Survivor: South Pacific - Meet Dawn

Name: Dawn MeehanAge: 41Tribe designation: SavaiiCurrent residence: South Jordan, UtahOccupation: English Professor at Brigham Young University

Personal claim to fame: Adopting our six children.Inspiration in life: My husband. He's really one of the most incredible human beings. He's kind, generous, peaceful, hard-working and selfless. I'm so grateful to spend my days with him.Hobbies: Swimming with my kids, writing/blogging and baking bread.Pet peeves: Brown grass and complainers.3 words to describe you: Driven, positive and enthusiastic.Survivor contestant you are most like: Sandra, Parvati and Stephenie. I'm physically strong like Parvati and Stephenie. I'm in this to really play and win - like these women.Reason for being on Survivor: Survivor is the best game on Earth! There's so much application to "real life." After watching as a fan for 10 years, I just know in my soul that it's my turn to play and win. Plus, it's the adventure of a lifetime and one million dollars!Why you think you'll "survive" Survivor: I'm driven, tenacious, adaptable, funny, optimistic, intelligent and resilient. I can motivate/persuade people, and I think that's powerful/important at every stage of this game.Why you think you will be the sole Survivor: I've got the drive and determination to dominate this game. And, as cliché as it sounds, I'm really "in it to win it."

Dawn is a fan of the game and that makes me like her right from the start. She has applied a couple of times before and knows the game well. She seems a very down-to-earth woman with a strong personality and the will to win. She comes off as very likable and maybe assume the role of the mother of the group, seeing how she's the older woman, but she's also quite athletic and will help her tribe in challenges, as well as camp life.She has great ratings from her students and she will certainly get along very well with the young people in Savaii, which makes me think she will have a long run in the game.My take: yey!I love Dawn. There aren't many older women that I liked on Survivor through the years, but she's neither quirky and annoying, nor a religious fanatic, so she makes it very easy for me to root for her.