Chase W Dillon: “I’M ALWAYS ENCOURAGING OTHERS TO KEEP A WINNING ATTITUDE”

At the age of just 13, Chase Dillon, a rising star known for his roles in Haunted Mansion, The Underground Railroad, and The Harder They Fall, sits down for an exclusive interview with Glam Week magazine. Chase is here to share the story about his philanthropic work, which represents the true dedication to humanity. He’s inviting the world to tune in and learn about the efforts of children who are making real changes in the real world! Despite his young age, Chase’s impact is far-reaching and his dedication evident, even amidst his support for the SAG actors strike. Chase’s journey began early, with dreams of being on screen igniting a passion that has propelled him into the spotlight. Inspired by icons like Michael Jackson, he transitioned from a mere fascination with performance to a mission to empower young talent. His brainchild, the TIGRE Youth Celebrity Tour, is set to spark inspiration among a generation of aspiring artists. The pandemic added depth to Chase’s role as he realized the unequal opportunities faced by many. Transforming his acting into a platform for change, he initiated the TIGRE Tour, a vehicle to amplify the struggles of those less fortunate. The Youth Humanitarian Awards Scholarships, an endeavor close to his heart, aim to eliminate financial barriers to education. These scholarships cover various fields, from film to STEM, fostering the growth of young minds across diverse domains. Balancing his roles as an actor and a humanitarian, Chase’s perspective on societal change has grown exponentially. Values of positivity, respect, and a commitment to transformation guide his actions, reinforced by his unwavering faith and the unshakeable support of his family. Through KIEDC, co-founded by his mother, Chase is actively championing community welfare and driving entrepreneurship as a response to job loss and insecurity. Chase’s aspirations reach far beyond his immediate endeavors. Collaborating with influencers, he aims to unearth new sources of talent and innovative solutions to complex problems. His brainchild, the Youth Humanitarian Awards Scholarship Program, seeks to connect philanthropists and cultivate the potential of young change-makers.With unwavering audacity and an inspiring vision, Chase Dillon stands poised to captivate hearts and inspire change. At just 13 years old, he embodies the boundless potential of young minds, showing that age is no barrier to making an indelible mark on the world.

What inspired you to start acting at such a young age, and how do you think it has influenced your journey?

I started having dreams very early, at 5 or 6, when I would wake up and see myself on TV and in movies. I would watch performances, like Michael Jackson or a children performing. I have always loved singing, playing the piano, and speaking. When I would see children on TV, I would imagine what I would do or say if it was me.

Could you share a memorable experience where you saw the impact of your acting on inspiring other children to believe in themselves and pursue their dreams, leading you to begin inspiring and assisting them?

When I finished my first significant lead role during the pandemic shutdown, I started to hear about all the children not going to school or having access to teachers or education or anything to help them realize their dreams like I was. I had long since been helping with community food, toy, clothing drives, etc., so I used my “newly discovered” acting talent and stardom to bring attention to what other children my age were experiencing. I wanted to rally young people in a state, nation, or across the globe to develop their skills and ideas to solve the big problems they were facing. Using my design, my family and I created the TIGRE Youth Celebrity Tour. TIGRE stands for Technology Innovation Green Renewable Energy. We plan to launch this tour in late 2023.I’m always encouraging others to keep a winning attitude. I wanted to be a different voice for the youth. I wanted to inspire them to be their best, and no matter how many times they didn’t succeed, you learn a little bit more.

Tell us about your role as a founder of the youth humanitarian awards scholarship. What motivated you to establish this unique scholarship program?

Everyone looks for good role models, and I for one, have some of the best. But often it feels like more could be done to motivate more adults to reach back and see that so many young people look up to them. I also see my children at my age or younger, creating, doing, going to college, getting degrees, and doing amazing things in their community. The Youth Humanitarian Awards Scholarships create the framework where we can honor adults, motivate them and others to do more, showcase and celebrate the work that has already been done in our communities and across the world. For the children, they need to know that there are people fighting for them and will get behind them to accomplish great things. I want to raise $8Billion for the 8 billion people on the planet and send any children to college that desires to go to college. I wanted to leave something to young people and to adults to feel unstoppable and there is nothing too hard for us to solve. No matter what age you are. If you can dream, think, or see it, that means you can believe it. We are in a brave new world, ready to take on the challenges as a community. I like the Nike way — Don’t talk— Just do it.

Can you elaborate on the criteria for the awards you offer, such as social action, leadership, film, STEM, and initiative? Why do you think these areas are important for young people to excel in?

During the upcoming YHA, we have over $1M in scholarships to award to students looking to go to college. For now, these scholarships cover many different areas including journalism, health, arts and sciences. Each person can only apply to one scholarship, and each scholarship has its own criteria that the applicants have to meet.Please visit www.YouthHumanitarianAwards.com for the latest available information on scholarships and applications. More universities and individuals are stepping up to offer more diverse ones into many different areas of study.Our mission is “Meeting needs and solving problems for the benefit of all humanity». It is important for young people to be able to have options when it comes to paying for college. Believe it or not, more people of a young age are looking for what they can contribute to the world. We are seeing younger, more genius minds accomplish more every day. My goal is to create a platform where money is not a barrier to excellence and achieving your dreams. We will seek to cover a wide range of careers including those in storytelling (writers), music, sciences, engineering, entrepreneurs, creators, inventors, leadership with solutions, and more.

How has being an actor and a humanitarian shaped your perspective on making a positive impact in the world?

Are there any particular values or beliefs that guide your efforts?When I am on the screen, my character seeks to portray life in a certain way. Sometimes it depicts real life, fiction, and non-fiction. Being humanitarian has grounded me into seeing life as it really is. Putting the two together, it gives me the unique perspective to see what can be, and how I (we) can rewrite how this movie of life really plays out. To me, acting and being a humanitarian is almost like being in a position of change maker, no matter what you think the ending looks like, you can change it.In terms of values and beliefs, my parents have given me an opportunity to get a head start in my career, and life lessons. I have a praying mother so faith in God is always at the center in my house. Other values: always treat people like you want to be cared for; appreciate the people around you for the work they do; Keep a positive attitude; Be humble and your talents will make room for you. I will make my mark and celebrate the people around me. 

Chase, as the founder of KIEDC, could you share a personal experience or story that highlights the impact your organization has had on a family or individual struggling with poverty and hunger during the pandemic?

My mom, Dr. Metashar Dillon, is the founder of KIEDC (www.KIEDC.com). I have watched her impact the community for as long as I can remember. Since I was a toddler big enough to hold a frozen turkey, I have been raised in a culture of helping others, not just helping yourself. I am proud of the fact that we can help so many people to achieve their dream. We live out so many experiences every year by hosting food, clothing, and toy drives for the community. Our next biggest project is to build a free children’s specialty hospital to help close the health disparity gap by using the YHA platform to build a great platform and community. My most memorable experience comes from the time of the pandemic shutdown, where so many people needed help. We organized food trucks across the state of Connecticut and other to get food to the people. I will always remember our state local and federal legislatures coming out to help. That really made me feel proud and empowered that they would lend a hand. We came back from shooting a movie and went to the grocery store to start to collect food and called different authorities to begin to mobilize our distribution. It began with filling our personal vehicles with fresh vegetables to make it happen but found out that there were others just waiting to find out how they could help

How has your involvement with KIEDC shaped your understanding of the challenges faced by families dealing with job loss and food insecurity, and what keeps you motivated, both as an actor and as the founder of KIEDC, to continue making a difference?

I would always ask my parents, «how can we make a change that would last. I asked my mom how can I focus on the youth because they have lots of ideas and answers. They are very innovative and creative if adults would listen. They told me to use what was in my hands and mind, and they would stand by me to help. I began writing down my ideas of movie scripts, projects, and rally points that would make a difference. They helped me with the business plan. I have several movie projects, planned launch for my youth entrepreneur tour, the will help to stimulate jobs as well as new ideas and technologies for the future. Education and scholarships will be key to the success.

With the increasing demand for support due to job losses and food insecurity, how do you, as the ambassador to KIEDC, plan to sustain and expand your efforts to reach even more families in need?

Entrepreneurship. We will introduce and develop new skill sets into the minds of the youth. We will discover and promote new products to the market in ways like never before. We will use the internet, especially the metaverse (national and global), business training, mentorship, and others to create a brave new world. This new army of entrepreneurs will help fill the gap. Given the growing need for assistance due to job losses and food insecurity, how do you, in your capacity as the ambassador of KIEDC, intend to maintain and extend your initiatives to reach a greater number of families requiring aid?

I have fundraisers to help children and families. Many other foundations, corporations, organizations, family houses for humankind worldwide, endowments, are seeking more effective ways of reaching the youth of tomorrow. I am looking to use the power of the big screen, along with the networks of other actors, directors, and producers to find these new sources of talent and content that you will see on streaming services in the future. Through KIEDC, we can rally the ideas through our community development arm as an outlet for bigger and better storytellers.

As a young person juggling acting, scholarship initiatives, and other commitments, how do you manage your time effectively? What advice do you have for fellow young individuals looking to balance their passions and responsibilities?

When I am not on set filming, I am in school learning. Oftentimes when I’m on set, I have a tutor with me.Because a lot of roles have significant time commitments, I have had to learn to be more disciplined to get all my schoolwork done and make time for my friends, volunteering and faith. Sometimes it’s hard not to get distracted. To help get stuff done more efficiently, I am creating and building a greater and larger team. The fun part about it is, even the adults wish they had started earlier, or had the more amazing friends and volunteers to help sooner.

In your journey, your family, especially your mom, plays a significant role in supporting and guiding you. Could you tell us more about the influence she has had on your various initiatives.

My family is filled with champions. My mo-ther was a high school track champion, beauty and style entrepreneur, a community leader and organizer. She is well known in the entertainment sector, so she has a tremendous amount of experience navigating it. She has raised money to send so many young people to college, many of which are doctors, lawyers, and other professionals.My mom is always praying over me and for me. And if she meets you, she will probably pray for you too! I really admire her because she has influenced me to see the best in people. She teaches me to be fearless and don’t be afraid to be confident and reach for my dreams. She has been a great example of the value of hard work. She is the one who is the visionary, like seeing far, far into the future. Since I was 8 until now (I’m 13), she reviews and reads scripts to help me learn my lines, travels to auditions with me while my dad often stays with my twin brothers at home. She helps my Dad tape my video auditions and tackles the media part – which is a lot. My mom is like the best “momager”, helping me balance my career, school and change the lives of youth all over the world. If there was a face of the new world humanitarian, it would be her. She was recently celebrated by the royals of Dubai (You can find more on my Instagram @chasewdillon.) for her birthday celebration and won a presidential recognition award a couple of months ago.

Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for the youth humanitarian awards scholarship program, and how do you envision its impact growing in the future?

Looking ahead to the Youth Humanitarian Awards Scholarship Program, I see us building a global platform of philanthropists, volunteers, honorees, community organizers, and youth artists and entrepreneurs that will be honored and celebrated. This is not to say the fine work of educational institutions, corporations, and large philanthropic organizations isn’t crucial to our success, but in a BRAVE NEW WORLD, we can always do more while highlighting the good of many. We have some great challenges for our planet, but none too great for humankind’s undaunted spirit.