Society has changed drastically in the past two decades and is on pace to evolve more and more rapidly with the advent of Artificial Intelligence and open-source global information found on the internet. Gone are the days of calling and waiting for the local handyman to find time to make a house call, todays population knows what they want, and they want it now! While many companies are able to outsource customer service or even develop AI chat bots to placate the customer with the illusion of problem resolution, the trades stand apart from the norm as each customers problem must be met with thoughtfulness and care in a timely manner. As a service technician you rarely get a call that does not feel like an emergency to that customer at the time. Whether heat/cooling is malfunctioning on the coldest/hottest day of the year, or their whole block is without electricity, and they just came from the grocery store. Every call has a level of nuance that simply cannot be handled by a computerized voice on the phone. The trades are indispensable in modern society because they provide service and comfort to people who do not want to, nor do they deserve to, suffer discomfort. Another area where folks stand to suffer from a lack of skilled tradespeople is public health. The plumbing field, for example, must always have plumbers on call, lest sanitation could suffer causing people to get ill. HVAC technicians provide a simar service by maintaining suitable conditions for children, ill, and elderly persons who are ill-equipped to handle temperature extremes. And without our Electricians keeping the grid up no one can do their job. The trades also hold a special place in modern society as skilled technicians will be the last jobs replaced by AI and robots. You may think it sounds like science fiction, however automation replacing human jobs has been documented for quite some time. To bright spot for trades people is that, to date, technology is still decades away from replacing a good technician in the field due to the nuance of every task as well as the location of many components preventing access, but for the most nimble of tradespersons. The need for refrigeration, sanitation and the electricity to provide those services and other creature comforts cannot be overstated. Suffering for the lack of utilities is quickly becoming a thing of the past and it is all owed to the proliferation of skilled tradespeople who do the difficult and often dangerous work that needs to be done in order to keep society running happily and comfortably. Tradespeople are the bridge between utility companies and customers, and are critical to the modern living conditions that people have come to expect and demand daily. With their role being more in demand than ever with the constant need for electronic devices and internet connection, the value of trades people is at an all-time high and likely to continue to build as more and more technology demands their attention to operate.

Ben Kempllin Hello, I am Benjamin Kemplin. I have lived what many would consider an eclectic life so far. I grew up in rural central Ohio, where I learned the value of an honest day's labor. Due to my fierce loyalty to my country and having been a senior in high school on 9-11, I Joined the Army as an Airborne Military Police officer. Over the next eleven and a half years I found myself serving 3 combat tours to Iraq as well as being stationed for a year in Germany. When I completed my Army time it was time to take on academia, I I earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and then did what any reasonable person would do, Applied to law school. I was accepted to a dual JD program at the University of Detroit Mercy and the University of Windsor, Canada. However, after 3 semesters, I realized I could never be happy or fulfilled working behind a desk. Thus, sparking my passion for the trades, a year later I moved back to Chattanooga, Tennessee where I attended HVACR technician training and am currently enrolled in an Industrial Electricity Program. I am a dedicated lifelong learner, who can readily admit there are things I do not know, but will never pass on an opportunity to find out! I chose to pursue trade school certifications in lieu of further University training because I firmly believe that there is absolutely nothing more satisfying than coming home dirty and exhausted from working hard. Also, as I look around me every day, I see people my age who have never even changed a light bulb. I believe in self-reliance and any skill I can use is a skill worth learning. Also, I love repairing and building things. To me home is a safe place to be oneself. A place to be comfortable and vulnerable. A place to relax and unwind, bring up a family and establish a foothold to be involved in community. Home is equal parts nostalgia, safety, comfort, and striving to elevate your future. There is nothing better than taking your boots off after a long day and sharing moments with your family from the comfort of home. To be clear, home does not necessarily need to occupy a physical space, it could consist of a beloved memory, a favorite item or especially a special person, who makes you feel happy and safe. In short, whatever makes you your best is home

September 11, 2001. I am a senior in high school enduring a typical morning in Mr. Delaney's intro to sociology class when the entire country went still. 5 days later I was in the recruiting office signing papers, and 1 month after graduation day I was in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri getting a very loud lesson on dress right dress and the proper way to "beat my face". As I completed my training, the war in Afghanistan was heavy on our collective minds, all the while tensions were rising in Iraq. Over the next eleven and a half years I would find myself in a constant rotation to from Fort Bragg, NC to Iraq. I served 39 months over 3 combat tours ranging the entire country from the Kuwait border to Mosul. During that time, I advanced from Private first class to Staff Sergeant and was afforded the privilege, on my final tour in 2007-08 to lead a squad of 12 MPs for 15 months with 0 casualties. I attended various NCO Academies as well as served a year in Wiesbaden, Germany. I loved my time in the Army, but my body determined it was time to make a change. I left the military in 2014 and earned a degree in criminal justice. In my time attending university I learned a lot about myself. Specifically, that I am not cut out for a desk job. I then turned my attention to the trades. I have since earned a degree in HVACR and am currently training to become an electrician. My goal is to become a licensed general contractor so I can see a project through, from inception to completion. It was an honor to serve in the Army, following in the footsteps of my father who was in the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam. However, as much as it was an honor to follow his war time service I am greatly looking forward to following his lead once more by working in the skilled trades. After his time in Vietnam he was hired as a cable splicer for the local telephone company and did that job faithfully and diligently for 43 years until he retired. By working in the Skilled trades I hope to make him proud once more by providing people with the infrastructure they need to get through their daily lives. Being a trades person means a lot to me at this point in my life and I hope you can help me fulfill this dream.

Boatswain’s Mate Third Class Antonie Bernard Thomas Memorial Scholarship Benjamin Kemplin As an eleven and half year Army veteran my leadership ability and communication skills helped me safely maneuver my squad through a 15-month combat deployment to Iraq, I apply many of those skills every day in my daily life. Backward planning, risk assessment, accountability for both actions and equipment, as well as tenaciously sparring with management for what is in the best interests of the workers under my charge are just a few of the transferable leadership skills I honed while in the service. My leadership style is based in personal courage, I am never afraid to take in the absence of instructions which motivates my colleagues to perform to their highest potential as well, furthermore I am never averse to having a hard conversation with peers or leadership. Resililiance is a trait that anyone who has ever met me knows I could teach a master class on. I’ve been through many ups and downs and failures in my life, and I always keep my head up and drive on. I am supremely confident that no matter how bad things seem I will rise above and excel. Without getting too personal, 2 years ago I moved to Chattanooga with no money and no job and only the clothes I could fit in my truck. and in that time, I have become the section leader at my job, completed a HVACR diploma and am currently attending an Industrial Electricity course. Unselfishness has been a part of my mantra my entire life, from volunteering my time in my youth for various church organizations, to joining the military in a time of war directly out of high school. Placing others safety and wellbeing ahead of my own is, and always has been just part of who I am. Over the Past thirteen months, and counting, I have been attending trade school in the evenings. A typical day for me is clock it to work at 0730 and finish my evening classes at 2245. During that time, I have developed a solid reputation for putting my nose to the grindstone and sacrificing now for a more secure future for myself. A 4.0 GPA and numerous other accedemic accolades stand as a testament to my focus and determination. My earliest memories are of my father, a 43-year telephone cable splicer, leaving for work before daylight and coming home near sundown, weather-worn from the day. I knew how hard he worked to provide the privileged upbringing I enjoyed, and I strive to provide the same for my family. I have no illusions of making it big in the stock market or becoming an overnight sensation on Tik-Tok, I know that going to work and getting things done is the way forward for me and I love it. Nothing is more satisfying for me than an honest day's work, for both my physical and mental well-being. I challenge myself every single day and that work ethic has gotten me to where I am, and I am quite proud of it.