January 13th, 2007 marked the first ever Animation Mentor graduation. 91 of our graduates flew from all over the world (Brazil, Italy, France, England, Australia, etc) to celebrate the success of completing the program and to share their enthusiasm and excitement as they go into the world to become professional animators!!! In total, over 300 people attended this celebration, and it marks one of the most amazing days of our entire lives!

This school began as a dream. The dream of giving people around the world the chance to chase after what seemed like an impossibly far fetched dream... the dream of becoming an animator. What people find at Animation Mentor is something more than they expect. It's not just a bunch of video tutorials or software hype, nor is it just an animation school. It's a supportive family that *truly* cares about each other.

It's so amazing to have an idea in your head and see it grow into something that touches so many lives. We've often heard that "a business is a reflection of its owner(s)." The three of us care so much about every detail of what we've created, and the team that supports this vision is behind it as much as we are! We're so very proud of Animation Mentor and what we have brought into the world. Is it perfect? No, but that's the beautiful thing about it. We love the challenge of making it the best it can be, and embrace the criticism that comes along with that, which inevitably makes the school stronger and stronger.

January 13th marked a milestone in our lives. A milestone of seeing Animation Mentor through from concept to graduation. The feeling of completing something like this, and seeing our students venture out into the world to get jobs at some of the most amazing studios on the planet is simply amazing. Seeing the deep friendships created, and even some who have found the "love of their life" through our school is simply awe inspiring.

All three of us are so thankful to those of you who have believed in what we are doing and have offered so much support to us in this journey. You know who you are, and we could not do it without you. We're just at the beginning of something amazing, and we're so proud that we took the time, patience, and care to "do it right." Most of all, we're proud of our students, and seeing their faces as they received their diplomas was probably the single most rewarding and exciting moment for us so far!

Congratulations, graduates!!

- Bobby, Shawn, & Carlos