There are a lot of good role models out there but I would choose my dad above anyone else. His past was that of a criminal and drug user, however, he was one of the best people I know today. He shares his experiences and the issues at his job and it has made me a better person than I could have ever hoped for. My dad and his brother were horrible when they were growing up. My uncle knew every cop in Pittsburg, Kansas. He even knew a judge from how much trouble he got into. They were the kind of people always looking for fights. My dad made it to his freshman year before everything came crashing down. He hung out with people who could get him alcohol. He tried everything out there including mushrooms and acid. His tolerance for alcohol became very high. He even told me how he was mad that no one would fight him over a rumor. He didn't know about it until after he graduated. This may not seem like a good background for a role model, but being exposed to these aspects of his past like running from the cops, has made me appreciate how he raised me and my brother to be the great people we are. His past has also shown me what can happen and how hard it is to lift yourself after that. The military did my dad wonders with how he grew. To get into the military, he lied about what he had done saying he only did marijuana as an experiment but never actually got into it. He retired early as an assistant chief firefighter and does what he has to for things to be taken care of the right way. He still had moments like getting drunk but he has been clean for almost two years of tobacco and alcohol. I have been incredibly proud of the progress he made and how he changed into the caring and determined person he is today even when it gets irritating. If something happens with me or my brother, he refuses to let us pay. An example of this was Tricare. My brother became full-time for his new job in Kentucky after he moved in with his girlfriend. After that happened he got insurance through his job, but he didn't know that this would cause Tricare to drop him on the spot. My dad couldn't see anything for my brother and my brother had to call to cancel Tricare. What they also didn't know was that there was a pretty big fee for the incident. My brother tried and tried to get my dad to let him pay. Even just half of it because of how much the amount was. My dad didn't budge and refused to let my brother pay for any of it. All of these stories that I have heard or have been a part of has changed my life and view of the world. My dad was at a very low point and was able to recover without help. He has gone through being cheated on and divorced and having to take care of me and my brother almost on his own. It has been my dad's struggles and his growth that made him my role model to do what's right and to hold what I love close. I won't be able to say thank you enough to him.

I have always been fond of how different objects work. The one that caught my attention most was diesel. It started with simple things like different knots and how they are tied and continued with wondering as a kid how these machines worked. I took both of the automotive classes that are taught at my school and I fell in love with them. Now I am enrolled at Lincoln College of Technology in Denver, Colorado. I was taught a little about diesel engines at my school and I need to know as much as I can so I am turning this love into a career. My life has been rough with a messy divorce between my parents which has brought me closer to my dad. He has told me many of his stories like how he used to work on cars as well. It was then exposed that being a mechanic has run through my family and its generations. My grandparents from both sides of my parents have dealt with mechanic work. My dad's dad was an aircraft mechanic for the military and I am happy to be able to continue the line. Knowing that makes me feel like I am meant for this. These life events have made me stubborn and strong-willed. I know my path will not be easy especially since it is dominated by men and I am a woman. I also learned from my dad these traits to be stubborn and to do what I know is right. He doesn't keep anything from me so I hear his stories from him working at the Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado. He calls people out on things that they don't do and makes sure that things are done properly. He has also told me the many bad things he has done and I have grown responsible and respectful because of that as well. I strive to grow as a diesel mechanic working on big engines that people only typically see men doing. I was happy to see women at the school I am going to and how one of them was incredibly happy that I was going into diesel mechanic work as she did. Me and my dad I were driving down I-25 and saw a massive engine on the back of the semi that was pulling it and it only inspired me more. I couldn't help thinking that was what I wanted to do. I want to work on the big engines and I will. I am taking everything I learned from school with me as well. Through all of these experiences, I have learned how to be the best I can be and what it will take for this dream to become a reality. I have already taken more steps towards this as well with working at Discount Tire. Helping people there has meant a lot to me and I can't wait to continue down this evergrowing path in the future.

Being a mechanic has interested me since I was a child. When my dad would get his vehicle worked on, I would sit by the window and watch. I am currently looking to be an automotive mechanic and I plan on going to Lincoln College of Technology in Denver. The course I am taking there is for Diesel Mechanics since I find how they run to be fascinating. There is a lot to the course as well. Going through this program, I will become ASE certified. This means that it will show how I know what I am doing and can perform my duties well. My dad touched on mechanics, my grandpa was an aircraft mechanic for the military, and the line of mechanics is spread throughout the rest of my family. I believe that this career will bring me fulfillment because of how much people depend on these forms of transportation. Being a diesel mechanic will mean I will help keep semis running, it could potentially lead to firetruck work and might even inspire me to get to even bigger equipment. These days require modes of transportation and the field is mainly older men. I will show diversity in working in this field and I will be able to constantly help those in need. Truckers and semis alone are constantly depended on like grocery stores, companies, warehouses, and so much more. I have also already started my work to become someone in this profession. Right now I am employed at Discount Tire where I am constantly helping those who can't perform the actions needed such as fixing tires or changing them, and simple actions that they aren't aware of how to do such as filling the air in those tires. I feel that this will be my way to give back to the less fortunate or those who need an extra helping hand in their daily activities. I want to be the local mechanic that is recommended to others for the help that is given. Dabbling a little in the field has given me great insight into the world that I can be a part of. I have been able to feel what is like to have someone to depend on and to be the person others need. There are so many times when I see people on the side of the road and I keep thinking to myself that if only I was a little more experienced I can help. This is what I strive for and what I want to do later in life.

Cancer runs through my family. It has taken relationships from me. I attended the funeral of my aunt on January 6, 2023. She made everyone around her laugh. She made me happy. But in the end, due to colon cancer, she had to leave. It has given me the belief that things have to happen for a reason. Her condition was awful. She was put into a quality-of-life status where she went in and out of hospitals. She complained about her legs since her cancer caused swelling and different pains she was feeling. I am sad about her passing and it still is a hard subject to touch on but I am happy she passed. She is no longer in pain and she is now in a better place. I am not religious but I do believe that there is someplace better that people go. A place surrounded by loved ones and happy adventures and hobbies they loved. This has affected my career aspirations as it has made me want to pursue my job further. I am applying myself for positions to be a diesel mechanic but I will also be able to work on regular cars as well. The death has made me see how important relationships are and I want to be able to help people with their vehicles since we do most of what we do with cars. Dropping kids off at school, driving to work, driving to friends' houses, going out to eat, and much more. All these are important steps to having better relationships and gaining memories for the time that people have together. My aunt was 46 when she died and there were many fun memories that I was able to have with her that I want to be able to help other people reach even if it is a small act such as fixing their car for them to go home. Finally, the death of my aunt has made me cherish the relationships that I have that much more. When she was said to have a couple of months left to live, it seemed like those months would never pass and I took it for granted. Then time passed and she got bad quickly. It took three days for the news to dwindle rapidly. On day three she was said to have a couple of weeks left, on day two she was said to have days left, and by the last day she was gone. I never realized how quickly things can be taken away from people and I don't know what I would do without the people that are around me. I now live day by day cherishing moments that I want to remember forever, even if I don't know what forever even is. What happens when we die, I don't know. No one knows. I do know that in the end, what happens is what is meant to happen and I want to live my life happy and with those that love me for me and that I love for them, even if one day we are all meant to pass anyways.

The trade I want to do and who I am makes me stick out more than anything else. In the field of automotive mechanics, women are not usually around. Being a mechanic is a man-dominated field and I am a woman who not only wants to work on cars, but wants to work on semis. This is not common especially since the automotive classes I took in high school only had one other woman in that class. The field needs people and I need to be one of those people who fill that spot. I am going to Lincoln college of technology, a school that only has 1,529 students that attend at a time, to get qualified for the position I strive to be in. I plan to give back to the community through those I help. Products are transported to stores and other locations by vehicles. If any of those vehicles go out then that is fewer products for people to be able to access. If I can fix these vehicles then that will help ensure that people will get what they need as soon as possible. I also plan to by helping those who can't do these things themselves. I had a car come into my workplace that showed up after closing. The person lived in Denver so they had no other option but to try to find someone who could help him. Despite being closed, we brought the car in, put two new tires on the vehicle since the vehicle had two unusable tires, and got the customer on their way back home only 20 minutes after the car showed up. Being able to help people through a career that not many women are in despite being one, has meant a lot to me. People around me can see me and get inspired by it. I feel like I may have been able to inspire others already. At work, we have a window where customers can watch the techs work and when I looked over, a little girl couldn't take her eyes off of me. I hope I was the inspiration to show her that anything is possible. I was a little discourage starting this role myself, but my dad taught me to be stubborn so stubborn I was. I have been able to work at Discount Tire and help many people with not just their tires but also simple air checks through the seven months that I have worked there.

I am enrolled at Lincoln College of Technology - Denver to be educated in the field of Diesel mechanics. I am passionate about pursuing it because I have always had a fondness for how things work and for putting things apart and then back together again. I found that I needed to work on not just cars but the big rigs that have a high need for people in that field. My plans in the future are to be picked up by a company that needs me and to grow in this field to become the best I can be. I work at Discount Tire now and I have found that my interest has increased with my time there. I take tires apart and fix them if needed or change the tires. I balance them too and I have grown to love helping others with issues they can't fix themselves and to know how to take things apart, fix them, and see how they work. Growing up, life was very difficult. I had a hard time figuring out myself and what I was feeling. This became harder when I was 13 years old and my mom cheated on my dad with an abuser where she used me as her therapist before, during, and after she had one. Things were really tough through the four years this happened and I was fortunate enough to have people support me so I didn't make any mistakes that I would have heavily regretted later in life. I ended up going to therapy and had a lot of reassurance from the people I love. I probably wouldn't have made it without them and their support. Especially my dad and how understanding he was. I was in such a bad place that I started cutting a wall in my room, however, my dad understood and told me not to worry about it. You can fix a wall, but it is harder to fix other things. It wasn't just this that I had to overcome. The after-effect of seeing my mom and having to be nice despite what she did, was even harder. It takes me a long time to realize the different events that had happened and I wanted to cut her out of my life completely. The issue was she didn't and never really realized what she had done to me and I don't think I could ever really forgive her for that. Being in this field has made me realize some of the other difficulties I am going to be experiencing as well. Being a mechanic is heavily dominated by men, and being a woman I can see some difficulties. I work at Discount Tire right now and I am the only woman who works there. I can say that I am glad about how my dad parented me since I get along with them fairly well. Even in auto class at my school, there was only one other girl. I am glad these people are getting interested in it though. I may not be the only girl at the next job I work at. I know that I will be able to get passed any comments thrown my way by any of the others guys since I was raised hard-headed luckily. I don't take comments personally even if they are directed that way.

Even after being clueless about what I wanted to do, I found what I need do with my life and the passion that has now begun to bloom. The idea popped into my head when my dad and I would go through boxes in the garage of things that hadn't been gone through for more than twenty years. It was impressive to me considering I don't even like to have a dirty room let alone all those boxes were there. When we did finally go through some of them, we found pictures. These were pictures that inspired me because they were of the challenger spacecraft before it took off, and of mid-flight fueling. These images were ones I thought I would only be able to look up online, not be able to have true photos of. And I wouldn't have been able to start this journey if my grandfather wasn't an airplane mechanic. After long talks with my dad, I learned that many people in my family were mechanics at some point in their life from both my mom's and my dad's side. I started considering what he had said and I started thinking. I have always been wondering how cars move and how people can fix them. It is truly amazing what was able to be brought of it. I then went into scheduling for the next year, my sophomore year of high school. During this point, I managed to take Care Care and Small Engines. Classes that I had been dreaming to get in and finally was able to. And it turned out I had a talent for it. I only found this out the year after though. In my junior year I was able to go into the next class up, Auto 1. This is where I got my three ASE certificates which I thought was an impossible task until I tried them and managed to get them. I was impressed. Now I am enrolled at Lincoln College of Technology in Denver, Colorado. The part where I said I wanted to be nothing like my dad when he was my age is something that I am honestly proud of. My dad was the kid in school who barely remembers school because he did drugs, and hardly showed up, and I'm honestly surprised that he was able to get to where he is now. My dad would tell me the things he did, so I am not naive about it. He then joined the military and his life got better. He is now early retired, working as a civilian firefighter for the Pueblo Chemical Depot. Unfortunately, I can't use his GI bill since he had the pre-911 bill and couldn't re-enlist for the post-911 bill. I am not concerned about it anyways since I probably wouldn't have wanted to use it anyways. This is my journey. A child who was put through problems that seemed impossible to get passed, and a future that seemed like a faraway object with no purpose. I am proud that I have been able to figure out what I want to do in life and that I have been exposed to what life could be, what life I was determined to stay away from. I trust in my abilities now and I now am aiming to keep moving forward in this mechanic field where I know I will be happy. I'll be able to help others stay on the road and do what they need to do and I'll be able to fulfill my life to the best of my abilities.

Throughout my life, I have been focused on my career, and it took me a while to realize that having a job or a career is like community service. My career is going to be as a diesel mechanic. Before I just thought of it as doing work on other people's vehicles. It turned out that the more I thought about it, I could be considered as doing community service. Community service to me means people that do different activities that others won't be able to do. Not many people can do the things that I will be wanting to do and it is a field that is needed. 28,500 openings happen in my field each year. My career will help others get back on the road and provide the supplies that other people need. An example of this could be a semi that comes into the shop, I get them back on the road, and they take their load to a Walmart so it can restock. This then goes to the community and people can get food to take care of their families. There is more than just one option to give back to my community. When adults get jobs, they only have to worry about that job. They don't have to worry about school or college. It is them and the job. The reason that I bring this up is before, it seemed like I never had the time to do anything with having to work and go to school. After I finish school I can finally use the time to go out and help others to stay on the road or help them back on their feet. I work at discount tire currently and I do a lot for the community already. People will come to me because they aren't sure about their tire pressure and they are about to go on a big trip. Not only do I check their tire pressure to make sure that nothing happens to the tire, but I also check the tread depth on the tire to make sure that they will maintain the grip on the road that they need to decrease their chance of getting into an accident. Knowing that I am trusted to help people in this way, means a lot to me. Community service is a big deal in society that is going on. People sometimes just need help whether that is them being unsure about their tires or them needing some help to get back on their feet and I want to be that trusted person that can help them. It gets hard too with the scams that go on so I always lead a very understanding hand such as asking for personal information that someone doesn't want to give even though it is part of my job, I let them know that I completely understand and that I get it that it gets hard to know who you can trust. I want to continue to be that person that understands and that people can feel they can turn to. I want to continue with my job so I can keep people on the road and for them to go about their day doing whatever they need to do. Someone that I help could even be someone who is on their way to a shelter to help take care of others.

Throughout my life, I have only known how to follow what people told me to do and to reach their expectations no matter what. This ruined my most important goal, to be happy. I would stress about the littlest things such as my grades not being perfect, having one missing assignment, and if I said even the slightest thing that could have been seen as negative. It was like walking on eggshells during my middle through high school life. After an incident with my mom and dad, I realized how I needed to start striving for my main goal. Everyone only lives once and the only thing that holds any meaning is being happy with it. I handled this realization of not reaching my goal of happiness very harshly. I was disappointed with myself that I let people walk over me, regardless that this started when I began middle school. I was also frustrated that I didn't know how to progress and get better into who I am. I am very lucky for the people in my life, the ones that didn't push me down but instead helped me see how to reach my goal of happiness and having a fulfilling life. Those people are also the people who are closest to me today, my dad and my boyfriend. I couldn't have achieved this success without them regardless of how many times I think back on what more I could have done. To start, my dad was always there when I needed him, brought light into my life, and showed me that there is more to life than sorrow like my little mind at the time had started to believe. My boyfriend helped a lot as well. He was my shoulder to cry on when things got too hard, and he was hard on me in the way my family was with their expectations but he switched it. Instead of the hard expectations to be the best I could be toward people, it was the hard expectations and motivation to be the best I could be toward myself. It was extremely difficult. Looking back now I realize that I was and still can be way too hard on myself. I treated myself like an amateur mountain climber who had to be able to climb Mt. Everest the very next day whether this was with activities, my job, or how I perceived myself and my happiness. It took me until working at my job for six months to be able to realize that everything comes with experience. It's this realization that I have gotten with my own experience that I gain my knowledge. I shouldn't have been living for other people, I shouldn't have been so hard on myself, and now it's all in the past. Being able to come to this realization was a lot harder than I could have ever thought. That's the thing I realized about the differences between knowing and understanding. When you know something, it's the equivalent of reciting something from a book you read. When you understand something, it's a feeling that you have and you can talk about what you understand in a way that is exciting and you can't stop talking. It's almost the difference between asking a kid to define a word and asking them what their favorite piece of candy is. Now I can proudly say that I have achieved my goal. What's life anyways if people don't live it based on their happiness?

I never knew I had ADHD until I started therapy. I figured something was wrong since I could never focus and I couldn’t sit still. I talked over others and I was impatient. I zoned out a lot and I am still very forgetful. I went to therapy for depression and anxiety to find out I had ADHD. I have struggled in classes with how I keep forgetting assignments and not being able to focus and having to catch up. I have realized that cars keep my attention and how I have been able to focus and remember what I have been doing with cars. I wanted to seek this higher education since I want to be able to help those who desperately need it especially since the automotive industry is desperate for people to be in the field. I feel like I am a good candidate for this since I only found out less than a year ago that I had ADHD and throughout this I have found my ways around it and have been able to be on prescriptions to help with this

I live day by day helping others when I got hired at discount tire. I love being able to help those who can no longer safely drive and come to us for help. I didn’t get forced to get a job or forced to go down the mechanic path. I chose it and I chose to help people every time I walk through the door. I’ve also helped myself a lot with going to therapy and getting on meds to get myself on the right path to no longer having depression and anxiety

I always helped other when I was battling depression and anxiety which I am proud to say I have overcome. I always have a habit of doing the small stuff for others such as holding open doors or stacking plates for servers. The little things that can make people’s days. I have been through a situation where my mom was with someone who was abusive that she cheated on my dad with. It ruined me since I became her therapist at 13 but I was always there for her. I was there when my friends needed me. I kept up on work and made sure that I was respectful and polite to especially teachers since not all students are. I really believe in the golden rule to treat people how you want to be treated and I stick to that as much as I possibly can.

I have realized through my own struggle with mental health of how important the people around you are. It is incredible to me of how much people can impact others. Being around different people can either make things better or make things worse. I had gotten lucky to have the amazing dad I have that had helped me through everything and an amazing boyfriend who has convinced me to get help. I am now on a much better track and happier than I ever could have imagined. Now I understand the hardships that not everyone goes through and how the little things can keep people going. This is also why I love the golden rule because that could be the thing that gives someone that much more of a will to keep going.

I have learned that you can apply for hundreds but not get pulled for a single one. I’ve learned that no matter how hard you try, there is no definite chance to winning one. I’ve also learned that the different websites can go between each other for sponsors but that still won’t give a definite yes to someone winning a scholarship.

I had been diagnosed late in life with ADHD. I ended up getting depression and anxiety from this which piled onto my other issues that I had been dealing with. Getting prescriptions and finding out what best works for me such as writing things down so I don’t forget has helped me a lot. My goals for the future is to not let this hold me back with wanting to pursue in the automotive trade. My goals are to keep going despite whatever happens to create a happy life for myself and those around me.

I have struggled with mental health for years. My mom cheated on my dad with someone who abused her and made me her therapist. I was in the seventh grade. Going through this experience has shown me how important the people around you are and the belief that people should keep fighting no matter what. I cut up a wall instead of myself because I didn’t want to hurt others. I believe that everyone should keep going until they can’t anymore. I know this impacts relationships because without those close to me, I might not have been here today. Getting through this battle has shown me what I want to do with life and how to get there. In order to help me do so, I feel this scholarship will be important in my struggle to live with those around me and to never give up even when things get hard.

Money has always been a little short when I was growing up. Parents had to monitor what we spent stuff on and would sometimes be careless. This scholarship will help keep me out of debt and pay for what I need to. Going to college is so important to me because it shows career paths that I know what I’m doing and I can do jobs that many like me can’t. I am a woman going into the automotive trades that I really want to do. It will help me love life to the fullest and be able to have a stable job to live in general.

I want to prove to others that as a woman in the automotive trade that I can do it. I want to and have been enrolled to Lincoln college of technology to demonstrate and prove that I know what I’m talking about and for people to take me serious. Being certified will also give me the ability to have a great career that I wouldn’t be able to have without it.

People who eat healthier have happier and longer lives. They don’t have to worry about high cholesterol. I have noticed a lot when I changed my eating habits. Just by doing portions I managed to lose 20 pounds in two months. I couldn’t have done that if I didn’t find eating habits as important. Obesity is a big issue and people can lose money by having to pay for surgery or replacements for body parts like hips or knees. Taking care of your health is incredibly important for health and happiness of your life and your day to day experience.

I have sticky notes. I have a journal. My mental health goes down a lot when I keep forgetting issues like deadlines or when tests come up. In school I make sure to write down whatever is important and I focus on myself then my school work. I eat lunch while basing it off of portions. I have realized how important this area is especially after struggling with this for a couple of years. Focusing on this aspect of my life has changed it completely.

Mental health is the most important aspect of schooling. I believe it is important because if it’s in a bad state then classes could fall, nothing seems like it matters, and your future can be changed off of this. I have been maintaining my mental health better after struggling with mental health issues due to family things and other personal issues. I have been able to get happier and I want to change my future for the better.

Hybrid cars are incredible. They use higher car battery voltages to make the car electric and only gas when the battery needs to charge. I am enrolled to Lincoln college of technology in Denver. It amazes me the kind of changes that are created and the different things that have been created for all. Dog mode in teslas, regular car batteries that can be used to use less gas. This inspires me to find ways to have cars that don’t cause pollution, don’t ruin landscapes to be created, and can continue to get people where they need on time.

I am going to Lincoln college of Technology to be a diesel mechanic. As a woman I know it’s going to be hard to go into this profession. It has interested me incredibly with the system of diesels. The similarities of gas versus diesel. Glow plugs verses spark plugs. The size of the engines. It all amazes me and I can’t wait to start after I graduate 2023.

I have always seen myself as loyal, trusting, organized, but what really matters. The qualities that I value the most in myself is how I am respect and responsible. My dad would go to work and it would just be me, so I would take the duties that needed to be done and do them such as taking care of the dog, taking trash out, and cleaning around the house. These characteristics are important and will help me because they are the basics that lead to other qualities. Being responsible and respectful means to treat others how you want to be treated and to do things you have to do. Own up to things and be the person that others can trust to hold their drinks at a club. I plan on being a diesel mechanic so I need to have these traits so people can trust me to work on their vehicle. I don’t want them to see me and feel like I’m going to end their life by working on their vehicle. These traits are the most important traits especially when it comes to working on peoples property. I also wouldn’t know what the consequences might be and I don’t want to know. Do things the right way and you don’t have to do it again. Do it the wrong way and not only would you have to redo it but there could be more consequences that just aren’t worth it.

I had severe depression and anxiety. This was caused from parents separation and feeling like I wasn’t good enough. I was able to overcome this because my dad was always there for me and my boyfriend always made me feel loved. He encouraged me to get prescriptions and to go see a therapist. After struggles of finding the right ones and the right meds, I have finally been able to be happier and cherish what I have instead of being worried or upset all the time.

My best back to school tip would be to make sure you have a great bag. The reason to have a great bag is for reasons such as having more room, not having to hold stuff, and great way to stay organized The reason having more room is important is because you never know what your teacher will give to you for work. They can hand you a box, coloring supplies, and computers. Because of this it is very important to be able to have multiple slots for things. Also not having to walk around with things in my arms is so much better. Middle school was bad with having to consistently go back to my locker but a good bag and a school that allows you to carry around your bag, will do wonders. Finally being organized is a very important thing too. You need to know where papers are or assignments. Also finding assignments that are about to be due so the day before you won’t have to worry about searching for it. Having a good backpack makes things so much easier. Everyone can also do what I do and use it for other uses like traveling.