Wolf Gustaveson Memorial Scholarship

I am a student at Richland Community College, in the Diesel Tech program. I am 34 years old and am just now taking charge of my life, to do what I actually want to do. I am fascinated by vehicles and want to be a heavy-duty roadside technician, but I realize that it is a little late in my life to go down this path that is so demanding of the body and have decided to set my goal as a heavy-duty tow operator instead, so that I can help others keep moving goods across the country. I love helping others and driving so repairing vehicles and keeping logistics flowing would make me feel good about myself. I like to help others with mental illness figure out ways to avoid anxiety attacks, but I am not fit for being a social worker, so I volunteer in my time off instead while I work with my hands in the shop and learn how to repair trucks at school. I have written letters to congress trying to better the laws of prisoner treatment and rights. I have also volunteered at the local food pantries, packing food boxes so that families could have a free classic holiday meal. Back when I was fresh out of high school, I was taking culinary arts classes and our class catered both a Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner for the areas homeless and less fortunate that was completely free and I remember this older gentleman coming up to the tables where we were serving and he was so happy, grinning ear to ear while he got his plate. It was heart wrenching, and I actually cried when he thanked me. Sadly, I found out I dislike with a passion the stress of the kitchen and turned away from that career path early on. I have made my mistakes in life and have paid the price. I had some anger issues when I was younger and did a 7-year prison sentence, where I finally learned to control my emotions, found peace, and learned how to deal with even the most intense situations while also learning my limits and how to avoid getting to them. This scholarship would allow me to continue my education and not have to worry about the financial stress of loans or the hours I can't work because I'm in class. Thank you for taking the time to read this essay and may the best entry earn this scholarship.

When I was a little kid I fell in love with cars. My neighbors all had cool cars ranging from domestic muscle cars to Japanese imports. That’s where my passion started. At about eight years old, I watched my neighbors work on their cars and on customers cars as they had a little shop in the garage. I asked to help and they let me do basic things like take a few bolts off or hand them tool. I started enjoying working on cars. As I progressed through school, cars were always my main goal. I wanted to be an automotive major and be the best version of myself while doing something I love. During highschool, I got my friends into cars as well! They started working on their own cars and we all eventually became gearheads who loved to turn wrenches. I went to Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove and joined the automotive program and learned so much! I learned how to work on cars on a completely different level. Learned lots electrical diagnostics and tips and tricks. That summer I worked so hard and bought myself a project car so I can practice doing work on my own time. I did almost everything myself but with the help of my fellow classmates who would join me and we would have a good time working on cars. I wasn’t sure what to do with my life after Waubonsee. I was planning on being a technician at a dealership or a shop but my teachers told me about Southern Illinois University Carbondale. That really peaked my interest. That same week a professor came up from SIU and spoke to us and that day I applied to SIU and became an automotive major. After I applied, I convinced my friends as well. Theirs plans were same as mine, go be a tech but I knew they could be so much more! We all were super smart students and learned so much why not take the opportunity to learn more and better our education. They all also applied and became automotive majors. We all decided to live together. We have many similar classes as well which is nice. We hold eachother accountable and make sure we make the most of our time down here. The opportunities are endless as long as we know what we want and go after it. I didn’t know Wolf personally but my professors did. They told us many great things about him. The day everyone found out, classes felt a bit off but you can tell many were thinking about him. It’s crazy to think how quickly life can end, you never know so you have to make the best of it and push yourself to great lengths. I want to be in a position to help people. After I got my friends into cars and they gained a passion for it, it made me happy seeing them happy. Then at Waubonsee, after making my friends realize they can do and learn so much more and watching them do it and learn makes me happy. I’ve learned that I like helping people reach their highest potential. I’ve dealt with lots of self doubt my whole life so I know how it feels and I wouldn’t want that for someone else.