The dream version of my future self is that I am happy with my job as a saturation welder.

When I was 14 years old, I spent the weekend at my brother and sister-in-law's house for school vacation; my brother was trying to get his tractor into the woods on his property to take some fallen logs out. The problem he was faced with was the ground was too soft and kept sinking the tractor. After multiple attempts to get the tractor into the woods, we kept failing. I devised a plan to take some of the logs and make a track for the tractor to drive on. We cut the logs in half since we only needed them to be the width of the tractor and I laid them like a road. I would grab logs from the back and replace them in the front so he could continue into the woods. When he would grab a few logs to take out of the woods I reversed my process and laid the logs in the rear of the tractor for him to drive out. This was the easiest and most proficient way for us to get the task at hand completed. I believe a big problem that the United States and other countries face is world hunger. If I had the money, time and resources to invest in fixing this problem myself, I would have public gardens that are in high-population homeless areas along with poor neighborhoods. These gardens would be available for the people to gather enough fresh food for their consumption and that of their families. I would line the public streets with fruit trees and fruit-bearing bushes so that anyone in need could pick and eat the fruit. I would have water purification stations that would collect the rainwater and dirty water from ponds, rivers etc. and filter the water into a viable source of drinking water at a pace that would not disrupt the ecosystem in the rivers etc. that it is being collected from. The gardens would all be watered with collected rainwater along with the trees and bushes. Because these are all open to the public I would not need employees to maintain the areas, I would push for the park and rec employees that are being paid by the city that already maintain the city trees and shrubs, to maintain the fruit trees and bushes. The gardens I would have on a volunteer basis as I feel if the opportunity is there to feed someone in need if given the tools, they would, in turn, maintain where their food is coming from. It would be on the community to take care of each other. Be your brothers keeper.

I am pursuing a career in underwater welding because I'm looking forward to all the challenges that the job will have day to day. I feel no two situations will be the same, from what I am working on to the complications that come with it. I enjoy problem-solving and being faced with hard tasks, the element of being underwater while pursuing something I love -welding- I feel will be satisfying not only as a career but also on a personal day-to-day basis. The element of being underwater is intriguing to me. Ever since I was a small child, I've enjoyed time at the aquariums with my family; but I knew that a career in marine biology or likewise was not something I wanted to pursue. I've always found that being in the water swimming and diving has been calming and peaceful, what's better than calling the ocean your "office"? Nothing I can think of! I started taking welding classes during my senior year in high school and became fond of the class very quickly. I never thought that welding was something I could see myself doing as a job but when I started learning about the different career options involving welding and realized that underwater welding was a career, I was elated! I had done some welding with my big brother here and there and I always enjoyed learning from him and working with him. I had tried to get into welding class earlier in my education but the classes were always full, when I had the opportunity, I jumped quickly at it. My welding teacher has gone over the history of welding with us and I think the background story that welding has, where it came from to where it is now in the present day is a fascinating one. I think my favorite fun fact that I have learned thus far is that in WWII they started replacing riveting techniques on ships with welding. They built about 2,710 ships in a 4-year span using prefabricated parts they welded in place. These ships were called "Liberty Ships". Although I have never welded underwater, I am intrigued to do so. I enjoy welding so much so, that I have been welding statues and lawn ornaments for my father to place around his yard. I have made a lifesized robot statue all out of spare and broken vehicle parts. On the weekends I often find myself in my brother's garage welding projects he's working on or creating things with scrap metal he has around. I truly think I have found my passion in life, I am a quiet person and it's freeing for me to be able to express myself through my work.