My name is Gareck White, and I am a senior at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, NH. The path I have chosen for my education is welding. I have been accepted to Manchester Community College's (MCC) Welding Technology Associate's Program. School has never been easy for me. I have dyslexia which caused me to stay back a year in the first grade. As a result of my dyslexia, I never liked to read, and I lost interest in school. My grandfather, who also has dyslexia inspired me and always told me I could do anything I put my mind to. He is a machinist and can do just about anything with his hands. Growing up we spent a lot of time together and he has taught me so much. I thought I wanted to become a line worker for Eversource and started taking electrician courses at Pinkerton. As I was doing this, my boss started teaching me welding. I instantly loved it and had a knack for it. It came pretty easy to me and I wanted to learn more. I bought a welder for my workshop at home and started practicing. Going into my senior year, I took the welding course at school which is pretty intense. My teacher went to MCC for welding and shared stories of what she learned and the jobs she has held. When MCC held its Open House, I attended and listened to the offering they had for the line worker training and then I went to talk to the welding staff. One of the teachers working at the open house took me to see the welding classrooms and lab. I knew this is what I wanted to do, and this is where I wanted to do it. I have since bought a second welder so I can become skilled in all three areas of welding. I have not decided exactly which specialty I am going to pursue yet. I am considering rig welding, but also like the idea of pipe welding or even bridge welding. Each of these jobs has its challenges but they are ones I am open to. One of the positive things about being dyslexic is I tend to be more creative in my thinking. I can see things others may not. So what I have found is that I can use welding to fabricate items. For example, I took old horseshoes that someone gave me and turned them into a 3-dimensional reindeer for my mom for Christmas. I also took some metal and turned it into a rose. I recently made a moose head wall hanging out of horseshoes. I am hoping to be able to continue to make these types of items to help me pay for college. And, when I am working as a welder, I plan to continue to fabricate items like these for fun. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship.

My name is Gareck White and I am a senior at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, NH. The path I have chosen for my education is welding. I have been accepted to Manchester Community College's (MCC) Welding Technology Associate's Program. School has never been easy for me. I have dyslexia which caused me to stay back a year in the first grade. As a result of my dyslexia, I never liked to read and I lost interest in school. I thought I wanted to become a line worker for Eversource and started taking electrician courses at Pinkerton. As I was doing this, my boss started teaching me welding. I instantly loved it and had a knack for it. It came pretty easy to me and I wanted to learn more. I bought a welder for my workshop at home and started practicing. Going into my senior year, I took the welding course at school which is pretty intense. My teacher went to MCC for welding and shared stories of what she learned and the jobs she has held. When MCC held its Open House, I attended and listened to the offering they had for the line worker training and then I went to talk to the welding staff. One of the teachers working the open house took me to see the welding classrooms and lab. I knew this is what I wanted to do and this is where I wanted to do it. I have since bought a second welder so I can become skilled in all three areas of welding. I have not decided exactly which specialty I am going to pursue yet. I am considering rig welding, but also like the idea of pipe welding or even bridge welding. Each of these jobs has its challenges but they are ones I am open to. One of the positive things about being dyslexic is I tend to be more creative in my thinking. I can see things others may not. So what I have found is that I can use welding to fabricate items. For example, I took old horseshoes that someone gave me and turned them into a 3-dimensional reindeer for my mom for Christmas. I also took some metal and turned it into a rose. I recently made a moose head wall hanging out of horseshoes. I am hoping to be able to continue to make these types of items to help me pay for college. And, when I am working as a welder, I plan to continue to fabricate items like these for fun. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship.

My name is Gareck White and I am a Senior at Pinkerton Academy. I plan on pursuing a career in welding. I knew that a traditional four-year college career was not for me and that I wanted to do something in the trades. I am good with my hands and have tried a number of things at school - woodworking, automotive, electrical, and finally welding. I thought I wanted to become a lineman and started taking electrical courses. I was picking courses for my senior year of high school and decided on taking the welding course as I thought it would be a great thing to know how to do. Once I started the class I fell in love with welding. Manchester Community College was holding an open house for high school seniors so I attended one last fall. I spoke with the team that ran the lineman program first. Then I met with the welding department team. I had a great conversation with the teacher working the table at the open house. He asked me if I wanted to see the welding classrooms, I said yes. It was amazing. I think it was at that moment that I decided this is what I want to do and I want to come here to do it. I have already been accepted to Manchester Community College's Associate's Program in Welding Technology. I really enjoy working with metal. I now have two welders at home that I practice with. I have started making decorations for my friends and family with horseshoes, scrap metal, and bike chains. I love creating things. I would also like to start my own mobile welding business as a side job. Being able to drive to those that need help would be very rewarding. My teacher went to MCC and she recommended the same to me. She said I was talented. She pushes me harder than the other kids to make me better, and I appreciate her for that. Because I am a senior, she is teaching me things the kids in the second-year welding class are doing so I can get as much experience and practice before I graduate. Because I am enrolled in the two-year program at MCC I will graduate with an Associate's Degree which I am really proud of. I am hoping this degree will help me get my foot in the door with companies. I have done a lot of research in different areas of welding and I am interested in becoming a pipe welder. My ultimate goal is to have my own welding business designing intricate metal pieces.

1. I am going to pursue the welding trade after high school graduation. I have already been accepted to Manchester Community College's Associate Program in Welding Technology. 2. I started welding about 2 years ago and I found that I really loved it. I have been practicing making different things with metal. I am good at it and have purchased two welders of my own so I can continue practicing. I am also taking a welding course in high school. In school, I am practicing mig, stick, and tig welding. I created a welding workshop in my basement and have started purchasing the tools needed for this trade. I have done a lot of research on what job opportunities are available with a welding degree and I am most interested in pipeline work. 3. I recently purchased a 1980s Miller gas-powered stick welder. It was not working when I purchased it. I tore it apart, rebuilt the motor, cleaned it all up, bought all new work leads, and installed a new battery. It now runs and works as it should. At Christmas, I used horseshoes to create a reindeer decoration. I have made flowers out of metal, and I used an old bike chain to create heart-shaped decorations for Valentine's day. I am currently in the process of creating a nightstand for my bedroom. 4. I have already applied and been accepted to Manchester Community College's Associate's Degree Welding Technology Program. I hope to find an apprenticeship opportunity for the summer after my first year at MCC. Once I graduate I plan on finding a pipeline position. I have already done some research and there is a pipe fitters union in Boston, MA which I can join. I also would like to do side work as a mobile welder. This is why I purchased the Miller gas welder to put on the back of my truck and start my own side business. 5. I would recommend my mom. She has been a huge supporter of my idea to become a welder. She knew I didn't want to go to a traditional 4-year college and helped me research other options. She came with me to the open house that the community college held this year and she pushed me to apply for the associate's program as opposed to just going to work after high school. I have dyslexia and she has always been my champion through school and made me feel that I could anything.