Last Chance to Vote for Dakota Jones' Doodle 4 Google

In just 10 days, Andover High School senior Dakota Jones and her family went from keeping a big secret to telling everyone they know — and everyone they don't — all about it. 

They'll soon find out if it will pay off. Jones, 18, is representing Michigan in a nationwide art contest that could have her work seen globally by anyone that uses Google

Company representatives announced Jones won the Michigan Doodle for Google competition and unveiled her artwork during a special ceremony at the school's auditorium last week. Along with the potential of greeting millions of Google users online, Jones could win a $30,000 scholarship and a technology grant for her school, if she garners enough online votes before 11:59 p.m. today on the contest site.

Google officials called Jones about a week before the announcement, but instructed her to keep it a secret within her immediate family as part of the company's strategy to unveil the state winners across the country on the same day.

The campaigning began even before Jones took the stage at Andover.

"This is big!," said U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, D-Royal Oak, who introduced Jones during the event. Levin, who now represents Bloomfield Township after winning his 10th term in office last November, insisted the crowd vote — and get their families and friends to do so as well.

Superintendent Rob Glass and several Bloomfield Hills Schools Board of Education members wore their Google t-shirts during last week's meeting, which they conducted with the enlarged artwork behind them.

"We're posting it on Facebook and Twitter, putting up flyers and talking to everyone. We're trying to get the whole community out to help me out with this," said Jones, who will study environmental science at the University of Colorado next fall. 

Her artwork, titled 'Beekeeping,' is one of the state winners selected from more than 130,000 student submissions this year. All 50 state winners will have their doodle displayed in a special exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History in New York from May 22 through July 14.

"To be recognized is really an honor," she said.

You can only vote once per computer or mobile device.