the YouthNet Most Improved Student award.

In the first year of his secondary school education he had a 0.9 grade point average and says he was easily influenced by his peers.

Now, John's dreams are much bigger as he plans to attend Delaware State for college in the fall.

After spending his fourth year of high school in Ohio, he says he has learned to separate himself from the negative patterns that he used to follow here on the Island.

"That is the biggest problem with the youth of Bermuda,'' John says. "They follow each other too much. They have no leadership skills.'' He recalls: "When I was younger I saw my friends steal and so, I did.'' Now John's advice to teenagers would be to follow their instincts, not the kids around them.

John hopes to pursue a career as a mechanical and civil engineer. And he attributes his drastic turn around not only to his year away from Bermuda, but also a number of people that have inspired him.

"My brother, James, is my role model,'' he says. "He always wanted to be a pilot from when he was six years old. He never did well at Northlands. But when he got away he realised that he could do well and fulfilled his dream and became a pilot.'' Sandys Secondary English teacher Glen Bascome was also an especially memorable person to John.

"Mr. Bascome received all his O'Levels and became a teacher by the time he was 19,'' John explained. "He is a really good teacher who cares about kids.

He has helped me a lot.'' John's other interests outside of school are boating and boat-racing, go-carting, motorcross and karate.

He describes himself as ambitious, but sometimes shy with a twist of sarcasm.

He plans to spend the summer working for the Bank of Bermuda in its Computer Operations Department. So far he says that he is enjoying it.

"I'd like to retire at 35,'' John says with a smirk. "I have already started working on it.'' John recently invested money that he had been saving since he was about six years old.

"I did it with a little help from my mom,'' he admits with a smile.

INTERVIEW BY DAINA CASLING JOHN RAWLINS