Calvin C. Donelson Memorial Scholarship

My father inspired me to go to trade school. Watching him work on our church growing up was monumental to me. He made his mark in this work doing something that would last years after he passed away. He put up church benches, laid out the carpet on the pulpit, and stained new hardwood floors that church shoes would stomp on. Being raised with hard work, dedication, and respect was left behind in that church, no questions asked just humble man that wanted to help the church that my mother was raised in, Memorial Tabernacle. In addition to his hard work, little bitty old me was there to help and left a good mental note of my father’s true heart and feelings towards people and revealed how he was when it came to helping others in his community. Sister couldn’t do anything but smile and thank him with the rest of the church-going members. With the heat that summer it could’ve been anybody’s duty. Something we didn’t take for granted but the big guy didn’t shy away from the challenge, it’s something he had experience doing. He once told me that worked on constructing a mall before and that he was a hard hat, but he wasn’t hardheaded. Remarkably the church turned out to be great like he said it would with every bit of his assurance. We had so many dinners, activities, and family moments there. What compares to Sunday service? After your father built the church up and you get to walk through those church doors with him. My mind was blown it was my first hands-on activity as a young man and he gave me responsibility for tasks. Luckily, we had breaks and got great food in between the work grind but we were grinding. But factually that’s what made me want to earn a degree in Welding Technology. It’s the best lifestyle for me. Working with my father instilled a work ethic nobody ever had. To me having a degree in welding technology possibilities are endless. Calls for more church-going memories, more parties, and more loving thy neighbor. Leaving enough said just an iconic representation of dedication and hard work. My legacy going forth is to continue that dedication and hard work. There is no comparison. Church floors stained, church carpet laid, and church benches put up was the most iconic thing I witnessed him do. That’s what inspired me to pick up a trade.