To me, recovery means the complete and intentional reconstruction of a life. It is not simply the absence of a substance; it is the presence of purpose, discipline, and service. When cancer ravaged my body and dropped my weight to 120 pounds, self-pity led me to depend on opiates to numb the pain. My true recovery began during a ten-month institutional rider program in Idaho. At sixty-nine years old, I made a definitive choice that the remaining chapters of my life would be defined by growth rather than defeat. I used that time to physically rebuild my body through exercise, clear my mind through treatment classes, and feed my intellect in the facility library. When I was released, I proved that recovery means hitting the ground running. Today, at seventy years old, recovery is reflected in my 3.86 GPA in the Automotive Technology program at SCC, passing my ASE A-6 certification exam on the first attempt, and devoting my weekends to providing free mechanical and electrical repairs for neighbors in financial distress. Recovery gave me back my focus and my integrity. It is the engine that drives my mission to launch a non-profit dealership, ensuring my remaining years are spent creating a safety net for my family and my community.

My path to the automotive trades has not been a straight line; it has been forged through severe personal adversity, a battle with addiction, and an eventual, complete transformation of my life. My struggle began when I was diagnosed with cancer. The illness ravaged my body, causing me to lose sixty pounds and dropping my weight down to a fragile 120 pounds. In the midst of severe physical pain and deep self-pity, I turned to prescribed opiates to numb the agony. What began as a medical necessity quickly spiraled into a dependency that eventually took over my life. I remained trapped in that cycle until I reached a breaking point. My turning point arrived when I was arrested in Idaho following an incident involving my daughter and my truck. I was subsequently sentenced to ten months in an institutional "rider" program in prison. The moment I entered that facility at sixty-nine years old, a sudden clarity hit me: I knew I had to completely alter the trajectory of my remaining years. Instead of surrendering to defeat, I treated my confinement as an opportunity for total rehabilitation. I dedicated every single day to reconstructing my body and mind. I threw myself into physical exercise, successfully gaining all my weight back and restoring my health. I completed every available treatment class, spent hours studying in the institution’s library, and maximized every minute of my sentence to ensure I would leave as a productive, sober man. When I was released, I hit the ground running. I immediately applied to college and enrolled full-time in the Automotive Technology program at Spokane Community College. Today, at seventy years old, I am in my third quarter and maintaining a proud 3.86 cumulative GPA. I recently completed my Advanced Automotive Electronics course with a 99.33% grade and passed the rigorous ASE A-6 certification exam on my very first attempt. Sobriety has given me back my focus, my energy, and a profound sense of purpose. I am now channeling my education directly into serving others. Throughout my recovery, I have placed advertisements on community platforms in Spokane Valley and Post Falls, offering free residential electrical troubleshooting and automotive repairs to single mothers, low-income families, and elderly neighbors who cannot afford professional shop rates. This summer, I single-handedly executed a total property renovation for a family friend to save her home from foreclosure, successfully convincing the trustees to freeze the sale. I funded this massive project entirely out of my own pocket, scraping together every single penny I could earn or find, and even using up the stored building materials I had spent five years saving to build my own future tiny home. In return, she is rewarding me with an equity position that I will utilize 100% to fund the launch of the Rise & Sun foundation. Despite my academic success and clear community impact, I face a severe financial bottleneck. Because I earned a business degree in 1983, I am legally locked out of traditional federal grants like Pell or Opportunity grants. My financial aid is strictly limited to basic student loans, which cover my tuition but leave me with just $400 this upcoming quarter to cover the immense cost of specialized tools and household expenses required for my upcoming A1 Engine Repair and A7 Heating and Air Conditioning courses. This scholarship is the missing piece that will bypass those grant restrictions and allow me to keep studying. By investing in my education, you are investing directly in a sober, driven technician who is completely dedicated to keeping his community moving forward.

Small Town Boy Lives A Legacy of Service in the Skilled Trades Growing up on a small farm, with a single hard working mother, I learned being poor doesn't define who you are. I also learned that when equipment breaks, you fix it yourself. Today, after decades of trade experience, my commitment to hard work and continuous learning remains unchanged. I refuse to sit idle. Instead, I am channeling 30+ years of construction experience into mastering automotive mechanics to build a lasting legacy of community service. The skilled trades form the essential backbone of daily life. My electrical career has been rewarding, but its true impact extends far beyond my livelihood. Currently, I monitor Nextdoor posts across Post Falls and Spokane Valley to find neighbors desperately searching for affordable repairs. I surprise them by performing residential fixes and automotive repairs completely free of charge. Giving back to those in need is what matters most to me. My academic performance reflects this dedication. I maintain a 3.86 GPA in my automotive program, earned a 3.9 in my rigorous A6 electrical course, and passed the ASE certification exam on my first attempt. Looking ahead, I completed advanced L3 hybrid and electric vehicle training with a 3.8 grade, immersing myself in three-phase power and high-voltage systems. I will sit for the official L3 certification exam as soon as I complete my required winter diagnostics coursework. These milestones are the building blocks for a self-funded nonprofit dealership, Rise and Sun Auto Sales, launching upon my graduation in spring 2027. Established in loving memory of my brother, Jerry Marvin Rise, this mission is deeply personal. Leveraging my dealership background, I will secure donations of lower-end trade-ins. Alongside a team of volunteer master technicians, we will refurbish and donate them to homeless individuals, families in need, and elderly citizens lacking reliable transportation. Furthermore, this organization will provide a stable bookkeeping career and income for my daughter, who navigates severe scoliosis while raising her two-year-old son. I will take zero personal profit; I am self-funding startup costs using capital earned by remodeling a distressed property over the last four months. While undergoing cancer treatment, I completely transformed a friend's foreclosing home through my own physical labor and savings. My life and plans directly embody the core values of G.R.I.T. Generosity drives my career shift to help the needy. Respect defines my view of craftsmanship and the inherent dignity of the individuals we serve. Innovation is defined by my presence in the classroom today, actively reinventing myself after beating cancer twice and mastering cutting-edge EV technology. Finally, teamwork is the heart of this venture, collaborating with local businesses, volunteer technicians, and my daughter to run an efficient, life-changing operation. This scholarship represents a vital bridge. Because I hold a business degree from 1983, I am locked out of traditional funding like Pell Grants or state aid, despite paying off past loans. Furthermore, though I generated equity in the Spokane Valley property, I funded all materials out of my personal savings and will not receive those funds until the house sells in summer 2027. I am currently incurring debt for tuition while scraping together funds for mandatory tools. This award will directly offset my educational expenses, allowing me to focus entirely on my winter coursework. Investing in my education is an investment in my family and the hundreds of neighbors our organization will serve through Rise and Sun Auto Sales in memory of my brother, Jerry Marvin Rise. With your support, I will turn a lifetime of trade experience into a testament to true grit.

The Endurance of Grit: A Legacy of Service in the Skilled Trades Growing up on a farm, with a single mother, I learned when equipment breaks, you fix it yourself. Today, after decades of trade experience, my commitment to hard work and continuous learning remains unchanged. I refuse to sit idle. Instead, I am channeling 30 years of construction experience into mastering automotive mechanics to build a lasting legacy of community service. The skilled trades form the essential backbone of daily life. My construction career has been rewarding, but its true impact extends far beyond my livelihood. Currently, I monitor Nextdoor posts across Post Falls and Spokane Valley to find neighbors desperately searching for affordable repairs. I surprise them by performing residential fixes and automotive repairs completely free of charge. Giving back to those in need is what matters most to me. My academic performance reflects this dedication. I maintain a 3.86 GPA in my automotive program, earned a 3.9 in my rigorous A6 electrical course, and passed the ASE certification exam on my first attempt. Looking ahead, I completed advanced L3 hybrid and electric vehicle training with a 3.8 grade, immersing myself in three-phase power and high-voltage systems. I will sit for the official L3 certification exam as soon as I complete my required winter diagnostics coursework. These milestones are the building blocks for a self-funded nonprofit dealership, Rise and Sun Auto Sales, launching upon my graduation in spring 2027. Established in loving memory of my brother, Jerry Marvin Rise, this mission is deeply personal. Leveraging my dealership background, I will secure donations of lower-end trade-ins. Alongside a team of volunteer master technicians, we will refurbish and donate them to homeless individuals, families in need, and elderly citizens lacking reliable transportation. Furthermore, this organization will provide a stable bookkeeping career and income for my daughter, who navigates severe scoliosis while raising her two-year-old son. I will take zero personal profit; I am self-funding startup costs using capital earned by remodeling a distressed property over the last four months. While undergoing cancer treatment, I completely transformed a friend's foreclosing home through my own physical labor and savings. My life and plans directly embody the core values of G.R.I.T. Generosity drives my career shift to help the needy. Respect defines my view of craftsmanship and the inherent dignity of the individuals we serve. Innovation is defined by my presence in the classroom today, actively reinventing myself after beating cancer twice and mastering cutting-edge EV technology. Finally, teamwork is the heart of this venture, collaborating with local businesses, volunteer technicians, and my daughter to run an efficient, life-changing operation. This scholarship represents a vital bridge. Because I hold a business degree from 1983, I am locked out of traditional funding like Pell Grants or state aid, despite paying off past loans. Furthermore, though I generated equity in the Spokane Valley property, I funded all materials out of my personal savings and will not receive those funds until the house sells in summer 2027. I am currently incurring debt for tuition while scraping together funds for mandatory tools. This award will directly offset my educational expenses, allowing me to focus entirely on my winter coursework. Investing in my education is an investment in my family and the hundreds of neighbors our organization will serve through Rise and Sun Auto Sales in memory of my brother, Jerry Marvin Rise. With your support, I will turn a lifetime of trade experience into a testament to true grit.

Lessons from Stanwood: How a Mother's Sacrifice Fueled a Lifetime of Service Growing up in Stanwood, Washington, during the early 1970s, my world changed overnight when my parents divorced. My mother was suddenly left to raise my brother and me entirely on her own. Both of my parents struggled with severe alcoholism, adding a heavy layer of chaos to our early childhood. However, following the split around 1969, my mother made a definitive choice to prioritize her children. For five years of junior high and high school, she carried the financial weight of our household by working three jobs simultaneously. It was a tough, grueling existence, but she persevered without complaint to ensure food was always on our table. Her relentless work ethic became the foundational blueprint for my own life. Witnessing her immense sacrifice, I knew I had to step up and ease her burden. At just thirteen years old, I began working seasonal summers picking strawberries, earning enough money to buy my own bicycle. By sixteen, I secured a job at a local grocery store, balancing physical labor with my high school studies before graduating in 1974. We were fortunate to live within walking distance of my schools, a small grace that kept our lives stable in a demanding time. My mother's determination taught me that true grit means doing whatever it takes to protect and provide for the people you love. That early exposure to back breaking, hard labor and survival forged my decades-long career in the skilled trades. I spent thirty years working in residential electrical wiring & construction, discovering that technical skills are the most direct way to solve real-world problems for people in distress. Today, at seventy years old, I am still running on the engine of my mother's work ethic. Instead of sitting idle in retirement, I am currently enrolled full-time in an automotive mechanics program, maintaining a 3.86 cumulative GPA, earning a 3.9 in my A6 electrical coursework, and passing my ASE exam on the first attempt. I have expanded my training into advanced L3 hybrid and electric vehicle systems, mastering three-phase power to stay on the cutting edge of the trade. I am accumulating this technical knowledge to serve others, just as my mother served our family. My immediate goal is to establish Rise and Sun Auto Sales, a self-funded nonprofit dealership, in memory of my brother, Jerry Marvin Rise, dedicated to refurbishing donated vehicles for homeless, elderly, and low-income individuals who lack reliable transportation. Furthermore, this venture will serve as a lifeline for my daughter, who battles severe scoliosis while raising her two-year-old son, by providing her with a stable bookkeeping career. I am entirely self-funding this launch using capital earned by physically remodeling a distressed home over the last four months—a massive project I undertook while simultaneously undergoing treatment for cancer. Beating cancer twice at age seventy has only solidified my mission. My mother gave everything she had to ensure my brother and I survived; I intend to use the life and talents I have left to ensure my community survives. This scholarship will directly offset the tuition debt and tool costs I am currently incurring due to being locked out of traditional grants. By investing in my education, you are directly investing in a legacy of resilience that began on the streets of Stanwood and will culminate in a life-changing safety net for families in need. Your support will help me prove that a mother’s hard work is never wasted, and true grit has no expiration date.

Lessons from Stanwood: How a Mother's Sacrifice Fueled a Lifetime of Service Growing up in Stanwood, Washington, during the early 1970s, my world changed overnight when my parents divorced. My mother was suddenly left to raise my brother and me entirely on her own. Both of my parents struggled with severe alcoholism, adding a heavy layer of chaos to our early childhood. However, following the split around 1969, my mother made a definitive choice to prioritize her children. For five years of junior high and high school, she carried the financial weight of our household by working three jobs simultaneously. It was a tough, grueling existence, but she persevered without complaint to ensure food was always on our table. Her relentless work ethic became the foundational blueprint for my own life. Witnessing her immense sacrifice, I knew I had to step up and ease her burden. At just thirteen years old, I began working seasonal summers picking strawberries, earning enough money to buy my own bicycle. By sixteen, I secured a job at a local grocery store, balancing physical labor with my high school studies before graduating in 1974. We were fortunate to live within walking distance of my schools, a small grace that kept our lives stable in a demanding time. Even though we were poor, my mother's determination taught me that true grit means doing whatever it takes to protect and provide for the people you love. That early exposure to hard labor and survival forged my decades-long career in the skilled trades. I spent thirty years working in residential electrical wiring & construction, discovering that technical skills are the most direct way to solve real-world problems for people in distress. Today, at seventy years old, I am still running on the engine of my mother's work ethic. Instead of sitting idle in retirement, I am currently enrolled full-time in an automotive mechanics program, maintaining a 3.86 cumulative GPA, earning a 3.9 in my A6 electrical coursework, and passing my ASE exam on the first attempt. I have expanded my training into advanced L3 hybrid and electric vehicle systems, mastering three-phase power to stay on the cutting edge of the trade. I am accumulating this technical knowledge to serve others, just as my mother served our family. My immediate goal is to establish Rise and Sun Auto Sales, a self-funded nonprofit dealership dedicated to refurbishing donated vehicles for homeless, elderly, and low-income individuals who lack reliable transportation. Furthermore, this venture will serve as a lifeline for my daughter, who battles severe scoliosis while raising her two-year-old son, by providing her with a stable bookkeeping career. I am entirely self-funding this launch using capital earned by physically remodeling a distressed home over the last four months—a massive project I undertook while simultaneously undergoing treatment for cancer. Beating cancer twice at age seventy has only solidified my mission. My mother gave everything she had to ensure my brother and I survived; I intend to use the life and talents I have left to ensure my community survives. This scholarship will directly offset the tuition debt and tool costs I am currently incurring due to being locked out of traditional grants. By investing in my education, you are directly investing in a legacy of resilience that began on the streets of Stanwood and will culminate in a life-changing safety net for families in need. Your support will help me prove that a mother’s hard work is never wasted, and true grit has no expiration date.

The Endurance of Grit: A Legacy of Service in the Skilled Trades Growing up on a farm, I learned that when equipment breaks, you fix it yourself. Today, after decades of trade experience, my commitment to hard work and continuous learning remains unchanged. I refuse to sit idle. Instead, I am channeling 30 years of construction experience into mastering automotive mechanics to build a lasting legacy of community service. The skilled trades form the essential backbone of daily life. My electrical career has been rewarding, but its true impact extends far beyond my livelihood. Currently, I monitor Nextdoor posts across Post Falls and Spokane Valley to find neighbors desperately searching for affordable repairs. I surprise them by performing residential fixes and automotive repairs completely free of charge. Giving back to those in need is what matters most to me. My academic performance reflects this dedication. I maintain a 3.86 GPA in my automotive program, earned a 3.9 in my rigorous A6 electrical course, and passed the ASE certification exam on my first attempt. Looking ahead, I completed advanced L3 hybrid and electric vehicle training with a 3.8 grade, immersing myself in three-phase power and high-voltage systems. I will sit for the official L3 certification exam as soon as I complete my required winter diagnostics coursework. These milestones are the building blocks for a self-funded nonprofit dealership, Rise and Sun Auto Sales, launching upon my graduation in spring 2027. Established in loving memory of my brother, Jerry Marvin Rise, this mission is deeply personal. Leveraging my dealership background, I will secure donations of lower-end trade-ins. Alongside a team of volunteer master technicians, we will refurbish and donate them to homeless individuals, families in need, and elderly citizens lacking reliable transportation. Furthermore, this organization will provide a stable bookkeeping career and income for my daughter, who navigates severe scoliosis while raising her two-year-old son. I will take zero personal profit; I am self-funding startup costs using capital earned by remodeling a distressed property over the last four months. While undergoing cancer treatment, I completely transformed a friend's foreclosing home through my own physical labor and savings. My life and plans directly embody the core values of G.R.I.T. Generosity drives my career shift to help the needy. Respect defines my view of craftsmanship and the inherent dignity of the individuals we serve. Innovation is defined by my presence in the classroom today, actively reinventing myself after beating cancer twice and mastering cutting-edge EV technology. Finally, teamwork is the heart of this venture, collaborating with local businesses, volunteer technicians, and my daughter to run an efficient, life-changing operation. This scholarship represents a vital bridge. Because I hold a business degree from 1983, I am locked out of traditional funding like Pell Grants or state aid, despite paying off past loans. Furthermore, though I generated equity in the Spokane Valley property, I funded all materials out of my personal savings and will not receive those funds until the house sells in summer 2027. I am currently incurring debt for tuition while scraping together funds for mandatory tools. This award will directly offset my educational expenses, allowing me to focus entirely on my winter coursework. Investing in my education is an investment in my family and the hundreds of neighbors our organization will serve through Rise and Sun Auto Sales in memory of my brother, Jerry Marvin Rise. With your support, I will turn a lifetime of trade experience into a testament to true grit.

The Endurance of Grit: A Legacy of Service in the Skilled Trades Growing up on a farm, I learned that when equipment breaks, you fix it yourself. Today, after decades of trade experience, my commitment to hard work and continuous learning remains unchanged. I refuse to sit idle. Instead, I am channeling 30 years of construction experience into mastering automotive mechanics to build a lasting legacy of community service. The skilled trades form the essential backbone of daily life. My electrical career has been rewarding, but its true impact extends far beyond my livelihood. Currently, I monitor Nextdoor posts across Post Falls and Spokane Valley to find neighbors desperately searching for affordable repairs. I surprise them by performing residential fixes and automotive repairs completely free of charge. Giving back to those in need is what matters most to me. My academic performance reflects this dedication. I maintain a 3.86 GPA in my automotive program, earned a 3.9 in my rigorous A6 electrical course, and passed the ASE certification exam on my first attempt. Looking ahead, I completed advanced L3 hybrid and electric vehicle training with a 3.8 grade, immersing myself in three-phase power and high-voltage systems. I will sit for the official L3 certification exam as soon as I complete my required winter diagnostics coursework. These milestones are the building blocks for a self-funded nonprofit dealership, Rise and Sun Auto Sales, launching upon my graduation in spring 2027. Established in loving memory of my brother, Jerry Marvin Rise, this mission is deeply personal. Leveraging my dealership background, I will secure donations of lower-end trade-ins. Alongside a team of volunteer master technicians, we will refurbish and donate them to homeless individuals, families in need, and elderly citizens lacking reliable transportation. Furthermore, this organization will provide a stable bookkeeping career and income for my daughter, who navigates severe scoliosis while raising her two-year-old son. I will take zero personal profit; I am self-funding startup costs using capital earned by remodeling a distressed property over the last four months. While undergoing cancer treatment, I completely transformed a friend's foreclosing home through my own physical labor and savings. My life and plans directly embody the core values of G.R.I.T. Generosity drives my career shift to help the needy. Respect defines my view of craftsmanship and the inherent dignity of the individuals we serve. Innovation is defined by my presence in the classroom today, actively reinventing myself after beating cancer twice and mastering cutting-edge EV technology. Finally, teamwork is the heart of this venture, collaborating with local businesses, volunteer technicians, and my daughter to run an efficient, life-changing operation. This scholarship represents a vital bridge. Because I hold a business degree from 1983, I am locked out of traditional funding like Pell Grants or state aid, despite paying off past loans. Furthermore, though I generated equity in the Spokane Valley property, I funded all materials out of my personal savings and will not receive those funds until the house sells in summer 2027. I am currently incurring debt for tuition while scraping together funds for mandatory tools. This award will directly offset my educational expenses, allowing me to focus entirely on my winter coursework. Investing in my education is an investment in my family and the hundreds of neighbors our organization will serve through Rise and Sun Auto Sales in memory of my brother, Jerry Marvin Rise. With your support, I will turn a lifetime of trade experience into a testament to true grit.

Growing up on a farm, I learned to rely on my own hands. Today, my commitment to hard work and continuous learning remains unchanged. I am channeling thirty years of residential electrical experience into mastering automotive mechanics to build a legacy of community service. The skilled trades form the backbone of daily life. Currently, I monitor Nextdoor posts across Post Falls and Spokane Valley to find neighbors desperately searching for affordable repairs, performing residential fixes and auto repairs completely free of charge. Giving back is what matters most. I maintain a 3.86 GPA in my automotive program, earned a 3.9 in my rigorous A6 course, and passed the ASE exam on my first attempt. I also completed advanced L3 hybrid and electric vehicle training with a 3.8 grade, immersing myself in three-phase power and high-voltage systems. These milestones are the building blocks for a self-funded nonprofit dealership, Rise and Sun Auto Sales, launching in spring 2027 in memory of my brother, Jerry Marvin Rise. We will refurbish donated trade-ins for homeless, needy, and elderly citizens. This organization will also provide a stable bookkeeping career for my daughter, who navigates severe scoliosis while raising her two-year-old son. I am self-funding startup costs using capital earned by remodeling a distressed property over four months while undergoing cancer treatment. My life embodies G.R.I.T. Generosity drives my career shift to help the needy. Respect defines my view of craftsmanship and the dignity of those we serve. Innovation is defined by my presence in the classroom, actively reinventing myself at age 70 after beating cancer twice and mastering cutting-edge EV technology. Teamwork is the heart of this venture, collaborating with businesses, volunteer technicians, and my daughter. Because I hold a business degree from 1983, I am locked out of federal or state grants. Though I generated equity in the Spokane Valley property, I funded all materials out of my savings and cannot access those funds until the house sells in summer 2027. I am currently incurring debt for tuition and mandatory tools. This award will directly offset my educational expenses. With your support, I will turn a lifetime of trade experience into a lasting testament to true grit.

The Endurance of Grit: A Legacy of Service in the Skilled Trades Growing up on a farm, I learned that when equipment breaks, you fix it yourself. Today, after decades of trade experience, my commitment to hard work and continuous learning remains unchanged. I refuse to sit idle. Instead, I am channeling 30 years of residential electrical experience into mastering automotive mechanics to build a lasting legacy of community service. The skilled trades form the essential backbone of daily life. My electrical career has been rewarding, but its true impact extends far beyond my livelihood. Currently, I monitor Nextdoor posts across Post Falls and Spokane Valley to find neighbors desperately searching for affordable repairs. I surprise them by performing residential fixes and automotive repairs completely free of charge. Giving back to those in need is what matters most to me. My academic performance reflects this dedication. I maintain a 3.86 GPA in my automotive program, earned a 3.9 in my rigorous A6 electrical course, and passed the ASE certification exam on my first attempt. Looking ahead, I completed advanced L3 hybrid and electric vehicle training with a 3.8 grade, immersing myself in three-phase power and high-voltage systems. I will sit for the official L3 certification exam as soon as I complete my required winter diagnostics coursework. These milestones are the building blocks for a self-funded nonprofit dealership, Rise and Sun Auto Sales, launching upon my graduation in spring 2027. Established in loving memory of my brother, Jerry Marvin Rise, this mission is deeply personal. Leveraging my dealership background, I will secure donations of lower-end trade-ins. Alongside a team of volunteer master technicians, we will refurbish and donate them to homeless individuals, families in need, and elderly citizens lacking reliable transportation. Furthermore, this organization will provide a stable bookkeeping career and income for my daughter, who navigates severe scoliosis while raising her two-year-old son. I will take zero personal profit; I am self-funding startup costs using capital earned by remodeling a distressed property over the last four months. While undergoing cancer treatment, I completely transformed a friend's foreclosing home through my own physical labor and savings. My life and plans directly embody the core values of G.R.I.T. Generosity drives my career shift to help the needy. Respect defines my view of craftsmanship and the inherent dignity of the individuals we serve. Innovation is defined by my presence in the classroom today, actively reinventing myself at age 70 after beating cancer twice and mastering cutting-edge EV technology. Finally, teamwork is the heart of this venture, collaborating with local businesses, volunteer technicians, and my daughter to run an efficient, life-changing operation. This scholarship represents a vital bridge. Because I hold a business degree from 1983, I am locked out of traditional funding like Pell Grants or state aid, despite paying off past loans. Furthermore, though I generated equity in the Spokane Valley property, I funded all materials out of my personal savings and will not receive those funds until the house sells in summer 2027. I am currently incurring debt for tuition while scraping together funds for mandatory tools. This award will directly offset my educational expenses, allowing me to focus entirely on my winter coursework. Investing in my education is an investment in my family and the hundreds of neighbors our organization will serve through Rise and Sun Auto Sales in memory of my brother, Jerry Marvin Rise. With your support, I will turn a lifetime of trade experience into a testament to true grit

Coming from a small-town farm, being a first-generation college student means carrying the pride, expectations, and unspoken dreams of my entire family into an entirely unfamiliar space. In my family, work was defined by sweat and survival, not college applications. I remember sitting on a stack of telephone books just to see over the steering wheel of our old Chevy hay truck, carefully navigating around scattered bales. On a farm, you learn that when equipment breaks, everything stops. I didn’t just want to operate the machinery; I wanted to understand and master it. Because no one in my family had ever navigated higher education, enrolling at Spokane Community College in the Automotive Electronics program meant stepping into the dark to blaze an entirely new trail toward excellence. Operating without a family blueprint requires an immense amount of personal resilience. Beating cancer twice anchored my focus and taught me the value of moving forward through adversity. Currently, my resilience is being tested as my family faces a steep emotional and financial hurdle: my daughter suffers from severe scoliosis and faces a major upcoming operation. Juggling the intense time allotment to care for her recovery while maintaining a 3.9 GPA and passing my ASE A6 certification exam demonstrates my absolute drive. As a first-generation student, failure is not an option; I am establishing a new standard of success for my children to witness, proving that we can excel under pressure. The obstacles of navigating this path alone became tangible when my storage unit was broken into during a period of medical treatment, and my Autel MaxiSys Pro diagnostic scanner was stolen. This theft created a steep financial challenge at a critical point in my training, but it ultimately crystallized my long-term vision. My dream upon graduation is to launch a nonprofit car dealership and foundation in honor of my brother, Jerry Rise. Leveraging my professional network, this foundation will acquire back-lot vehicles and trade-ins from local dealerships. By coordinating with volunteer mechanics who donate their time, we will fix these projects to give back to the poor, needy, homeless, and elderly in our community, passing along the tradition of helping others. Receiving the Marcia Bick Herman Scholarship would provide the critical lifelines needed to complete this journey. It will directly assist me in replacing my stolen scanner, purchasing necessary tools, and supplementing my limited income to save our home from foreclosure during my daughter's upcoming medical crisis. This scholarship is the bridge that ensures a small-town farm kid can turn unprecedented family adversity into community triumph, securing a legacy of growth that extends far beyond myself.

My path into automotive mechanics began on a farm at a very young age. Where I learned early, when equipment fails, work stops, and the ability to diagnose and repair it makes all the difference. I remember sitting on a stack of telephone books just to see over the steering wheel of our old Chevy hay truck, carefully navigating around scattered bales in the field. In those moments, I realized I didn’t just want to operate machines; I wanted to understand them & be able to fix them. That experience sparked a lasting drive to become someone capable of diagnosing and repairing the equipment others depend on. As a first-generation college student cutting a new path to excellence, I am pursuing that goal at Spokane Community College in the Automotive Technicians program. This educational path reflects a deep commitment to growth and resilience. Overcoming significant personal challenges, including beating cancer twice, has strengthened my focus and deepened my appreciation for meaningful, hands-on work. Currently, my family is facing another profound hurdle: my daughter suffers from severe scoliosis and faces an upcoming, major operation. Balancing the heavy time commitment and resources required to support her recovery alongside my intensive studies demands absolute focus and resilience, but it only reinforces my drive to succeed for my family. As modern vehicles become increasingly dependent on advanced electronics, I have chosen to specialize in diagnostics to position myself at the forefront of the industry. My dedication is reflected in my 3.9 GPA and passing my ASE A6 certification exam shortly after my first quarter. Summer quarter, I completed L3, EV's & Hybrids with a 3.8 gpa. These accomplishments demonstrate my ability to quickly adapt to complex electrical systems, including 3 phase in EV's, and apply my knowledge practically. While working toward this goal, I experienced a significant setback. During a period of medical treatment, my storage unit was broken into, and my Autel MaxiSys Pro scanner was stolen. Losing this critical equipment created a steep financial and professional challenge at a pivotal point in my training. However, it also solidified my ultimate ambition and need to find a way to replace it. Upon graduation, my ultimate goal is to launch a nonprofit foundation and car dealership in honor of my brother, Jerry Rise. Leveraging my professional network, this foundation will acquire back-lot vehicles and trade-ins from local dealership partners. I will use my advanced diagnostic expertise to repair these vehicles, coordinating with volunteer mechanics who donate their time to give back to the poor, needy, homeless, and elderly in our community. Receiving the Bick Vocational/Trade School Scholarship would provide essential support to replace my stolen scanner, purchase necessary tools, supplement my family's income, and offset housing expenses during my daughter's medical crisis. This investment will not only allow me to turn adversity into progress but will fuel a career defined by precision, problem-solving, and a profound lasting impact on my community.

Plugging into the Future: From Farm Machinery to Advanced Electronics My passion for automotive technology was forged in the dirt of our family farm, where a broken machine meant a dead stop to a long day's work. Long before I could legally drive, I was sitting on a stack of telephone books just to see over the steering wheel of our old Chevy hay truck, carefully navigating around scattered bales in the field. In those moments, I realized I didn’t just want to operate machines; I wanted to understand them. That experience sparked a lasting drive to become someone capable of diagnosing and repairing the equipment others depend on. Today, I am pursuing that goal at Spokane Community College, enrolled in the Automotive Electronics program. This path represents my second opportunity to strive for professional excellence. In my first career, I built a highly successful track record in sales, but later lost all of my assets due to a failed marriage and subsequent bankruptcy. Bouncing back strong from that devastating reset required deep resilience. Overcoming those significant personal and financial challenges has ultimately strengthened my focus and deepened my appreciation for the chance to rebuild through meaningful, hands-on work. As modern vehicles become increasingly dependent on advanced electronics and networked systems, I have chosen to specialize in diagnostics to position myself at the forefront of the industry. While my dedication to this new field is unwavering, my first quarter presented an immediate test of my resilience. Due to a four-week delay in my student loans, I was unable to secure my required textbooks and spent the first half of the term severely behind my peers. Despite this incredibly slow start, I refused to let a bureaucratic setback derail my goals. I worked twice as hard, ultimately bouncing back to finish the quarter with a 3.9 GPA and successfully passing my ASE A6 certification exam shortly thereafter. These accomplishments demonstrate not only academic success, but my proven ability to adapt rapidly to complex electrical systems and apply my knowledge under stressful, practical diagnostic situations. While working toward this goal, I experienced another significant setback. During a period of cancer treatment, my storage unit was broken into, and my Autel MaxiSys Pro scanner was stolen. Losing this piece of equipment created both a financial and professional challenge at a critical point in my training. However, this experience reinforced my determination to continue building my skills and replacing what was lost through persistence and hard work. Receiving the Autel Awarding Excellence Scholarship would provide essential support in that effort. Replacing this scanner is both necessary and incredibly urgent, as it will be a vital tool for my upcoming A8 Engine Performance class, which focuses heavily on advanced drivability and engine diagnostics. Autel diagnostic systems are widely used in modern automotive repair, and developing proficiency with this technology is critical to my goal of specializing in advanced vehicle electronics and network diagnostics. This scholarship would help replace a vital tool & allow me to continue developing the technical skills required in today’s industry. Ultimately, my long-term career goals stretch far beyond my own personal success. As an ASE Technician, I use my expertise to help the needy and the elderly who cannot afford reliable automotive care. I have already begun this mission by running advertisements on Nextdoor to offer low-cost or free repair assistance to those in financial distress. Receiving this scholarship will not only allow me to turn my own adversity into progress, but it will directly empower me to keep serving my community and moving forward with purpose in the automotive field.

Title: Returning to My Roots: Rebuilding a Future in Automotive Electronics Driving a farm hay truck at ten years old taught me how to work, but it also taught me how to survive. Growing up on a farm, if a piece of equipment broke down out in the field, we drove it back to the shop and fixed it ourselves. That early immersion in mechanical problem-solving gave me a deep respect for tools, greasy hands, and the grit it takes to keep machinery moving. Life eventually pulled me away from the farm and into a career in the sales industry. For years, I built a successful life there, but a sudden bankruptcy completely wiped out my assets. I lost everything and had to start over from scratch. When you lose your livelihood, you look deep inside at who you really are. I chose to go back to my roots and went back to school to become an ASE-certified mechanic. I enrolled at Spokane Community College in the Advanced Automotive Technology program, specifically focusing on advanced electronics. I knew that the skilled trades are the true backbone of our communities, and I wanted to be part of the force that keeps our world moving forward. Re-entering the classroom as an adult student brought unexpected hurdles right out of the gate in my first spring quarter. Due to delays in my student loans, I could not afford to buy my textbooks until four weeks after classes had already started. Falling a month behind at the very beginning of a highly technical curriculum was terrifying. Yet, instead of letting that financial barrier break my momentum, I used it to fuel a robust work ethic. I put my head down, outworked the disadvantage, and caught up. By the second half of the quarter, I earned a 100% on every single test and quiz. I finished that challenging first term with a 3.9 GPA and successfully passed my official ASE certification test. To me, that 3.9 isn’t just a grade. It is proof of my resilience and a badge of honor that shows I have the drive to proudly take up the tools and succeed in this industry, no matter what obstacles are thrown my way. I am continuing this relentless pace into my upcoming coursework. This summer quarter, I am diving straight into electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids, mastering the highly technical infrastructure of modern transportation. In the fall, I advance into motors, followed by engine performance and A8 electrical systems in the winter quarter. Through this journey, I have been reborn and given a profound new opportunity. My ultimate purpose in life now is to use my expertise to give back. Right now, I post ads on Nextdoor to find elderly neighbors and needy families who cannot afford steep shop rates, providing my mechanical labor completely free of charge. Reliable transportation is a lifeline, and no one should be stranded because they lack the funds for repairs. Once I graduate from SCC, my goal is to scale up and expand this service to reach even more people in need. Receiving the Brattican Scholarship would directly bridge the financial gap of my diagnostic equipment and tuition. Like the founders of Brattican who transitioned to trade school to build a powerful path forward, I am ready to put my skills to use. With your support, I will carry this relentless drive through SCC, using my trade to rebuild my life and serve those who need it most.

Driving Empathy Through Resilience and Service Empathy is not a theoretical concept; it is a tool forged through lived experience and active public service. Growing up on a small family farm north of Seattle, Washington, higher education was never part of the conversation. No one in my family had ever attended college, and my early life was defined by the daily realities of agricultural labor. This background instilled in me a deep work ethic but left me without a roadmap for college. My path to higher education was a journey of reinvention. Having built a career, lost everything through bankruptcy, and chosen to start completely over, my unique talent lies in my hard-earned resilience. I am using my second chance, combined with my training as an auto mechanic, to build a more empathetic global community. My perspective as a first-generation student who has faced financial ruin allows me to connect with people across socioeconomic boundaries. Bankruptcy strips away pride and forces you to understand the hidden struggles of others. When you lose everything, you stop judging people by circumstances and look at character. This lived empathy is something I brought into the classroom during my first quarter. Due to a loan delay, I could not afford textbooks when classes began and quickly fell six chapters behind. By mid-terms, the academic gap caught up to me, and I received a discouraging 70 on the first half of my mid-term exam. Instead of letting this setback defeat me, I kicked my determination into high gear. I leveraged the work ethic I learned on the farm, locked in my focus, and began earning perfect hundreds on every assignment, lab, and test that followed. I maintained that momentum through the final exam and passed my professional ASE certification exam. I ultimately transformed that rocky start into a 99.3 percent final grade, achieving a 3.9 GPA. These achievements prove to others in despair that failure is a comma, not a period. By sharing my story, I help dismantle the stigma surrounding financial failure, proving that it is always possible to rebuild. However, empathy requires action, and the best way to understand a community is to serve it. This is why I volunteer my automotive skills to support the most vulnerable individuals around me. For the elderly on fixed incomes or families facing deep financial need, a broken vehicle is a catastrophe that can lead to lost jobs or missed medical appointments. By offering to diagnose and fix vehicles for needy neighbors free of charge, I relieve an immense psychological and financial burden. This public service turns my academic journey into a tangible lifeline for others, ensuring that my education serves a purpose far greater than my own advancement. Ultimately, a more empathetic community is built when we bridge technical skills with human compassion. Financial support from the Harry & Mary Sheaffer Scholarship will allow me to continue focusing on my education while expanding my capacity to serve. As I advance in my career, I will use my tools and my story to advocate for vocational education, protect the vulnerable, and prove that community resilience is built one small act of service at a time.

Homelessness often begins not with a lack of ambition, but with a sudden, unmanageable expense like a broken car, a leaking roof, or an unexpected medical crisis. In a world where millions are just one financial emergency away from losing shelter, true global impact requires practical, empathetic solutions. My plan to create a better world centers on combating housing instability through the tangible, overlapping trades of auto mechanics and construction. By leveraging these hands-on skills for the public good, I aim to create a vital safety net for vulnerable populations. I believe that by securing a person’s transportation and stabilizing their living conditions, we can prevent the financial downward spiral that leads directly to homelessness. To maximize my impact, I hold myself to the highest standards of academic and technical excellence. I recently completed my spring quarter specializing in automotive electronics, achieving a 3.9 grade point average and successfully passing my ASE certification exam. This advanced training ensures that I possess the technical mastery required to diagnose and repair complex modern vehicle systems safely and efficiently. My specific community model involves purchasing affordable, used vehicles that have been cast aside. I utilize my electronics and mechanical training to restore them to excellent condition, flipping them to sell at a steep discount to elderly and needy individuals who desperately require reliable transportation. Beyond providing affordable vehicles, I actively address the prohibitive costs of commercial automotive labor for those who are struggling. When a vehicle’s electrical system fails or brakes wear out, standard garage rates can easily force a family to choose between transportation and rent. To combat this hidden driver of homelessness, I offer low-cost or completely free mechanical labor to individuals facing severe financial hardships. By volunteering my time to fix their primary mode of transportation, I ensure they can still get to work, retain their jobs, and maintain their income. Keeping a person mobile is a direct, preventative strike against economic displacement. In tandem with my automotive work, I leverage my construction skills to preserve existing housing for families at risk of displacement. Safe shelter requires ongoing maintenance, yet critical structural issues often go ignored when individuals must prioritize buying food. I volunteer my time to step directly into these gaps, addressing emergency plumbing leaks, faulty electrical wiring, and structural repairs. For an elderly homeowner on a fixed income, an unaddressed safety hazard can lead to city code violations or condemnation. By fixing these dangerous issues completely free of charge, I help vulnerable people remain safely, legally, and comfortably inside their own homes. While I dedicate my life to building stability for others, I am currently navigating a profound personal and financial challenge within my own home. My daughter suffers from severe scoliosis and is facing a major, necessary operation. This personal trial has deeply heightened my empathy for families facing unexpected crises. It reinforces my conviction that everyone deserves a supportive network when medical or financial hardships threaten to upend their lives. Receiving this scholarship serves a profound dual purpose, acting as a vital investment in both community service and family resilience. This financial support will alleviate the immediate burden of my tuition, allowing me to make funds available to care for my daughter during her critical surgery without forcing me to pause my education. Furthermore, it honors my 3.9 GPA and ASE credentials by empowering me to continue my mission. Ultimately, my career is about transforming skilled labor into human hope. With your investment, I will graduate equipped to build a more secure, compassionate world, one engine, one home repair, and one family at a time.

My path into automotive technology began on a farm, many years ago, where I learned early that when equipment fails, work stops, and the ability to diagnose and repair it makes all the difference. I remember sitting on a stack of telephone books just to see over the steering wheel of our old Chevy hay truck, carefully navigating around scattered bales in the field. In those moments, I realized I didn’t just want to operate machines; I wanted to understand them. That experience sparked a lasting drive to become someone capable of diagnosing and repairing the equipment others depend on. Today, I am pursuing that goal at Spokane Community College, enrolled in the Automotive Electronics program. This opportunity represents more than education, it reflects a commitment to growth, resilience, and mastering a rapidly evolving field. Overcoming significant personal challenges, being a 70 year old two time cancer survivor, has strengthened my focus and deepened my appreciation for the chance to pursue meaningful, hands-on work. As modern vehicles become increasingly dependent on advanced electronics and networked systems, I have chosen to specialize in diagnostics to position myself at the forefront of the industry. My dedication is reflected in my academic performance and professional progress. I completed my first quarter with a 3.9 GPA and successfully passed my ASE A6 Electronics Certification exam shortly thereafter. These accomplishments demonstrate not only academic success, but my ability to quickly adapt to complex electrical systems and apply my knowledge in practical diagnostic situations. I approach every class and lab with the mindset that each skill I develop is a step toward becoming a highly capable and dependable technician. While working toward this goal, I experienced a significant setback. During a period of medical treatment, my storage unit was broken into, and my Autel MaxiSys Pro scanner was stolen. Losing this piece of equipment created both a financial and professional challenge at a critical point in my training. However, this experience reinforced my determination to continue building my skills and replacing what was lost through persistence and hard work. Receiving the Deborah S Jackson New Horizons Scholarship would provide essential support in that effort. Diagnostic systems are widely used in modern automotive repair, and developing proficiency with this technology is critical to my goal of specializing in advanced vehicle electronics and network diagnostics. This scholarship would not only help replace a vital tool but also allow me to continue developing the technical skills required in today’s industry. I am committed to completing my training, expanding my expertise, and building a career defined by precision, problem-solving, and continuous growth. This opportunity would allow me to turn adversity into progress and continue moving forward with purpose in the automotive field.

My path into automotive technology began on a farm, where I learned early that when equipment fails, work stops, and the ability to diagnose and repair it makes all the difference. I remember sitting on a stack of telephone books just to see over the steering wheel of our old Chevy hay truck, carefully navigating around scattered bales in the field. In those moments, I realized I didn’t just want to operate machines; I wanted to understand them. That experience sparked a lasting drive to become someone capable of diagnosing and repairing the equipment others depend on. Today, I am pursuing that goal at Spokane Community College, enrolled in the Automotive Electronics program. This opportunity represents more than education, it reflects a commitment to growth, resilience, and mastering a rapidly evolving field. Overcoming significant personal challenges, being a two time cancer survivor, has strengthened my focus and deepened my appreciation for the chance to pursue meaningful, hands-on work. As modern vehicles become increasingly dependent on advanced electronics and networked systems, I have chosen to specialize in diagnostics to position myself at the forefront of the industry. My dedication is reflected in my academic performance and professional progress. I completed my first quarter with a 3.9 GPA and successfully passed my ASE A6 Certification exam shortly thereafter. These accomplishments demonstrate not only academic success, but my ability to quickly adapt to complex electrical systems and apply my knowledge in practical diagnostic situations. I approach every class and lab with the mindset that each skill I develop is a step toward becoming a highly capable and dependable technician. While working toward this goal, I experienced a significant setback. During a period of medical treatment, my storage unit was broken into, and my Autel MaxiSys Pro scanner was stolen. Losing this piece of equipment created both a financial and professional challenge at a critical point in my training. However, this experience reinforced my determination to continue building my skills and replacing what was lost through persistence and hard work. Receiving the WCEJ Thornton Foundation Tools Of The Trade Scholarship would provide essential support in that effort. Diagnostic systems are widely used in modern automotive repair, and developing proficiency with this technology is critical to my goal of specializing in advanced vehicle electronics and network diagnostics. This scholarship would not only help replace a vital tool but also allow me to continue developing the technical skills required in today’s industry. I am committed to completing my training, expanding my expertise, and building a career defined by precision, problem-solving, and continuous growth. This opportunity would allow me to turn adversity into progress and continue moving forward with purpose in the automotive field.

My path into automotive technology began on a farm, where I learned early that when equipment fails, work stops, and the ability to diagnose and repair it makes all the difference. I remember sitting on a stack of telephone books just to see over the steering wheel of our old Chevy hay truck, carefully navigating around scattered bales in the field. In those moments, I realized I didn’t just want to operate machines; I wanted to understand them. That experience sparked a lasting drive to become someone capable of diagnosing and repairing the equipment others depend on. Today, I am pursuing that goal at Spokane Community College, enrolled in the Automotive Technology program. This opportunity represents more than education, it reflects a commitment to growth, resilience, and mastering a rapidly evolving field. Overcoming significant personal challenges has strengthened my focus and deepened my appreciation for the chance to pursue meaningful, hands-on work. As modern vehicles become increasingly dependent on advanced electronics and networked systems, I have chosen to specialize in diagnostics to position myself at the forefront of the industry. My dedication is reflected in my academic performance and professional progress. I completed my first quarter with a 3.9 GPA and successfully passed my ASE A6 certification exam shortly thereafter. These accomplishments demonstrate not only academic success, but my ability to quickly adapt to complex electrical systems and apply my knowledge in practical diagnostic situations. I approach every class and lab with the mindset that each skill I develop is a step toward becoming a highly capable and dependable technician. While working toward this goal, I experienced a significant setback. During a period of cancer treatment, my Autel scan tool was stolen. Losing this piece of equipment created both a financial and professional challenge at a critical point in my training. However, this experience reinforced my determination to continue building my skills and replacing what was lost through persistence and hard work. Receiving the Rob Novak Memorial Scholarship would provide essential support in that effort. Diagnostic systems are widely used in modern automotive repair, and developing proficiency with this technology is critical to understanding vehicle diagnostics. This scholarship would help replace a vital tool & allow me to develop the technical skills required in today’s industry. I am committed to completing my training, expanding my expertise, and building a career defined by precision, problem-solving, and continuous growth. Thank You, Rob!