My name is Braden Riley, and I have chosen Automotive Repair and Restoration. I am currently studying the basics in my High School Automotives class, and am working every day to get good marks and good work done each time I am in the shop. I chose this career because I could never really put things down, if one of my electronics was having a problem, I had it apart in my hands sooner than my mother could offer to replace it. I even managed to fix a couple of my recent projects. But that is when I knew I had to do some kind of mechanical trade. What pushed me to the automotive field was my uncle and his old drag car that he and his father have been trying to restore since I was a toddler. I realized that's what I wanted to do the first time I held one of his wrenches in my hand. I will be successful because it's the only thing I can do. I have my heart, mind, and soul dedicated to going to WyoTech in Laramie, and I won't stop, can't stop, until I have made it. Trying to make it there has been nothing but "You can't do it. I don't think you will do it." and more things such as those. I have been hearing those words all my life, and when I have this massive chance to prove that I can, who am I to give up on it? So if you really want to know why, or even how I wil be successful, it's because that for me, for all I've known, I have to win, and I will not let it slip from me. A successful life to me is one that you earn, and one that you're happy with. Success isn't defined by how much money you've made, or how many awards you've won, it isn't any of that at all. Success is what you have won that means the world to you. some people may not see your success like you do, but the main bit is, it is YOUR success. My personal success starts with getting to my dream college, the next? it's filled with something, or maybe even someone that I can rely on when days get hard, and nights get darker. To be the man that leaves the best mark he can on the people around him, and the world.

From living in a bustling city, to moving out to the middle of nowhere in the woods to finally landing in an urban town, my life has constantly been plagued by music and singing. When I discovered that's what I enjoyed. During the time of Covid and it's lockdown, I only had a plethora of online friends, ones that I played games with, skipped some online classes with, and overall created bonds that still hold to this day. When I found that my good friends liked the same kind of music I did, we began to sing them with other people, laughing and enjoying ourselves with digital karaoke. When I moved to where I live today, I couldn't sing as loud as I could, and we slowly stopped doing it. But when I attended North Medford High School, a teacher named Mr. Flock understood what I could do, and offered me to join one of the choirs he was the director over for the school. That was two years ago, and little by little, I followed my small dream of learning to sing. This time, part of a group that shared my same want to learn and grow to be a better singer. He pushes us to be the best singers we can be even now. The massive amounts of travelling we did was phenomenal. The first ever place we went to was to sing with the college level choir at Southern Oregon University. (I had also visited SOU for a High School Football conditioning camp, so I was familiar with the campus.) It was an entire day of learning from the best directors in the county, even getting to perform one of our songs for a international professor from Arkansas, his ability was definitely a sound to behold. We even got to see some old faces that had graduated from North just the year before. The next place we traveled was Disneyland, of course more of a reward for our hard work, but we did get to learn and perform a Disney song for the park itself. The most recent places I've traveled, are to the local church, performing in the prayer hall with immaculate dynamics. As well as South Medford High School for a final festival. Even now at the time of writing, it is the day of our final concert. The Seniors will be recognized and wished well at the end. It is my final concert of the year, and all I can do is give it my all, and give back to all of the people that helped me through the years to sing.

When I was young, I revered my Uncle. He was the coolest person I knew, told me about Star Wars, had play sword fights with me every time I got a new set, and would make me popcorn on the late nights I had staying over when we would play video games together. It was one day when he took me to a large "Property" they called it. Every summer and every birthday, we would go there. There would be pizza, pool days, bonfires, movie nights, and on some days him, his brother and dad would go out to this old wooden barn. It wasn't big, but it was large enough to hold a 60s car that my great Uncle passed down to them. It was a pretty thing, last I saw it, it was hardly a body with only small dreams of a large engine in the bay. Every time I went with him, we listened to good music on the way there, and in the barn as they all worked. But for me, there was the same stool I could only sit in and watch. Each time I looked down because that's all I could do, he would tell me that "Someday, you'll help us too." He always made me feel somewhat better, and put on my favorite music while I instead chose to wander the barn, fetching tools for them whenever they were holding something important in place and needed someone to get them the tool to hold it down. And ever since then, it's been my dream to professionally learn Automotive Mechanics and vehicle restoration. Now, with my acceptance into Wyotech, I need all the financial help I can get. I live in a home that is only off of my mother's paycheck, while I'm trying desperately to find employment and help her. I've asked every shop, and the only job that is waiting for me is a Lube Tech position at Subaru. I'm hoping that job when I turn 18 can help my future along with many Scholarships I am applying to. All just to get that little project car in my Uncle's garage to run again. To have the diploma, acceptance letter, and tassel in my hand as I tell him that I'm ready. That I can help now, and I'll use everything I know to get their old family car to start once again.

My name is Braden Riley, I am 17 years old, and I have been accepted into the Universal Technical Institute, Wyotech, and Rogue Community College in OR. With all of these options, I have decided to dedicate my future to Wyotech. While each program has it's perks, Wyotech is where friends are going, and I can learn to restore my favorite cars. In my future, I am planning to work hard, learn as much as I can about the trade of Automotive modification and repair, so I can finally return home to help my Uncle work on a car that was passed down from his father to him. In terms of leadership, I am present within my High School Choir, and there has not been a moment of my Director being gone that the group did not continue under my watch. I always stuck to the instruction left, kept my peers on task, and would recognize them for impressive moments I felt needed to be mentioned. Through the many trips that the Choir has gone to, I have been the one to lead them while our Director handled more important things. As well as also being responsible for cleaning up after every mess the group makes on those trips. I personally do believe that in a leadership position, the followers do not work for the leader, the leader works for the followers. I know that a good leader can show that even with being chosen to lead, they still do menial tasks that any bad leader wouldn't dare to do themselves. Showing the people that choose to follow you that you can stand right with them and help directly. Doing your own part alongside them is what sets the roles of Manager and Leader apart. Knowing that, I try every day to be a leader, or at the very least an example to those younger, or under me.