Andrew Schultze Memorial Scholarship

1) I come from a long family lineage of skilled trade workers. My grandfather, father, uncle and great uncle are all in the HVAC industry. I was given the opportunity to learn and work with my hands from a young age. From assisting in cleaning and working on furnaces to learning about installation and maintaining HVAC units, I fell in love with trouble shooting and being able to be “the guy” that can get things working. I have worked on units in our own home as well as worked on units in our community and assisted my dad on jobs in the field. I have been able to meet and talk to others in the field and have always been inspired to pursue a career in HVAC. This past summer I also worked for a HVAC distribution center. It gave me insight into what goes into a job and gave me an opportunity to interact with contractors. It seemed to be a field where I belonged. Recently the small town I live in Speedsville, NY was selected by Egg Geothermal to be a trial area for a community thermo energy network (TEN). A community geothermal system would provide heating and cooling for about 35-40 residents and/ or small businesses in my local community. With no natural gas options in my area, most of my neighbors rely on costly options like propane, fuel oil and electricity to heat their homes. Our community center, fire department, church and small local store are also impacted by the high energy costs. This project will be funded by NYSERDA, and would be life changing for my community. I have been able to attend meetings about the project and how it will work. I have been fascinated in learning about the types of systems, and how the project will evolve and move forward. Seeing this project evolve from its infancy, collecting baseline data etc to now seeing the proposed closed loop system plan, has really inspired me to focus my own HVAC career on green energy. 2) Wrestling has always been “my” sport. The summer before my junior year I was working really hard to get ready for the season. I was working out, lifting weights and was really in a good spot to have a competitive season and win our sectional title. One weekend before the season started I was in a work related accident and burnt over 10% of my body. I was transferred from our local hospital to a burn center. It took me a good part of the season to rehab and I fell short of my goal of making states that season. I took it in stride and kept working hard. I was in the gym everyday. I attended a ton of skills camps over the summer and my senior year I came in with something to prove! I never lost a home dual. I was the IAC champion and a NYS qualifier in one of the hardest brackets in the division. 3) My boss would tell you I’m the guy who always gives 110%. I show up early, stay late and really care about doing a quality job. I treat everyone with respect and I am always trying to learn and pick up new skills. I am honest, reliable and have great attention to detail. I am a good communicator, and take responsibility for my actions. I’m prepared and am ready to do any task presented to me. They would say I have a good work ethic, and they are confident in the work I do.