1. By Mason Thomas 12,18,09 1B

2.  Everyday is something new. You should prepare your self for what's to come, and be determined and confident in your self that you will make your day successful.  Everyday I wake up determined to make my day as successful as I possibly can. Because I know that in the long run it will make my life successful.

3. Graduating out of high school takes determination responsibility and self encouragement. I have to work hard and do my school work and get good grades by myself. Your parents cant help you in the classroom. Its all about you being determined to better your self. I study hard and pay attention to get good grades. Because I know that good grades leads to the goal of graduating. And that’s the first major step in becoming self reliant in the real world.

4. When I got my first job at tropical smoothie it was a step in becoming more dependent on my self. I was making my own money and doing more things on my own like shopping and I got myself a bank account.

5.  A big part of becoming a teen is becoming Independent. Getting my drivers license was a big thing for me. I started seeing changes after I got it. I become more self reliant and wanted to go out and do things on my own with out any help. I wasn’t held down by my parents any more.

6.  Wile visiting a college campus it made me feel independent. I got the sense of becoming grown and free. I start to see what's in my future.

7.  I was ready to leave off for college and be on my own once I saw the fun activities such as the sports games, parties, and school spirited events.

8.  People are all different and have different levels of confidence.  When I’m on the football field I have the confidence that I can get the job done when the opportunity is mine. No matter if my opponent is bigger or stronger.  UNC

9.  I went to University of North Carolina this summer for a football camp. There were some of the top football players of the south east there. The wide receiver coach gave us all great tips and new skills we could use on the field. We all were given the knowledge, but what separates me from the rest is on the inside. I have the drive to not be average. I want to be better than the rest. That was what the UNC coach said, even though I may be a couple inches shorter than the rest of the receivers I played with heart. I ended up in the top six receivers at the camp.

10.  Being a leader is a characteristic that I’ve always had. Whether it is on a sports team or in the class room I try to lead.

11.  I was the captain on the football team this year. It came with a lot of responsibility. Had to grow up as a person. I had to lead my team with the right attitude on the field and with the attitude they should use in the class room to get the job done.