught himself," Teisan said. "He is a self-motivated young man. I couldn't have picked a better Web master. I could have asked experienced Web site designers in the Chicago area to do the site. I'm glad I picked the little town person."
     Araujo said there were broad guidelines for the contest but he had his own standards for Web site design.
     "I like a clean layout, lots of white and not cluttered," he said. "I like fades that fade gradually."
     Teisan says the Web site has expanded the ministry of His Wheels.
     "We've had hits from six different countries," she said. "It's the doorway into your organization. World Relief saw our site and is partnering with us to get bikes to refugees."
     Eric de Araujo is the son of Jenny and Solano de Araujo of Bronson, and plans to attend Bethel College after high school and major in information technology.
     Check out Araujo's Web design, at www.hiswheelsintl.org.



His Wheels International 2005
P.O. Box 423, Wheaton, IL 60187-0423
(630) 510-1005  info@hiswheelsintl.org
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