Just a few months earlier, I would never have pictured myself acting in a play in front of two hundred people. If not for my teacher Mr Bricker, I might never have found that 1 .

In the first and second grade, I was extremely 2 . It just wasn't in my personality to be very outgoing. I would escape into my writing. Mr Bricker always 3 me to write more. I think he was the first person to see my inner 4 .

One day, he announced our class was going to 5 a play. "I need someone to play the lead part of Dorothy." A few 6 students raised their hands at once. I, of course, was not one of them. After school, Mr Bricker said to me, "Dallas, I was 7 you didn't raise your hands." Me, the lead? I was 8 just thinking of standing on stage in front of a lot of people.

"You're great at 9 things, so you won't worry about lines. And you have such a sweet personality. Perfect for Dorothy! I had you in 10 for Dorothy while writing the play!"

I realized it was time to 11  my shyness. After five months of 12 , we finally made the play a success. At the end of the play, when the audience stood and applauded, I knew they were 13  not just for my performance that night, but for the 14  that they knew would come in later years because of my new-found 15 .