Dillon Balantac is a senior and third-year journalist. Before joining The Cougar Connection, he worked as the social media editor, as well as the photography editor for Na Pueo News. He was also a contributing photographer for Ke Ānuenue. Balantac has won eight Hawaii High School Journalism Awards (HHSJA), with categories including feature writing, photography, social media and poster design. He also holds two Best of SNO awards and is an alumni of the School of The New York Times, where he studied photojournalism, film, and fashion. In his free time, Balantac volunteers as an elementary school teacher assistant and peer tutors students in math and science. He also enjoys painting, drawing and shooting portraits of his friends and family. Many of his pieces have been published in literary magazines like Ka Nalu Ola. His work has also been displayed at the Manoa Public Library and Mid-Pacific Institute.