I choose to pursue a career in trades because I feel that it was the right choice for my life and my future to come. I originally started to going to school for psychology mainly because that's what was expected of me and secondly I wanted to help people with through they're mental illness or life problems. As time passed in school I begin to notice that I did not have a true passion for psychology as I once did. It felt like I was pursuing that career for someone else and not me. So, I decided to take a gap year after finishing my AA. During my time off I begin to notice that I enjoyed working my hands a lot; when I was younger I did care for work where I had to build things. Now, that I had more time on my hands to figure out what I do and don't like, things started to become clear to me. The trade I choose to pursue is Electrical Applications/ Entry level Electrician. I choose this trade in particular because I've been interested in how electricity worked ever since I was young. During my time off I found myself doing projects that involved electrical work for example, I installed a sound system in my car by myself. With some trial and error I eventually got everything working properly. I enjoyed working with wire so much I decided to pursue my trade. It feels good doing something that I want to do on my own terms. Social causes that I care about is gun violence/gun control and police brutality. I support the right to "bear arms" but I feel that it should have some limitations on who is allowed to own a fire arm ; also I feel that it should not be easily accessible to attain a fire arm. In my first year in college I did a report on gun violence compared here in America to the rest of the world. The difference I found is that in other countries that the gun laws are more strict and that the citizens in other countries have to learn how to use a fire arm. In other countries for example, in japan they perform background checks, mental stability tests and then they will issue the licenses to own a fire arm. In countries with stricter gun laws they are far less gun violence and little to none mass shootings. Police brutality is something that hits close to home because I am a black man and we are taught from a young age that the police is not our friends. Over the past couple of years seeing the police shooting, beating and suffocating unarmed citizens to the point of death, when there was clearly no threat to them in all honesty makes me angry. The very people that supposed to protect from harm are the ones who are inflicted it. Then seeing the officers get paid leave while the department "investigate the incident" or the officer going on trial but not held accountable for what they have done make more me infuriated because of the lack of accountability. It feels like a slap in the face to us the people who are fed up with this corrupt system protecting the ones who are not protecting us. I care about these because there's an issue with safety and accountability in this country and the combination of the two is a breeding ground for chaos. If we do not fix these issues in this country then we will never be able to prosper.

The trade I am pursuing is Electrical Applications/Electrician. At first I was skeptical about choosing the trade route because I was dead set on going to a university to finish up my degree. Then I told myself this is the right career for me because everything feels right about what I’m doing. I started going to school for psychology. I took a gap year because I was burnt out. At that time I was juggling so many things in my life. I just needed sometime to give myself room to breathe and to think clearly. My gap year eventually turned into two years. During that time I noticed that my passion for the psychology was not strong as I thought it was so, I began to research other careers that I might enjoy. I never would of thought that I would land on a career that was hands on because the type of person I am. During my time off from school I noticed I enjoyed working with my hands very much. I especially enjoyed working on anything that was electrical related for example, I installed a sound system in my car and I had to learn how wire everything myself and make sure that I didn’t overload the system; which I did twice but failure is just grants another opportunity to succeed. I enjoyed every moment of it so, I began to into career that involved electrical work. At first I was looking to automotive electrical work but it doesn’t really get that specific. I would have needed to go to school to become a mechanic and I didn’t want to be a mechanic. Then I talked my girlfriend’s father because he is an electrical engineer. He is an inspector at an power systems company called IEM. I mentioned to him that I wanted to go to school for electrical applications. He told me that electrical applications is a great field to get into and he believe that I would enjoy it since I enjoyed working with electrical components already. As for who inspired me to go into my trade I would say myself honestly. I was searching for a career that would make me happy. I used to listen to what others thought I should do or what was best for me but this time I followed my own mind and it lead me here. I know that this i correct path for me because I am doing this for myself.