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Courage, Confidence, Character:
Where Are They?
By Melissa J. Algranati, staff writer
What kind of person do you want to be?
People often tell you what attributes you should have. Words like "courage," "confidence," and "character" are often listed among the qualities that make up a "good" person. But have you ever stopped to think for a minute what they really mean? STUDIO 2B online decided to ask girls around the country what they have done in their lives to develop courage, confidence, and character. Here's what they had to say:
On Courage
"I got to take care of a beautiful thoroughbred horse named Carley-Anne. It was so cool. I even got to groom C.A. I gained courage because usually I'm scared of animals, but C.A. was so mellow that I love animals now."
— Caprice, age 14
Omaha, Nebraska
" …During my vacation, I got the courage to go fishing. But I thought that I would never be able to catch a fish. After sitting a while, I finally caught my first fish. I learned that, with patience, I could do anything that I had my heart set on doing."
— Brittany, age 12
Mount Dora, Florida
"This summer, I got to go to basketball camp. One of the things I was worried about was that I get homesick easily. This gave me the courage to be away from my [home] for a week. And now I have confidence when I play b-ball because I could handle it [at camp]."
— Bailey, age 13
Sentinel, Oklahoma
"I help out at the library. It helps me gain courage, because I have to talk to people I don't know."
— Monica, age 11
Dillsburg, Pennsylvania
"My basketball tournament was in St. Cloud and there were teams from [big] cities there…we're a little dinky town in Minnesota. We got third place and all the other games were really close. That tournament has given me a lot of courage in playing against big teams like that."
— Katie, age 11
Motley, Minnesota
On Confidence
"Being confident is when you are comfortable with yourself. You don't care what other people think of you. You are not self-conscious [but] bold and outgoing."
— Lauren, age 13
Cary, Illinois
"Confidence is the only way someone can succeed in life. I try to be confident in everything I do! Without confidence, everyone would be stuck in their little turtle shell, never to experience life. Confidence is one of the most important things in life!"
— Michelle, age 12
Libertyville, Illinois
"I went to a Girl Scout camp…we learned how to change the oil in a car and even put in a new oil filter…It was awesome! Going to this camp gave me confidence that not only boys can work in auto body garages. Girls can do just as good of a job and we like to get just as dirty as they do."
— Alyssa, age 13
Pelican Rapids, Minnesota
"Confidence means to have the power to make up your own mind without someone else's opinion."
— Nuha, age 12
McLean, Virginia
"I think confidence means being able to stand up to others and do what's right even when it's not the 'cool' thing to do."
— Brittany, age 12
Mt. Dora, Florida
On Character
"I was on a six-hour trip to Omaha, Nebraska, from Clinton, Iowa…we go there once every year with my grandparents to see my uncle. I wait for it all year long—except for the six-hour car ride! But when we get there, it is so worth it! This trip helped me gain patience and character by waiting to get there (instead of whining) and talking to my grandparents about things going on in the world and in our neighborhood."
— Brittney, age 12
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
"I am reading a book called Escape from War by James Riordan. It is (about) character. I now know that religious belief, race, sexual preference, color, etc., don't make a person. What makes a person is what's inside."
— Juliana, age 11
Paoli, Pennsylvania
"I spent the month of July at sleep-away camp. I helped the owner by doing junior counselor work! This helped me (develop) leadership skills. It also helped improve my character!"
— Nicole, age 14
Lake Placid, New York
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