What led me to pursue a career in the automotive field? I guess I would say it stems from growing up around it. I was raised in the country and was always around tractors, farm equipment, construction equipment, semi trucks, etc. In all honesty, I got a bit tired of watching our equipment break and us not being able to fix it. If we couldn't fix it, we had to call somebody out who could, or it sat in the field forever, never to be worked again. So I pursued a career in the heavy duty diesel repair industry at WyoTech, with some welding, business management, and high performance engine building classes as well. I hope to graduate and become a well rounded mechanic who can fix anything from lawn mowers to giant pieces of machinery. I want to be a resource for any who need advice on their cars, especially my family and friends. I know a lot of people whose cars are their lifeline. It's the only way for them to pick up their kids from school, get to work, grab groceries, etc. When their car breaks down, it can be a huge source of stress. I hope I can gain the knowledge to be able to alleviate that, at least a little bit. I would say the biggest challenge I've had to overcome so far would be the culture shock coming to a trade school. As I mentioned earlier, I was raised in the country and I was also homeschooled. I was raised around a very certain kind of people, so when I came to WyoTech and was treated differently (not bad, just differently than I'm used to) it was a big shock. I've had to learn how to really figure out what people mean, instead of jumping to conclusions. I've also had to figure out how to convey what I'm trying to say in the correct way to different people. It sounds minor, but there's so many words that some may find perfectly fine, whereas others get offended. Like "buddy", to some that's a friendly name, to others, it's a belittling, demeaning word. Finding that patience and understanding to approach situations with different cultures of people has probably been the biggest challenge for me, but now I've overcome it and feel as if I can talk to almost anybody about almost anything, which is pretty cool. To any who may read this, thank you for your time, have a good day, and God bless!

The path that led me into automotive education probably had a few roads contributing to it. The first was definitely the movie Cars, I mean I grew up watching that over and over. The second was just being around trucks, tractors, and other equipment from a young age. I've had the opportunity to operate a vast array of different machinery including tractors, trucks, all sorts of construction equipment, cranes, forklifts, etc. Being in and around it so much gave me the desire to know how to repair all this different equipment. I ended up choosing WyoTech for my automotive education. I am currently in the medium/heavy duty diesel program, but will also be taking their High Performance Powertrains, Applied Service Management, and welding programs. I am close to 6 months in and am loving the program. To date, I have not missed a single minute of class and have perfect attendance. I highly value this education and the opportunities it may open up for me. In the future, I hope to own a custom fabrication/tuning shop on the side in addition to taking over and expanding our family business, which is propane delivery. While those are my dream goals, I may take some time to explore industries such as mining or forestry, two things which I find extremely fascinating. Whatever direction my career takes me, I will work hard and perform quality work. I will take my time in every task I do, while still operating efficiency. The end goal will to be able to live comfortably, provide for my family, and leave behind a life to be remembered. In addition to providing for my family, I want to be able to provide for the community too. Too often I see family and friends who don't have the money, or time to take their car to a legitimate auto shop. Because of this, their car either gets completely neglected or it's taken to an illegitimate mechanic who may scam them or make the problem worse. For many, a car is a connection to the rest of the world. It's the only way for some to get to and from work, pick up their kids from school, get groceries, etc. I want to be able to provide quality service at little to no cost to these folks I also look forward to one day, being that older fellow who can teach the younger generation. When I was learning to wrench on my own stuff, I had no direction, nobody to help me or give me any guidance. I spent countless hours, even days Googling and watching YouTube videos trying to figure things out on my own. I want to be that person that I never had to teach me. This scholarship would help me pursue all of these goals by relieving some financial burden. I struggle to make my tuition payments each 6 weeks, which makes it hard to completely dedicate myself to my education. To any who may read this, thank you for your time, have a good day, and God bless! The attached picture is from when I replaced the turbocharger and added an intercooler to my 1965 F250!

I am currently in trade school to become a diesel mechanic and have already obtained my Commercial Driver's License. I passed the test and got my license at the tail end of 2025 with Class A, Manual, Doubles and Triples, and Tanker endorsements. After I turn 21, I plan on getting my HAZMAT endorsement as well. I love driving and being around semi trucks. There's nothing quite like the sound of a Jake brake rolling (more accurately a compression release brake). It is extremely enjoyable for me to run through the gears of a semi, especially when I know the truck well and can float through them flawlessly. I plan to work on trucks for our family business, which would mainly be propane delivery trucks as well as Class 8 combination trucks. Having my CDL will allow me to be a better mechanic, as I can test drive the trucks and figure out exactly what's going on and verify my repairs. On the flip side, having my mechanic experience after school will allow me to be a better truck driver, as I will have a more intricate understanding of how the vehicle works, how to properly inspect it for a pre-trip, and how to properly maintain it. Someday, I look forward to being able to teach my kids and their kids how to drive semi trucks, I feel it will be an amazing experience. Even when I am no longer fit, I will be able to pour out my knowledge to others and make more safe drivers for the next generation. To conclude: I love trucks, driving them, and working on them. I plan to use my CDL throughout my entire life. To all who may read this, thank you for your time, have a good day, and God bless.

Before I begin, I'd like to offer my definition of what a DUI actually is. Driving Under the Influence is not simply driving drunk. It's driving under the influence of hardcore drugs, marijuana, or even a lack of sleep. Too many people think that being tired or high doesn't affect your driving or decision making, but it does. Spreading awareness over just the issue of sleep deprivation, I believe would reduce accidents quite drastically. The effects of DUIs: At the simplest level, you may have an accident where nobody is physically harmed. Say, a person driving under the influence crashes into a parked car and totals it. Even if no one was directly harmed, the effects of that crash may still be felt long after. For many, that parked car may have been their only way to get to work, their only way to pick up their kids from school, their only way to get groceries. Now, the person who owns that car must wait weeks, maybe months to get a new car or repair the old one, either option being incredibly stressful and an undeniable financial burden. At the second level, there's injury without death. Whether it be mental distress/trauma, or physical wounds. Some may walk away from a DUI incident with just some scrapes and bruises, while others may be rushed to the hospital and never be able to walk again. These severe injuries are nothing less than life altering. Those affected may have to go through dozens, or even hundreds of hours of physical therapy, may have multiple painful surgeries, or may never heal completely. At the third, and the worst level, you have death. In drunk driving crashes alone, over 11,500 people are killed every, single, year. Whether it be the driver, passengers, or occupants of another vehicle, DUIs rob tens of thousands of people every year of parents, children, siblings, friends, mentors. Precious life is lost over one bad decision. So, how can we prevent DUIs? I think a couple approaches may be practical. The first would be a more accessible, solid public transportation system with routes and stops near clubs, bars, and other party spots where intoxication is likely. The easiest way to travel home safely while under the influence is to have someone else drive you. Another control would be spreading awareness over DUIs coming from the influence of marijuana or sleep deprivation. The sleep issue is especially prevalent in the trucking industry. Having information and lessons readily available to these people, such as how to tell when you actually are tired, how to determine if you got enough sleep the night prior, etc, would reduce our accidents significantly. Penalizing dispatchers or bosses who promote unsafe driving or "crunch" just to "get the job done" I believe would also mitigate this issue. Breathalyzer interlock devices in cars is another great idea, however it can only be installed on former offender's vehicles. In the past these devices could easily be bypassed, but with modern technology, especially the advanced computers in cars, a completely secure, non-negotiable breathalyzer interlock device could be installed. The programming could be written into the manufacturer level of the ECM, similar to anti-theft. Lastly, I think the best control would be promoting and supporting police officers in known areas with frequent high intoxication. These officers are, I believe, the best at spotting intoxicated drivers and can catch them before they have the opportunity to make further bad choices. DUIs are a serious issue, often overlooked. To any reading, thank you for your time, have a good day, and God bless!

I'm applying for this scholarship to help fund my tuition or rent. I want to be a mechanic for a few reasons. The first is the great job opportunities, specifically in the diesel repair industry. That's why I decided to attend WyoTech. There's so many jobs out there that one, pay well and are very secure, but also genuinely impact people while also being incredibly cool. I want to be part of the industry that keeps the country turning, whether it be repairing over-the-road semi trucks, natural gas compressors, or agricultural equipment. Mechanics matter, a lot. I want to be a technician who matters to his industry a LOT. I plan to make an impact with not only hard work, but efficient and quality work too. I don't want to be someone who takes the easy route, costing other people (or even myself) thousands upon thousands of dollars. I will practice proper diagnostics, actually pinpointing the root of the issue, not just fixing the problem. I won't throw part after part at something until it fixes itself. Another way I plan to make an impact by being a quality technician is helping the community around me. Too often, I've seen someone who desperately needs work done on their vehicle which for many, is their only way to get to work to provide for their families, their only way to pick up their kids from school, their only way to go get groceries, but have been unable to afford the repair. I want to be able to use my knowledge and skillset to make those repairs and spare these people who are spread pretty thin as is, from having to spend thousands of dollars to have their car towed to a shop, then wait 2 weeks for it to be fixed and left with a huge bill. Furthermore, someday, I want to be that old fellow who has decades of knowledge up his sleeve. I want to be the teacher I wish I had when I was figuring everything out for myself, Googling and YouTubing problems until I could go out there and fumble something together. I want to be able to pass on my wisdom to the younger generation when I'm older and guide them through the more difficult jobs with a patient heart and calm voice. That's the end goal for me becoming an auto mechanic, to have the opportunity to share my knowledge instead of just hanging onto it. A candle loses nothing by lighting another. To any whom read this, thank you for your time, have an amazing day, and God bless, it's a good day, give thanks!

God has helped me by putting some of the absolute best people on this planet in my life. My father, my brother, my friends, my entire social circle throughout high school was nothing but people who built me up and brought me closer to God. I believe He put those people in my life for the conversations I've had with them. Conversations that may take hours and might seem like arguing at points, but eventually deliver truth and answers to the questions we had, while bringing us both closer to each other and God. My personal faith has helped me most with fortitude. Many times I stress about something, I don't see any way it can turn out well, or I feel the odds of something going wrong are through the roof. That's when I say a simple prayer, something to the effect of "Lord, be with me" and I truly believe that's carried me through some precarious situations. Just recently, I was driving home and found myself in a whiteout blizzard with drivers around me who didn't seem to care about the weather conditions. Multiple semis flew past me, I saw a car or two lose traction, a van was flipped over in the ditch (EMS was already there) but I made it out of the storm just fine. When I reflect on my faith, I think that story paints a pretty clear picture. I was in the storm, and God pulled me out. God has also helped me by not just giving me the things I want. He knows what I'm ready for and what I'm not and I believe he does a pretty good job of keeping out the things I'm not ready for, or shouldn't have period. How will my faith assist me in my career? It already has! Though I'm still in trade school and not out in the field yet, there's many temptations that I have to resist (with God's help) such as partying, drinking, smoking, hookups. I haven't tried any of these things because I know it's not what's right in the Lord's eyes. I'm not going to claim to be an amazing leader, but through faith I can be. I try to live a Christlike life which those around me can model and look up to. I help people, as Jesus did, because I believe it's right and it comes to me naturally. God is also certainly responsible for the good grades I get. For a scope of the future, I pray the Lord will assist me in my career by giving me wisdom. I pray He gives me the judgement to walk away from jobs or deals that are no good and the knowledge to complete the jobs that are good. I pray He gives me the patience for those tasks that just don't seem to have an end and I pray He guides me through the tasks that appear unachievable. To any who are reading this, thank you for reading, have a good day, and God bless!

The biggest driving factor for me to pursue a career in the automotive industry, specifically heavy diesel repair is the passion I have for it. I love trucks, cars, tractors, construction equipment, most things with an engine. From a young age I've loved them and loved working on them, Google and YouTube can only take you so far, however. I got tired of spending hours trying to figure out how to diagnose a certain problem, or just replacing parts until the condition went away. As a result, I decided to attend WyoTech where I'm studying medium/heavy duty diesel technologies and eventually High Performance Powertrains and Applied Service Management, as well as some welding. I want to become a real technician, not just someone who turns wrenches and wastes time and money until something is fixed. The lack of quality work or even work period in the automotive industry is something that drove me to pursue education in the trade, as well. Be the change you want to see in the world. I want to live by that saying the best I can. It seems harder and harder these days to find someone who will actually repair your vehicle or equipment without either messing it up further, or scamming you. I want to be the mechanic that I'd want working on my equipment. I want to be the technician who does the regular maintenance on a vehicle or piece of equipment so it runs longer, doesn't breakdown on the side of the road, and is more beneficial to whoever owns it. I want to be the technician who, if does have a big job to do, like rebuilding an engine, takes the time to do it properly and gets help if I'm unsure about something. I don't want to be the mechanic who lets their ego get in the way of them completing the job, in turn making the situation worse. I haven't had any big challenges in particular I've had to overcome, especially not medical. The closest thing would be learning to deal with the people at and around my school. I've developed to a point where I'm much more patient because I understand that everyone, good or bad has a reason they act the way they do. If I don't know that reason, there's no reason or justification for me to get upset with people. Part of overcoming that is getting better at teamwork. I realized I don't get our class projects done as quick if I'm trying to just focus on my things, rather than helping the people in my group get caught up and on the same page. At the same time, I discovered that I actually like helping people. It feels good to be able to share knowledge, even if it's not a huge amount. To anyone whom is reading this, thank you for your time, have a good day, and God bless!

I'm passionate about the automotive industry for a few varying reasons. To start: I love cars, I don't know where I got it from but I love working on them, driving them, or even just looking at them. There's few things more therapeutic or relaxing to me than spending a whole afternoon, maybe an evening working on one of my vehicles. If I fix the problem? Even more rewarding. My current project is a 1965 F250. It's slow, it's loud, it's old, but it's unmistakably me. I love seeing people turn their heads with a smile on their face when I roll through town in it. Second point. I don't put half-effort into my work. I take pride in not only my hard work, but my quality work, and my humility to admit if I don't know how to do something. I'd rather hang up my ego and ask for help with a task I'm unsure about, than to let pride cloud my thinking and stubbornly attempt to do a job that I don't know how. A skill I don't necessarily have completely yet, but am developing is proper diagnostics. Too many in the repair industry don't actually try to fix anything. They throw parts at a problem, sinking thousands of dollars and dozens of hours of time until it's fixed. I don't do that. I diagnose until I'm confident I've nailed down what the problem is. Fix the cause, not the problem. Furthermore, another reason I'm passionate about this industry is the hassle I've faced within it. My family runs a propane delivery business. Semi trucks are our lifeblood. We find it increasingly difficult to find a mechanic who actually fixes something right the first time, using quality parts, quality know-how, and not trying to scam us in the process. I want to be able to fill that gap by mastering the craft. I wish to be able to fix any of our equipment, maintain it better, and even modify it to better suit our needs. I wish to do all this to indirectly help grow our business. Lastly, I want to be skilled as a technician to help people outside of my family's business, too. There's been so many times a family member or a good friend has needed help with their car, but I couldn't give it to them. Not everyone can afford to spend thousands of dollars to take their car to a shop and wait days for it to be fixed. For some people, their car is their only way to get to work, pick up their kids from school, get groceries, etc. Just as our trucks are our lifeblood, a simple sedan can be someone's lifeblood to. I want to be able to help those people, even if it's of no personal gain of my own. There's few things less rewarding or gratifying than to be able to use your own experience to be able to help someone out who really needs it. Thank you for anyone who reads this and God bless.