I believe we all have the responsibility of making the world a better place. One way I like to do this is through community service. I have been very lucky to have been offered many community service opportunities. I've been volunteering for the Special Olympics since I was 6 years old. My parents have always been a part of the Fall Classic so it was natural for myself to join in the fun. When I was young, I handed out sandwiches to the athletes and picked up garbage. As I got older, I became a scorekeeper, referee, and a coach. It's so rewarding to see how excited the athletes get when they do well. The Marty Lyons Foundation is another one of my favorite organizations. One year, we raised funds for a physically limited child who wanted an adapted bicycle. The bicycle was expensive and the family had two other sons. I sold sponsorship forms during my lunch period, collected donations for raffle baskets, and posted updates about the event on social media in an effort to raise funds. The event was hugely successful and covered by major new networks in my area. An on-going community resource and my family and I support is the Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry. While my family does its own monthly donations, twice a year I organize my ice hockey teams to deliver a large donation. We stand outside of the local supermarket and ask for donations from community members. The ladies who run the food pantry are always so appreciative of our donation. During the holidays, I support the Smithtown Children's Foundation. The foundation collects toys to be distributed to hospitalize children. In addition to collecting money from local businesses to purchase toys for the foundation, I have asked family, friends, and community members to donate new toys. The amount of support I've received for this event is probably the biggest! People are always so willing to help sick and injured children during the holiday season. The Dr. Dineen Memorial Foundation supports terminally ill children. One year the foundation held an ice skating party for the children and I had the chance to help them learn to skate. I have a part-time job as an on-ice hockey coach so this was really exciting for me. I helped the children lace up their skates, get on the ice, and by the end, some of the children were skating on their own! It was so heart warming to see how much the children enjoyed it! I enjoy volunteering and giving back to people who need help and support. I hope to continue to volunteer during my college years. I have hopes of showing my own children how to give back because I've had wonderful role models who showed me how to do this:)

My love for all things automotive started at a young age. I remember watching my dad change the oil in his car and he let me help move the pan to collect the oil. Ever since then, my dream has been to own my own automotive shop. I started at the Wilson Tech program for Automotive Technology in the beginning of my junior year of high school. I love the program! I get to work in the garage each day, learning new things and figuring out how to fix problems. I like taking the engine apart and putting it back together. I'm so lucky to attend the Wilson Tech program in the morning and take my core classes in the afternoon at Smithtown High School West. I’m rarely absent from school because I don't want to miss any time in the garage. I earned student of the month in my first month of being in the program. Since September, I have been student of the month twice more. I am most proud of my recent induction into the Automotive Technology National Honor Society. I take pride in being careful and thorough in my work and love that our garage looks like a real car shop. I spend my weekends going to car shows and drift events. One of the highlights of my weekends is when I get to be a passenger during once of the drift events. It's such an exciting experience even though it makes my mom really nervous! I also had the opportunity to help one of the drivers work on this car in between races. It was something I will never forget! I have ADHD. I've been able to successfully manage it with a minimal amount of medications. Before I was diagnosed, I struggled with focusing, managing my time, and retaining information. I was constantly being yelled at and spoken to by my teachers. I would get embarrassed and withdraw from class. I thought I was stupid. With help from my doctor, I am a successful student. I realize that my ADHD is a medical condition just like cancer or blindness. I am planning on applying to SUNY Delhi and majoring in their Automotive Technology program. I recently took a tour of the school and loved it! I had the chance to speak to the instructors and take part in one of their classes. The students all welcomed me and it felt like a school that I want to be a part of. I know owning my own shop takes more than just a love for cars. In addition to all my auto tech classes, I plan on taking business courses so that I can one day open a successful automotive shop. I want to gain as much knowledge as I can, so my customers have confidence in my work. I want my business to be a place where customers feel comfortable bringing their car.

My love for all things automotive started at a young age. I remember watching my dad change the oil in his car and he let me help move the pan to collect the oil. Ever since then, my dream has been to own my own automotive shop. I started at the Wilson Tech program for Automotive Technology in the beginning of my junior year of high school. I love the program! I get to work in the garage each day, learning new things and figuring out how to fix problems. I like taking the engine apart and putting it back together. I'm so lucky to attend the Wilson Tech program in the morning and take my core classes in the afternoon at Smithtown High School West. I’m rarely absent from school because I don't want to miss any time in the garage. I earned student of the month in my first month of being in the program. Since September, I have been student of the month twice more. I am most proud of my recent induction into the Automotive Technology National Honor Society. I take pride in being careful and thorough in my work and love that our garage looks like a real car shop. I feel like the skill I bring to the field is my love for learning about cars. I'm passionate about knowing how to take care of them, how to fix them, and how to maintain them. I know that I'm young and still have a lot to learn about the industry, but I crave the information I need to be successful. I am planning on applying to SUNY Delhi and majoring in their Automotive Technology program. I recently took a tour of the school and loved it! I had the chance to speak to the instructors and take part in one of their classes. The students all welcomed me and it felt like a school that I want to be a part of. I know owning my own shop takes more than just a love for cars. In addition to all my auto tech classes, I plan on taking business courses so that I can one day open a successful automotive shop. I want to gain as much knowledge as I can, so my customers have confidence in my work. I want my business to be a place where customers feel comfortable bringing their car.

My love for all things automotive started at a young age. I remember watching my dad change the oil in his car and he let me help move the pan to collect the oil. Ever since then, my career dream has been to own my own automotive shop. I started at the Wilson Tech program for Automotive Technology in the beginning of my junior year of high school. I love the program! I get to work in the garage each day, learning new things and figuring out how to fix problems. I like taking the engine apart and putting it back together. I'm so lucky to attend the Wilson Tech program in the morning and take my core classes in the afternoon at Smithtown High School West. I'm rarely absent from school because I don't want to miss any time working in the garage. I earned "Student of the Month" in my first month of being in the program. Since September, I have been "Student of the Month" two more times. I am most proud of my recent induction into the Automotive Technology National Honor Society. I take pride in being careful and thorough in my work and look to my teachers when I need help or am stuck on a problem. I spend my weekends going to car shows and drift events. One of the highlights of my weekends is when I get to be a passenger during the drift events. It's such an exciting experience even though it makes my mom really nervous! There was also a time that I had the opportunity to help one of the drivers work on this car in between races. I was only tightening a bolt, but I was thankful for the opportunity to help. It was something I will never forget! I am planning on applying to SUNY Delhi and majoring in their Automotive Technology program. I recently took a tour of the school and loved it! I had the chance to speak to the instructors and take part in one of their classes. The students all welcomed me and it felt like a school that I want to be a part of. I know owning my own shop takes more than just a love for cars. In addition to all my auto tech classes, I plan on taking business courses so that I can one day open a successful automotive shop. I want to gain as much knowledge as I can, so my customers have confidence in my work. I want my business to be a place where customers feel comfortable bringing their car.