My name is Jaylen Grimes, I am a 12th Grader who graduates in the class of 2024 and I want to pursue a career in the trades. My main itinerary is to either have a career in the field of welding or as an electrician because those are the fields I am most interested in. I am open-minded so I don't mind learning about other fields in the trades. I chose these fields because I want to have a hands-on career. I first started to look at welding specifically my sophomore year of school, I did a dream career project and welding was my pick and I watched a video about a day in the life of a welder. Admittedly after my sophomore year, I forgot about welding, looked at law enforcement as another career path, and took a break from my interest in welding. Now in my last year, my senior year, I got back into it and I have enrolled in a welding class I have been taking since late January and have been learning the many processes of welding, but also learning the language of welding, like the lines of the alphabet, and welding positions. I've also been learning to read layouts and plans because this is one of the most important parts of welding since you can't weld if you don't know what you're supposed to be welding. I think my interest in the trades also comes from my Dad since he is a Diesel Mechanic for Koch and has been doing that for 5+ years seeing that hands-on approach compared to my mom's computer and social service job made me a lot more interested in the trades. I plan on making a difference by pushing the boundaries of the welding/trades industry with my out-of-the-box thinking and determination and pushing the limits of the industry to push us forward into a more efficient and world-defining industry. The world is advancing fast and I feel like the trades should also be moving just as fast with new and fresh ideas and with people who do the trades because they also love it and not just to pay the bills. The trades will be a much better industry if everyone chooses their field of work because they're excited to do the job and want to see it advance as far and efficiently as possible. I feel someone who has ambition and a drive to pursue that ambition would be great for this field while also being eager to learn about the past and history to look forward and see how the past can help improve the future for the trades. This is why I feel I'm a great fit for welding because I have that drive and ambition, I know that in anything I do I always put in 110% and always look for ways that may be more efficient but I don't mind taking the slow route because when you take the slow route you can learn more and learn to improve that slower route to make it more efficient and get to know and have a deep connection with whatever you may be investing in. Even if I don't get this scholarship I want to thank you for allowing me to tell you my story of why I want to pursue a career in this field and why I'll be a great addition to it. I will still pursue the career and try as hard as possible to get into the career path and make those changes for the better and try and advance the field that is near and dear to many people. The youth is the future but having that bridge in the trades and having the old ideas with new ones and improving with both is a step in the right direction. But this scholarship will help give me a huge boost forward and help my plans and aspirations in the trades, so I hope you see me as one of the two people who deserve the scholarship. Thank you for your time, it is very appreciated.