achieving her goal of being a freelance journalist.

A member of the International Society of Poets, Maria has already had one of her poems published in the National Library of Poetry magazine and is expecting another to be published soon. She also received numerous Merit Awards for poetry while a student at Warwick Academy and Saltus Grammar School's Post Graduate Year.

Maria is spending the summer working at William Bluck & Co. Ltd., after completing her first year studying English at Brunel University College in Twickenham, England. She is also taking Sport Studies as part of her academic requirements and is a member of the netball club at Brunel. She admitted that her courses take up a great deal of her time now and she can't do all the things she used to do while at school in Bermuda.

Maria was a member of the Junior Police Cadets and the Leo Club and also danced with the Jackson School of Performing Arts and played the violin.

She recalled getting accepted to Brunel with glee. "I was all set to go to Acadia University and had given up any hope of going to Brunel when they got in touch with me and said I had been accepted. I told Acadia see you later.'' she said.

But going to school in England has its bad points: "It was hard not seeing my mom for the last six months while I was at school. I also miss not being able to talk to my friends on the phone as it's so expensive.'' But being apart from her family and her close friends has made them closer now that she is back, Maria said.

The first thing Maria would like to do when she finishes college is to go on tour with Up With People. She was accepted last year but deferred because she was going to school in England. When it comes to films and music Maria says she likes everything from comedy to horror and classical to reggae but particularly enjoys the movie "Forrest Gump'' and the music groups Enya and Deep Forest. And her favourite food? Well, it's not fish and chips, but Chinese -- especially shrimps.

MARIA DIXON--Poet and aspiring writer.