Born in San Diego, California on a breezy afternoon, Lance had winner written on him from day one. In fact, his uncle still thanks him to this day for being born whe he was, because his uncle won the baby pool. Lance had the tendency to gnaw on anything that was around him, including clothing, blankets, and rugs, so he developed a unique taste for food. He feels this will serve to his advantage in the game of Survivor, if any gross food competitions arise.

Lance went to San Diego State University for just over five years, majoring in communications. He took many Liberal Arts classes, along with classes focused directly on history. He used these classes to lead him to a career in teaching. He had originally applied for a position at a junior high school, but was hired temporarily in a pre-school position. He fell in love with his job, and still teaches pre-school to this day.

In his spare time, Lance enjoys reading, spending time with his family, crossword puzzles, word jumbles, solving quadratic equations, and monthly vacations.

Lance currently resides in San Diego, California with his wife and two children. His birthday is October 9.

Application Essay

If you've ever seen the television show, Joe Schmo, I'm that guy. I'm your average American male. I'm a family man, a trusted friend, a loyal husband, and an educator of the youth. My life hasn't always been this easy, but I'm thankful for where I am not now. Growing up, things were rough, so I grew up very fast. I learned to respect everything around me, and to never take anything for granted. My wife and two children, make waking up everyday worthwhile. I have a great family, good friends, and a fine job, so being able to compete in this experience would just be icing on the cake. I consider myself a Survivor everyday, so this experience, just seems fitting for me. I would make the Ultimate Survivor because I'm willing to go to any lengths to win this game. There is nothing that I won't do to help further my position in the game. When watching the actual television show, it always upsets me, when people voluntarily step down off of their perch for food, in the first immunity challenge after the merge. I'd be standing up there for an entire day, if it meant that that necklace would be around my neck; whether I had guaranteed safety, or a bullseye painted bright red on my back. I plan on eating, breathing, and living this game, from the time I sign on to the computer, until the time I sign off. In short, this game will make up my computer life. I think I get along great in a group environment. I interact well with others. I feel I am a great listener, so I really pick up a lot from just a single conversation. I try to make others feel at ease, so they will open up to me, and give me an idea of what is ticking in their head. If I'm called upon to be the leader in my tribe, I'd take it hesitantly. By taking the leader role, I really would be giving people a reason to vote me off. But at the same time, if we are unorganized, I'm not going to drop three straight immunities because no one will step into the leadership role. I'd prefer to be a "follower," and just do my job without any complaints. I am a team player, and I think that I make everyone around me better, whether through motivation or support.

Finally, I think I should be chosen for Survivor: Okinawa because I want to be a part of it. Some people might just be applying to see if they actually get selected. This is something that I would respect, as a game, and put everything I had into. My bag is already packed, I'm ready for the physical/psychological training, and I'm working on getting into the peak mental and physical health. The only thing that prevents me from carrying all those out, is you! Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Finalist Essay

I really think I can add to the show, through my personality and my interaction with others. I take the role of this game seriously, because when more than 70 people apply, you have to be grateful for the opportunity that you are given. If selected, I realize that I've been given a huge chance, that 50 other people were turned down for.

I've been a fan of Survivor, since the first episode, and have studied its aspects faithfully. As a writer now for Survivor-Central, I have taken on a different aspect, as having to write my views down for others to read. I just hope my identity, if chosen, remains a secret, because any preconceived knowledge of the show could be harmful to my status in the game. I've read almost every survivor strategy guide or kit, and I'm really interested to see, how I'd fare in a situation with other cutthroat players. They say that only the strong survive, but in Survivor: there are no rules, there are no patterns, and a lot is based on luck. That's the beauty of it, and I really think I can mix things up a bit. I've seen people in the past, just give up, and let their fate play out, in the hands of others. I'd go down fighing, and do everything in my power, to convince every person on the island, that there was someone left who was more threatening to their standing in the game, than me. If it didn't work, I'd know I went out doing everything I could to stay in the game. If it worked, that would just give me three more days to cut more deals, to keep me around until the end game.

One thing that probably makes me stand out from the rest is that I can name every Survivor in the order they were voted out in the span of two minutes, but would probably take me a little longer to type it. So, in general, I've seen the mistakes that have been made, and feel that I can take advantage of this knowledge, and only benefit from it.

I believe I already said this Stuart Smalley quote in my initial application, but I really feel it describes why I would make the ultimate survivor, because "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and gosh darn, people like me."

Post-Game Links (spoilers)

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