Ben Bonner Memorial Scholarship

I was introduced to welding at the age of 13, which in my opinion is a young age to be introduced to such a skill. I am very thankful I was introduced to welding because no other trade/skill of any other line of work has piqued my interest as much as welding has. I loved this skill, that every time either a close friend, or family member was working on a project involving welding or manufacturing something out of nothing, I was right there getting my hands dirty. I was taught mainly from my uncle and Grandfather on how to weld, they gave me a few little tips and tricks to be a good welder, and to have patience in my work, but also to appreciate the artwork of a weld. Over the past summer I got the opportunity to visit A.W.I., in Eagle River, WI. The experience was amazing. I got to tour their facility and I could see the opportunities I’d have becoming a welder and pursuing my dream career. I was offered multiple opportunities to go and visit other tech colleges that had welding classes but for some reason A.W.I. stuck out to me as the best school to tend to and complete schooling. As a tradesman, my hope is to become a traveling welder. I want to make a comfortable living, while being a part of a company that offers room for growth and quality improvement opportunities. I feel that safety is a very important and crucial part to not only welding, but in any line of everyday work. Being prepared daily, by wearing the proper welding gear, is imperative to the job and producing a quality product. Practicing good routines and not short-skirting the system also lowers the risk of casualties in the work environment to yourself and others around you. Receiving this scholarship would be incredibly helpful in paying for my college tuition for AWI, because it would ease the burden off my mother who has raised me for the past eighteen years of my life. Her and I are planning to pay for my college tuition without federal funding assistance, so every little bit of money from scholarships will be extremely helpful, and greatly appreciated. The past five years of my life I have been working to pull my weight and pay for most of my own things from this past summer to present. I’m currently working on a dairy farm, working for such a demanding business has taught me never to quit even when the tuff times hit. It has also taught me to keep pushing forward this line of work has also instilled a great amount of discipline and turned me into a hard-working machine that does not stop until the work is finished, and most importantly, to keep coming back every day. For most of the summer until school started, I was working 10 to 12 hours a day at the age of 17, for seven days a week. This type of work has shown me that it's not easy getting up and going to work when everyone else is sleeping but I appreciated every minute of it and still do. This job also taught me to get my hands dirty and not be afraid to learn new things, but also to appreciate what I have and who I have with me. Thank You for considering me for this scholarship opportunity.

My generation must pragmatically reconsider career paths without job prospects. Amidst a global recession, we must adapt like our predecessors, resiliently forging ahead. America grapples with homelessness and housing shortages. Skill and trade are essential it's time to pull our boots strings up and get busy. Human beings are innately resilient creatures. Resilience empowers me to fight; adaptability allows me to adjust to ever-changing circumstances; furthermore, accountability anchors my drive to take responsibility for my choices. I was ten when my mother, my sole refuge in this world, succumbed to the ravages of breast cancer. Helpless, I watched as she withered away, a victim of the insidious disease. I was there when she was clinging to the toilet, puking her guts from the chemo and radiation treatments. I did what I could, lending a hand as she braved the trials of chemotherapy and radiation, but in the end, the cancer virus overpowered her, eroding her essence until she was but a memory. My father passed the same fate, leaving this world to prostate cancer two years later. Due to the lack of parental support, I became my own emotional, physical, and financial anchor. I have many financial hardships, including just being able to cover my housing expenses. Resilience has pushed me, leaving me to provide for myself. Growing up in low-income housing, also referred to as the ghetto, felt like survival boot camp. However, the environment exposed me to humanity's struggles and beauty. Each day felt like a survival test amidst our community's shootings, violence, drugs, and mental health challenges. My community shaped and molded the individual I am today. Through my adversities, I gained real-life experiences in low-income public housing. I was left to witness domestic violence beating down the idealogy of the family unit. Drugs cripple families forcing children to turn to gun violence, leaving them to turn to gangs for a false sense of family security. However, on the other side of that coin, I saw fierce mothers protecting and providing for their children, making daily sacrifices to place food on the table. I watched my community bleed out on the concrete streets by a bullet from a gun. While some overdosed, hunched over against the brick buildings. Yet, they did not own a street or brick. They left no generational wealth, only vouchers of misery. Access to skills and trades is crucial for the success of the next generation of Americans. Yet, many in our community lack such opportunities, unlike previous generations who benefited from trade apprenticeships in various skill areas in high schools, such as woodshop, auto mechanic, plumbing, electrical, and even home economics leading to viable employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. My dream is to revive this focus on practical skills training which has been stripped from many high Schools across America, providing access to skilled trades that can lead to meaningful employment and economic growth in communities like mine. Enrolling in Santa Fe College's construction management program is crucial to starting my own business and providing valuable services to our community. By succeeding, I hope to break the cycle of drug-related activities and offer employment opportunities. Providing jobs to make a living instead of having them sell the drug to one another. This goal will be for my childhood friends who have lost their ability to dream of a brighter future and are only left with the darkness of the barrel of a gun. The struggling single mother who wants to provide a safe environment for her children academically thrives without the worrisome thought of violence plaguing their daily lives.

Hello, my name is Jonathan Pressley and I am planning to pursue a career in automotive technology. I have worked as an automotive apprentice for four years and I have been a certified apprentice for one year. I have a background in automotive service and parts sales. I have worked in a local parts city store for two years. I have now begun working in their mechanic shop part-time. I have acquired a fair amount of my experience from B&J Auto and my father (Automotive Instructor at MHS). In addition to my experience, I acquired my ASE G1 maintenance and light repair certification in June of 2021. I have also earned my entry-level certification in electrical and brakes. I have applied to TCAT (Tennessee College of Applied Technology) in Elizabethton TN. I intend to get my master technician ASE certification; with this, I plan to own and operate my own shop and business. I became interested in the automotive industry through my father. My father has his own ASE certifications, owned his own shop, and is the automotive instructor at Mitchell High School, located in Bakersville NC. I've had experience dealing with the public and first-hand experience with running a business. I intend to go through TCAT’s automotive program and their heavy diesel programs. I have personally built many custom classic cars and have one of my own. I enjoy new and old cars and I am impartial to domestic, imported cars, and trucks. I would like to focus my own business on modifying and installing aftermarket parts. I would also like to install radio and sound systems. In conclusion, I would like to thank you for this opportunity. By giving me the chance to earn this scholarship, you will help lighten my financial burden, which will allow me to focus more on school. The generosity you have shown me has inspired me to help others in the community; which I hope to do by owning my own business. I hope I will also be able to help other students in the future, strive for their goals, and never give up.

My name is Joseph Yamin, I'm a young man graduating high school this year. I'm from a low-income family who is planning on attending "Harmel Academy of the trades" in Grand Rapids this fall. I've always loved the trades because I have always enjoyed working with my hands and breaking a good sweat. Also when I look at the trades I see them as an opportunity to become a better man. One that can act and work like a man should. I plan on becoming a master electrician. This was my choice for two reasons. The first was simple, I have done electrical work before and I took great joy in it. The second reason simply has to do with the financial support that I can receive from having such a job. When it comes to giving back to my community I've done this my entire life. From volunteering at homeless shelters, to volunteering at my local Parish. After I graduate from school I hope to be able to use my talents that I gained to better my community. For example as an electrician you are irreplaceable and can be used for many things. I personally know that paying for an electrician were any Tradesmen for that matter is a very expensive thing to do. I hope to be able to help families with low income be able to higher an electrician without selling an arm and a leg to do so. Thank you for the opportunity to get this scholarship it would mean the world. I look at what school is going to cost me because the school I plan on going to just recently. And then take into consideration that I don't have access to FASFA or any other form of government funding. so I'm solely relying on outside scholarships and my own funds being from a low-income family with a single mom relying on my own funds is very difficult. Thank you for this opportunity and God bless.