My name is Andrej Milovic, I am 21 years old, and I am currently enrolled into the Fire Science program at my college. I will be graduating with my associates degree, a EMT B, and a public dispatching certificate, I graduated High School in 2021. I come from Eastern Europe. Northern Bosnia to be specific. My family and I moved here to the US in 2004, through struggle and tough times we have made a name for ourselves, but nothing came easy to us, everything we have we have worked hard for. I will be the first person in my family to graduate college in the US and back in 2021 I was the first to graduate an American High School. I was raised in Des Moine Iowa and the Chicago suburbs in Illinois. I like to work on cars, go fishing for some alone time and help my dad fix the house. The reason I want to be a first responder is the honor. My family has a long line of people that are in public safety and healthcare. I see them come home exhausted, but they are so proud of what they do, they made a difference that day whether small or big. To see that when just a few years ago I myself was confused really set it in stone. I am looking forward to my future in the fire service to serve my townspeople and to smile even on my worst days, because I'm making someone else's just that much better. I believe strongly in doing work ethically and morally; while completing it efficiently is important, the fire service gives me that. Before returning to school, I started working at Mazda as a salesman, the money was great, but the job wasn't. Our managers wanted us to screw every last cent out of our loyal returning customers. I get everybody needs a penny to put food on the table but there's a point where its far gone. Last June I decided that was it, I am going back to school to find work in a career that does not make me feel like a poser. The fire service spoke to me even louder. After doing a ride along and speaking to many public service officials my fate was sealed. In spring of 2025 I will begin looking for work in the fire service to help my community with passion and pride. Rest In peace, Skylar.

I am committed to becoming a first responder simply because I believe that being the one that's called on in dire times is important. I strongly hold it in my heart that being called onto such a tough task and getting it done, not only right but efficiently and safely is important. I come from a long line of healthcare workers firefighters and law enforcement officers throughout my family, that goes as far as my family back in all of Eastern Europe. I have always had role models to look up to in public safety and people focused work, that's what truly inspired me. This scholarship would help me by taking the burden of bills off my mind. I currently help my family around with some bills, and on top of that I pay my own bills as well. I recently had to sell my truck for a cheaper car last January to pay off my credit card bills and afford continuing school and my personal bills, that's how dedicated I was, and I am to be continuing school and not pausing. With this scholarship I can afford to relax my mind and my wallet and focus on my schoolwork so I can continue my progression to slowly getting closer to a career in the fire service. With this in mind I can stop worrying about picking up more hours at work which hinder my ability to focus on homework, reading, and projects. Community wise I plan on making my mark and a difference in my community by not only completing the job but doing it to a tee, no mistakes. Making sure it's done right when called on for it. There are sloppy people in all work forces, but I am not one of those, I always do the job the way it's supposed to be whether it's my previous sales job or my future job in the fire service. I plan on making sure the community I serve can look up to me and my team to get the job done whether it's a structure fire an EMS call or anything in between. I will be graduating in spring of 2025 with my associates in Fire Science, my EMT B, and a public dispatcher certificate. Once I finish these, I will hope that a station will pick me to start my amazing career in the fire service. Serving with a smile and not looking back I plan to be the best firefighter I can possibly be.