,,SU3ESS;L ,,EQU,N3 ,,SKILLS PLUS
        ,,3FID;E EQUALS ,,SU3ESS
               0,TOM ,LEY

  ,TOM ,LEY 0 A #AIHG ,N,NAL ,F$],N (!
,BL S*OL>%IP W9N]4 ,"H IS :AT HE HAS
6SAY AB 8 PROGRES.N F F"R5$ HI< S*OOL
S5IOR RAPIDLY 2COM+ BL 63FID5T HI< S*OOL
MA? T1*]3
  ,I GREW UP Z A SI<T$ KID & ALW WANT$
6BE A FOOTBALL PLAY]4 ,AT L1/1 ,I WANT$
? C>E] UNTIL ,I 0 T5 OR S4 ,DUE
6DIABETES1 ,I />T$ 62COME BL DUR+ MY LA/
YE> ( HI< S*OOL4 ,X TOOK AB T5 MON?S 6G
F HAV+ TW5TY-TW5TY VI.N 62+ TOT,Y BL4
,DUR+ T YE> ,I W5T "? _M (! EXP]I;ES O!R
P H :O >E LOS+ _! SI<T4 ,MY GRADES />T$
GO+ D[N1 & ,I MADE A TRIP 6! COLLEGE ,I
_H *OS5 9 ORD] 6LE>N MY WAY >.D ! CAMPUS
:ILE ,I / _H "S SI<T4 ,AT T "T ,I DID N
"K AB ! ,N,NAL ,F$],N (! ,BL4 ,"!=E1 ,I
DID A LOT ( SU6]+3 ,I 0 FALL+ D[N /AIRS1
& ,I CD N R1D ROOM NUMB]S4 ,I DID N "K T
BL P]SONS H ALT]NATIVE WAYS ( SOLV+ S*
PRO#MS4
  ,I _H WANT$ 6BE AN ELECTRICAL 5G9E]4
,:5 ,I W5T BL1 MY "F LOOK$ 9 A REF];E
BOOK1 ": HE F.D A LI/ ( JOBS ! BOOK'S
AU?OR PRESUM$ A BL P]SON CD D4 ,AM;G !
JOBS 0 ELECTRICAL 5G9E]+4 ,I _H BE5 BL =
ONLY A FEW MON?S1 & ,I DID N "K ANY BL
P4 ,I ?"\ ,I 0 V LUCKY T ,I CD 3T9UE 9
MY *OS5 C>E]4
  ,AF HI< S*OOL ,I GOT "S TRA9+ 9 !
SKILLS ( BL;S4 ,9 ,>KANSAS ,I 0 TAU<T H[
6USE A V %ORT CANE & LE>N$ 6R1D ,BRL1 &
!N ,I CAME BACK 6,L\ISIANA & 5ROLL$ 9
COLLEGE4
  ,I RE,Y 5JOY$ MY C\RSE "W AT ,L\ISIANA
,TE*1 & ,I 0 DO+ R WELL4 ,B ,I DID N H 5
(! SKILLS ( BL;S1 S ,I 0 HAV+ 6/UDY
TWICE Z M* Z ! O!R /UD5TS4 ,= T R1SON ,I
_H NO SOCIAL LIFE4 ,I KNEW H[ 6USE A
CANE1 B ,I _H NO 3FID;E4 ,I SIMPLY W5T F
MY DORM 6MY CLASSES & HOP$ ,I WD N"E W&]
D[N ! WR;G PA?4
  ,AT T PO9T ,I ?"\ ,I 0 V =TUNATE 6H A
SI/] ATT5D+ ! SAME S*OOL4 ,%E WD TAKE ME
6! CAFET]IA & MAKE SURE ,I GOT MY FOOD &
F.D A TA#4 ,LL DID ,I "K AT T "T T BL
P]SONS 7 E6ICI5TLY DO+ ALL ^! TASKS & _M
M4
  ,I 0 V LUCKY 2C MY UNIV]S;Y IS 9 ! T[N
( ,RU/ON4 ,AT AB T "T ! ,F$],N'S
,L\ISIANA ,C5T] =! ,BL 0 OP5+4 ,JOANNE
,WILSON1 ,DIRECTOR (! ,C5T]1 F.D ME &
TOOK ME 6A /ATE 3V5;N (! ,N,NAL ,F$],N
(! ,BL ( ,L\ISIANA4
  ,AT T 3V5;N ,I SAW A LOT ( NORMAL BL
P4 ,IF Y TOOK AWAY _! BL;S &! ALT]NATIVE
TE*NIQUES !Y US$1 Y WD 3SID] !M J AV]AGE
FOLKS4 ,^! BL P 7 DO+ ?+S T NORMAL P D4
,:5 ,I 0 ) !M1 ,I KNEW T !Y _H "S?+ ,I
WANT$4 ,AT T PO9T ,I DECID$ T ,I NE$$ !
SPECIAL TRA9+ : ,I _H N BE5 (F]$
PREVI\SLY4
  ,AT AB T SAME "T ,I 2GAN R1LIZ+ T
MAYBE 5G9E]+ 0 N :AT ,I RE,Y WANT$ 6D4
,I 0 LOOK+ AT ! 5G9E]+ JOBS MY
CLASSMATES 7 GETT+1 & ,I NOTIC$ T !Y
LACK$ ! HUMAN 9T]AC;N ,I WANT$4 ,I _H
ALW 5JOY$ T1*+1 DO+ TUTOR+ :5 ,I 0 9 HI<
S*OOL4 ,! IDEA /RUCK ME T ,I WD L 6BE A
T1*]4 ,B ,I _H N"E HE>D (A HI< S*OOL MA?
T1*] :O 0 BL4 ,I ?"\ X 0 \ (! "Q4
  ,I WANT$ 6BE J L ! HI< S*OOL MA? T1*]S
,I _H _H1 & ,I DID N WANT 6T1* AT A
S*OOL =! BL4 ,"! IS NO?+ WR;G ) T1*+ AT
A BL S*OOL1 B ,I WANT$ 6BE "R 9 !
MA9/R1M4 ,AT F/ ,I DID N ?9K ,I CD RE,Y
D ! JOB4 ,I FIGUR$ T ,I CD D "S (!
TASKS1 B N ALL1 & ,I DID N ?9K ANY"O WD
HIRE ME4
  ,I />T$ AT ! ,L\ISIANA ,C5T] =! ,BL 9
#AIHH4 ,I _H ATT5D$ MY F/ ,N,NAL ,3V5;N
9 #AIHG1 ": ,I 0 A S*OL>%IP W9N]4 ,I
ATT5D$ MY F/ ,N,NAL ,ASSOCI,N ( ,BL
,$UCATORS MEET+ T YE>4 ,I W5T >.D &
TALK$ 6BL $UCATORS4 ,!Y 7 EMPLOY$1 S !Y
TOLD ME H[ !Y A3OMPLI%$ _! TASKS4 ,!Y
GAVE ME ! 3FID;E 62LIEVE T1 IF !Y CD
T1*1 ,I CD TOO4
  ,AT ! ,L\ISIANA ,C5T] ,I ACQUIR$
P]SONAL 3FID;E1 UND\BT$LY ! MO/
IMPORTANT "*I/IC ( ALL4 ,UNTIL T "T ,I
_H N"E _H X4 ,I _H SE5 X 9 O!R BL P1 &
,I KNEW T X MI<T 2 M9E1 MAYBE 9 !
FUTURE4 ,B 2C ,I ACQUIR$ 3FID;E AT T
,C5T]1 ,I KNEW T ,I CD T1*4 ,I LE>N$ T
MY BL;S IS J ANO!R "P ( ME Z IS MY HEI<T
OR MY 2+ "R-H&$4 ,BL;S IS NO L;G] "S?+ :
OV]:ELMS ME OR PREDOM9ATES 9 MY LIFE4 ,X
IS N ! DEF9+ FACTOR 9 MY P]SONAL;Y4
  ,I 5ROLL$ 9 ! DE"P;T ( $UC,N AT
,L\ISIANA ,TE*4 ,"! 7 NO OP5 -PLA9TS 6MY
5T]+2 H["E1 ! PROFESSORS LET X 2 "KN 9
SUBTLE WAYS T !Y _H D\BTS AB MY ABIL;Y4
,I PD NO ATT5;N 6!M4 ,I "W$ MY WAY "? !
C\RSES & DID J F9E4 ,2C ,I DID N "Q MY
ABIL;Y 62COME A MA? T1*]1 MY 3FID;E 0
PROJECT$ 6ALL MY PROFESSORS4
  ,Z "T W5T ON1 MY PROFESSORS DECID$ T
BL;S 0 NO BIG D1L1 = ,I 0 DO+ "EY?+ ALL
! O!R /UD5TS 7 DO+4
  ,:5 MY MA/] T1*] = /UD5T T1*+ LE>N$ T
A BL /UD5T 0 ASSIGN$ 6HM1 HE 0 3V9C$ T X
WD N "W4 ,B ,I %[$ HM T HE 0 WR;G4 ,I
-PLET$ MY /UD5T T1*+ & 0 LOOK+ =A JOB4
,I 0 V HAPPY :5 ,I GOT MY RESUMES J L
ALL ! O!R JOB SEEK]S4 ,B ,I C TELL Y ALL
T ,I WD N H GOTT5 ANY": )\T MY 3FID;E1 :
CAME F ! ,,NFB &! MEMB]S (! ,N,NAL
,ASSOCI,N ( ,BL ,$UCATORS4
  ,MY F/ YE> ( T1*+ 0 *ALL5G+1 EXCIT+1
9T]E/+1 & FUN4 ,"! 7 A LOT ( SLEEP.S
NI<TS & H>D "W4 ,GRADES & PAP]S M/ 2
TURN$ 9 ON "T4 ,IF GRADES >E DUE TD1 NO
T1*] C EXPECT 6GET EXTRA "T4 ,! SKILLS
,I USE 9 ! CLASSROOM >E BASIC4 ,MY
EQUIP;T 3SI/S (A SLATE & /YLUS1 A TAPE
RECORD]1 & MASK+ TAPE4 ,I PUT ! TAPE ON
! BO>DS = WRIT+ 9 /RAI<T L9ES4 ,:5 X
CAME 6PUTT+ UP A GRAPH1 ,I MADE A GRID
US+ MY TAPE & MY CANE 69SURE ,I MADE !
L9ES /RAI<T4 ,I H A -PUT] AT HOME =
KEEP+ GRADES & MAK+ TE/S4
  ,I H ! DUTIES (A FULL-"T T1*]1 9CLUD+
*AP]ON+ ! PROM4 ,I "W SELL+ POPCORN AT !
BASKETBALL GAMES & FIX ! BROK5 POPCORN
MA*9E TOO4 ,I AM -=TA# DO+ ALL ?1 & ,I
"K T ? IS ALL "P ( T1*+4 ,I RCVD ALL !
SKILLS T HELP$ ME GET MY JOB F ! ,N,NAL
,F$],N (! ,BL4 ,I'M EXCIT$ 6BE 9 ?
ORGANIZ,N4
  ,REC5TLY ,I _H A *.E 6TALK 6A PHYSICS
T1*]1 :O HAS BE5 T1*+ A L;G "T1 B :O W 2
/>T+ 8 F/ YE> Z A BL T1*] NEXT FALL4 ,WE
ALL HELP EA* O!R4 ,TGR WE C DEMON/RATE
T1 GIV5 TRA9+ & OPPORTUN;Y1 BL P C -PETE
SU3ESS;LLY 9 ALL >1S ( $UC,N4