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Caleb Valles

2x

Finalist

1x

Winner

General information

Hobbies & Interests

  • Biking And Cycling
  • Hiking And Backpacking
  • Running
  • Stocks And Investing
  • History
  • Finance
  • Construction
  • Blacksmithing
  • Carpentry
  • Crossfit
  • Dirtbiking
  • Economics
  • Exercise And Fitness
  • Fishing
  • Exploring Nature And Being Outside
  • Farming
  • Hospitality
  • Machine Learning
  • Nutrition and Health
  • Spending Time With Friends and Family
  • Bible Study
  • STEM
  • Agriculture
  • Business And Entrepreneurship
  • Bodybuilding
  • Athletic Training
  • Cars and Automotive Engineering
  • Coffee
  • Cooking
  • Culinary Arts
  • Food And Eating
  • Chemistry
  • Biochemistry
  • Stamp Collecting
  • Collecting

Reading

  • Academic
  • Business
  • Economics
  • Health
  • Gardening
  • True Story
  • History
  • Christianity

I read books daily.

Bio

I am an accelerated student and aspiring Master Mason on a professional track to financial independence. Coming from a low-income family of eight, I view high-intensity manual labor as the high-value engine for my long-term investment strategy. As a recent high school graduate, I have already secured a position with a mason. I plan to work and invest heavily over the next year to fund my trade school education, as I am fiercely committed to avoiding debt at all costs. While keeping my personal expenses intentionally meager, I will use my career in the trades to aggressively scale my portfolio to fund future milestones and eventually provide for a family. My commitment to building strong, lasting foundations extends to my family right now; I prepared my 9-year-old brother with the mental and physical tools to finish his first marathon in 4:11. While I completed my own first marathon in 3:33 that same day as a 13-year-old, my greatest pride was the confidence I had in his preparation, allowing him to race completely independently of me. A scholarship award to offset the cost of specialized tools and education is the critical final piece of this blueprint, ensuring I can launch my career unburdened. Whether training for a 100-mile MTB race or laying a structural foundation, I am committed to the precision, grit, and long-game discipline required for an Ironman-level life.

Education

Homeschooled

High School

2023 – 2027

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Trade School
Majors of interest:
Mason/Masonry, Hospitality Administration/Management, Construction Trades, Other, Agricultural and Food Products Processing, Finance and Financial Management Services, Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management, Applied Mathematics, Construction Engineering, Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Architectural Sciences and Technology, Agricultural Business and Management, Agricultural Production Operations, Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services, Cooking and Related Culinary Arts, General, Culinary, Entertainment, and Personal Services, Other, Biological/Biosystems Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services, Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR), Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians, Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
Desired degree modality:
Online
Medical school interest:
No
English as first language:
Yes
Homeschooled:
Yes

Career

  • Hospitality Support Staff

    Hospitality · Pine Valley Bible Conference Center

    Jan 2024 – Present

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Agriculture, Cryptocurrency, Skilled Trades, Wine and Spirits, Entrepreneurship
Dream career goals:
Endurance Sports
Work experience:
2 years
Has nursing license:
No
Leadership experience:
Yes

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
  • Entrepreneurship
Marcia Bick Scholarship
Motivated students from disadvantaged backgrounds deserve opportunities like this scholarship because we do not treat funding as a safety net; we treat it as high-yield capital. When you grow up understanding what it means to go without, you learn to calculate the exact value of every dollar and every hour of your time. My understanding of financial reality came sharply into focus during COVID. When my dad’s job was deemed non-essential, our family of eight was forced to rely on food stamps for five years. Living with that level of financial uncertainty didn’t break my drive—it turned me into a highly analytical person. I realized early on that escaping financial hardship requires a strict understanding of numbers, the discipline of delayed gratification, and the patience to strategically compound my money. I taught myself to manage my own investment portfolio, ensuring that every dollar I earn goes to work for my future. I apply that same quantitative discipline to overcoming obstacles in my education and athletics. To avoid the crushing student debt that traps so many young people, I accelerated my coursework and knocked out my high school diploma in just two years. Outside the classroom, I calculate my physical limits. At 13, I ran my first marathon, locking in a strict 8:08-per-mile pace to finish in 3:33:30 and get first in my age category. Just four days ago, I applied those same pacing metrics to win my age category at the 31.1-mile Noble Canyon 50K trail race, finishing in 7:27:51. Now, I am directing my drive and my aptitude for numbers into a stonemasonry apprenticeship. Masonry is a highly quantitative trade—success relies entirely on precise geometry, load calculations, and spatial reasoning. My long-term goal is to master this craft, build my own business, and employ others in my backcountry community. Disadvantaged students deserve scholarships because we already have the grit to do the day-to-day grind that nobody else wants to do. What we lack is the initial capital. This scholarship would cover any immediate out-of-pocket costs of starting my apprenticeship this week, while letting me save up for attending trade school debt-free. If you invest in my education, I have the discipline, the math, and the endurance to ensure it yields a massive return.
Bick Vocational/Trade School Scholarship
I learned early on that endurance is built one step at a time. At 13, I ran my first full marathon in 3:33:30, keeping an 8:08-per-mile pace. I took first place in my age group and crossed the finish line 38 minutes ahead of my nine-year-old brother, who I helped train. That mindset of keeping your head down and grinding forward is how I approach everything. I always knew I wanted to work with my hands, but my career choice is deeply intentional. During COVID, my dad’s job was deemed non-essential, forcing our family of eight onto food stamps for five years. That hardship completely shifted my perspective. I knew I needed a resilient career—one that can’t be eliminated by AI or shut down by the government. My real push came from my youth pastor, a stonemason and fellow ultramarathoner. Watching him build structures around my backcountry community with total integrity and grit made me realize that tradesmen are the backbone of our towns. He's watched me grow over the past few years and joyfully accepted to take me under his wing for an apprenticeship starting next week. My biggest obstacle has been going against the grain in a system that pushes everyone toward a four-year college and a mountain of student debt. To avoid that trap, I knocked out my high school diploma in two years. I apply that same grind to my physical goals, taking fourth in my age group at the 100-mile BWR California mountain bike race and, just 4 days ago, winning my age category at the 31.1-mile Noble Canyon 50K running race with a time of 7:27:51. My long-term athletic goal is to complete an Ironman. Surviving the exposed climbs of a mountain ultra takes the exact same day-to-day, unseen grind required to master a trade. Masonry isn't just a job for me; it's the foundation for my future. My ultimate goal is to start my own business and eventually hire others. To make that happen, I know I need to stay healthy, strong, and financially dialed in. I manage my own investment portfolio and intentionally keep my expenses as low as possible to take advantage of compound interest. My plan is to apprentice under my mentor to help save up and work my way through trade school completely debt-free. This scholarship would cover the immediate out-of-pocket costs for tools and gear so I can hit the job site fully equipped. I’m proud of the dirt and sweat on this journey. Whether it’s putting in miles on a trail or laying stone, the real work happens when nobody is watching. With your support, I’m ready to get to work.
Linda Kay Monroe Whelan Memorial Education Scholarship
A community’s impact is best measured by what people are willing to give up for each other. A year ago, I was racing my mountain bike in Escondido when I had a massive crash. I ended up on the dirt, dazed, with cactus needles all through one leg and a deep gash in the other that eventually needed staples. As I lay there, I watched several riders behind me pull over and quit their own races. They didn't know me, but they stood over me to form a human shield, protecting me from the wall of cyclists coming down the hill. That moment changed how I look at my community. I realized that real impact isn't measured by personal achievements, but by how much safer and stronger our community becomes because we were part of it. This idea of protection through service is why I spend my weekends doing trail maintenance and youth mentorship within the San Diego backcountry. In the rural areas where I live, these trails are lifelines, but they can be dangerous if they aren't looked after. I remember a local rider who was impaled by a chest-level branch on a fast downhill; he ended up in the hospital in critical condition. Now, my main goal as a volunteer is safety. I clear downed trees and overgrown brush because I know my friends and neighbors are out there riding fast. To me, clearing the backcountry isn't a chore. It is a way to make sure the people I care about actually make it home. I try to carry that same mindset into my work with the next generation. I volunteer with Ride Pine Flow, helping teach youth mountain bike classes alongside an instructor who used to be my own teacher. Moving from being the student to being the mentor showed me that leading isn't about giving orders; it's about being the example. I love watching younger kids find their confidence on the dirt when they know they have a safe environment to learn in. By investing in them, I’m helping keep our outdoor culture strong for the long haul. Service has shaped who I am at home, too. When I was thirteen, I finished my first marathon in 3:33, while my nine-year-old brother finished in 4:11. We wanted to celebrate, but the day turned into a lesson in real care instead. My mother was running her first marathon with us and suffered a major hip injury at mile eleven. Instead of focusing on our race times, my siblings and I spent the next few months taking care of her while she was in a wheelchair. Looking after her and my five younger siblings taught me that true leadership is being a pillar for others when they can’t stand up on their own. My goals after high school follow this same path of building things that last. I’m going into the masonry trade to apprentice under a local Master Mason, and I plan to enroll in a college-credited Construction Technology program to earn my Certificate of Achievement. I want to master a craft that provides stability for the community. Linda Kay Monroe Whelan spent her life as a teacher and public servant, showing that one person’s effort can make a place better every day. I want to follow that example as a craftsman who builds more than just walls. Whether I’m clearing a trail, coaching a kid, or laying a foundation, I want to be the kind of person who can look at the people behind me and say, "The path is clear—let’s do this hard thing together.
Electric Cycle Studio Student Athlete Scholarship
The internal clock in my head does not measure time in minutes; it measures it in miles and milestones. At hour seven of a solo, hundred-mile mountain bike ride through the San Diego backcountry, there is no cheering section and no coach to urge me forward. There is only the grit I have built within myself and the mathematical calculations of my remaining hydration and pace. This "long-game" mentality—the ability to focus on a distant finish line while executing each small, grueling step with precision—is what defines me as a student-athlete, a mentor, and a future master mason. My dedication to this lifestyle is rooted in academic discipline. While maintaining a 4.0 GPA through a year-round high school schedule, I have treated my training as a practical application of the classroom. I do not just ride; I apply physics to master the apex of a turn and use nutritional science to fuel my body for 35-mile races where I consistently podium in the adult men’s category. Growing up with limited resources meant I never had the luxury of expensive training equipment, so the mountain ranges became my laboratory. This environment taught me that ambition is not bought; it is built through resourcefulness and the willingness to work when no one is watching. However, the true value of endurance is realized when it is used to lift others up. The highlight of my athletic career was not my own 3:33 marathon finish at age thirteen; it was thirty-eight minutes later, when my nine-year-old brother crossed the finish line in 4:11. I spent months as his coach, balancing my own preparation with the intense mental and physical training required to help him find his own limits. I carry this spirit of collaborative leadership into my community today, whether I am volunteering to teach mountain bike classes for young children or providing communal stewardship by clearing overgrown trails with a chainsaw. I believe that a leader's job is to ensure the path is clear for those coming up behind them. This same commitment to a "job well done" is why I am pursuing a career in masonry. Much like an ultramarathon, masonry requires a unique blend of physical power and mental endurance. I have already secured an apprenticeship with a local master mason for after graduation, and I am currently washing dishes to fund my future. By investing my earnings into a dividend growth portfolio and practicing strict financial discipline, I am ensuring I enter trade school and my career entirely debt-free. This scholarship from Electric Cycle Studio will help me acquire the professional tools needed to launch my own masonry business. By investing in my education, you are supporting a student-athlete who understands that a foundation—whether it is a stone wall, a marathon training block, or a financial plan—is only as strong as the work you put into it before the world sees the finished product.
Scorenavigator Financial Literacy Scholarship
For the past six years, my family’s financial reality was defined by scarcity. Following the economic shifts of 2020, we relied on food stamps to navigate a world that felt increasingly expensive and unpredictable. In that environment, money is often viewed as a fleeting guest—something that arrives and immediately leaves to cover the bare essentials. However, two years ago, I witnessed a profound transformation in my household. It wasn’t a sudden windfall that changed our lives; it was a radical shift in literacy. I watched my parents trade passive entertainment for intentional study. They stopped looking at money as something to be feared or merely hoarded and started viewing it as a worker. They shifted from basic budgeting to aggressive asset acquisition, focusing on income-generating investments and long-term growth. This intentionality provided the first "margin" our family has ever known. For the first time, we weren't just surviving; we had the resources to invest in our passions. This financial shift literally fueled our family’s entry into competitive endurance sports, allowing my siblings and me to grow through the discipline of biking and running. Inspired by their "never too old to learn" mentality, I have applied that same rigor to my own life. While maintaining a 4.0 GPA, I have spent my high school years treating my part-time income not as spending money, but as seed capital. I currently invest 100% of my earned income into income-generating assets. I live only on the passive distributions those assets create, ensuring that I never spend my paycheck down to zero. By keeping my "foot on the gas pedal" now, I am building a foundation that most people don’t discover until decades later. My ambition is to enter the skilled trades, using manual labor as a high-octane fuel for my investment portfolio. I don't see a trade as just a job; I see it as a way to generate the capital necessary to build a system of total financial independence. My ultimate goal is to reach a level of stability where I can compete in an Ironman and, more importantly, have the liquidity to be a radical blessing to others in need. I am applying for this scholarship because I am graduating high school with a clear vision but minimal physical tools. I need the initial "seed capital" to acquire the high-quality tools required for my trade. By funding these essentials, this scholarship will allow me to enter the workforce debt-free and immediately begin the process of turning my trade income into a lifelong engine of growth. I have seen my family work their way off food stamps through the power of financial literacy; I intend to use that same power to ensure that I am always in a position to lead, build, and give.
Caleb Valles Student Profile | Bold.org