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(2nd place)

By Joseph D. West, 8th grade, East Valley Middle School

    Dreams, they are the wonders of life, the ideas or thoughts that shape the actions of the people around the world, the thing that caused Martin Luther King Jr. to declare his belief. It pushes all of us. They encourage us to keep pushing forward in life toward that goal. Also, and sadly, it can encourage us to do bad things as well.

    My dream though is different. My dream is a world of people who use their skills, actions, ideas, and talents for the good of this world, and everyone in it. It is a dream, I know shall never happen, but to use my dream for good, and not for bad, is what I wish to do. To shape a world, you must first shape yourself. You must use your resources wisely. The first step of my dream would be this: Grow up, and raise a family, teaching the virtues that I believe is needed in the world. While I am at it, I’ll get a good job, and probably publish a few novels.

    The action, though, if missing, would crush the point. I will prepare now. Use my skills, heart, and mind and dedicate myself for learning. Pay attention in school. Graduate, use your hobbies. Education is very important, without which, then you cannot support a family. Also, it teaches life skills that you may not know you need. Like how to behave yourself in life. It teaches this as well: Your work needs to be well done and prepared, on time, and appealing. Also, the school teaches about health, and warns about drinking, texting while driving, and others that you must know on a life and death basis. Without an education you’ll either die, or this economy will make you want to, and you might get jailed.

    Hopefully, after I get a job, and graduate, I will still be able to use those life skills that I have learned, and still improve; to practice my hobbies, and help others to do that. After all of that, I’m afraid that there won’t be much to do, but set an example, and help others to follow the same path, to change the world one person at a time.