"You're the kind of student that makes me want to teach more." This is one of the best things to hear from a teacher. I've had three main influences that have shaped me into the man I am today. The first one, Mr. Mummery, laid down the foundation for everything I learned after him. Mr. Mummery taught me everything that I know about wood working, his most important lesson that he taught me was that a good wood worker is not determined by how straight he cuts, or how little nicks his finished project has, or how perfect his art is; but a good woodworker is determined by how well he can hide his mistakes in his art. I've since learned that he was not only talking about woodworking, this lesson also applies to everyday life. The second person who had motivated me to go far with my education is my old band director Mr. L. When I first immigrated into Texas I was just a scared little kid who didn't understand how these Texans worked. I ended up finding comfort in the band hall where Mr. L took me, and my trumpet, and showed me how to be great with it. Mr. L taught me that with practice comes mastery, and with mastery you can help others who are not as skilled as you yet. The final person who has shaped me into who I am is my Ag teacher Mr. Howard. Mr. Howard has taught me how to be a leader instead of a commander. He has taught me all the welding tricks I know and is guiding me while I'm getting my business started. You may be asking how do these three super awesome teachers have to do with motivating me to become successful? The common answer would be me saying that I'm going into teaching, but I do not have the skill set or patience to become a teacher. All three of these men wanted to see me succeed more than they did, they want to see me go further than them. I'm going to fulfill their goal, but I'm also going to pick up the same goal of teaching the future generations, through my business, all my role models taught me and whatever else I pick up along the way. I am doing this because my role models wanted me to succeed more then themselves, I want to be like my role models and take on students and teach them all I know and see them go far, I want to see them on the news and say to myself, "that's my student!" Pursuing further education is important to my goal because, with learning how to work on tractors, I can pass what I learn onto others so the others can go and do great things with that knowledge. With becoming a John Deere Tech I want to become a teacher to kids who want to learn more, and find out what my teachers were talking about when they find students who make teaching important again.

There are a few things that I really love doing, the main ones are making stuff, fixing stuff, cooking, and hanging out with some idiots I call friends. I think I'm the luckiest guy alive because I found a profession where I can do all four of those things. what is this magical profession you may ask. Well it is a John Deere Mechanic of course! I get to fix giant tractors which end up giving the farmers working equipment. I get to make jigs which make fixing tractors easier and more efficient so the farmers will get their tractor back sooner so they can continue providing for the community. Sometimes the farmers bring some of their harvest and share it with us so we can cook some good food at the community pick nicks. and finally I get to hang around other techs which know more than me and can teach, and they are just fun to hang around. But what about the long run, I can't be a John Deere tech for the rest of my life. Well, the current statistics for new people replacing old people in the trades is 2 new for every 5 old people leaving. These numbers are not looking good for our future. I have to fix this. First I start a welding business, from this business I take 20% of every job it ever has, this comes in later. I named this business J&J Services, next I grow J&J until I have become established and have a team of welders. Then I appoint a head welder to maintain and grow the welding branch. once that is done I go off and start another branch, probably a mechanics branch, then using what I learned while I was a John Deere tech put it into that branch then grow and establish it. Once the mechanics branch is established and has a good team I do what I did with the welding branch of appointing and leaving to grow another branch. I continue this process of growing, appointing, then leaving for another trade until J&J has every single trade under its belt. Do you remember those statistics and 20% mentioned earlier? It is finally coming into play, to fix the 2:5 ratio J&J will launch a campaign funded by that 20% where we give the community the opportunity to learn any trade they want. We do this by supplying the shop space, tools, materials, and teachers all they have to do is sign up, show up, and listen. All of this goal starts from the opportunity of becoming a John Deere Technician.

There I sit, watching a 10,000 degree arc ferociously fusing two pieces of metal together, slowly creating an intricate welding table. But how did I get to this point, what challenges and hardships brought me to this point, why would I choose such a "dirty" job? It all started 11 years ago when two brothers just finished their first shop table, they were so proud of that little work bench and wanted to brand it, so they wrote J&J right down the middle, for both our names started with J. Fast forward to now, where we are both welders and are still hungry to learn more skills. We've made our own business, it's named J&J Services. We plan on becoming a multi trade business, We will do this by first growing the welding branch then once we have a well established team we appoint one person to continue to grow and maintain the welding branch. Then I go off and start another branch, probably mechanics, then my brother will do the same with another trade. We continue this until we have all the trades established In J&J. We will also take 20% of every job J&J ever works and put it into a fund, this will come in later. Last I checked, the amount of new people replacing old people in the trades is 2 new for every 5 old people leaving. This means that all the trades are dying trades according to these numbers. As we all know, we need farmers and the trades to keep society running, well with these numbers going down the way they are I devised a business plan for J&J. Once J&J has all the trades under our belt, we will launch a campaign, that is funded from the 20% mentioned earlier, where we will supply shop space, tools, instructors, materials, and the lunches. All the participants just have to sign up, show up, and listen to the rules, then they will learn whatever trade they want to. My brother and I know that we cannot go full into our business out of high school. He is off welding for our uncle right now. But I plan to become a John Deere Technician through Western Equipment's Ag mech program. Then later implement what I learned into the J&J Mechanics branch. I have two major passions, the first one is working with my hands, then the second one is helping others. With J&J Services I can do both, and I get to do it with family so I am certain that we can go far with this goal.

Engines Roaring! Welders Buzzing! Lathes Turning! Hammers Slamming! Choices, choices, choices, why is it so hard to pick one trade. Well people typically say "the easy way out is the wrong way out" I beg to differ because in this case the easy choice is the best choice. What is this choice you may ask, well it's simple I'll just choose to learn all the trades. I already have two under my belt, how hard could another 70 be? The big question is how will I do this, that's even simpler then my choice to choose all trades. First I start a small welding business, I named this J&J Services. I will grow this business, get a team of welders and become well established. Then once I have a good trustworthy team I will appoint the one whom I trust the most to continue running and growing the welding branch. After I have done that I will go off and learn another trade, lets say roofing, then I will do the same as I did with the welding branch: grow, get a team, become established, and appoint a branch head. I repeat this until J&J has a foot in every trade. But we all know that I can't just go full into J&J especially when I'm in Texas where everyone and their drunk uncle knows how to weld. So I will first start off as a John Deere mechanic and will finish Western Equipment's Technician program in two years. I'm choosing to do my J&J plan because I love learning all that I can and implementing what I learned into all that I can. I'm also learning all the trades for goals that I have talked about in other essays that are showcased on my profile. I am choosing to become a John Deere technician because I learn how to read electrical schematics, get a deeper understanding of hydraulics and how they work, and finally because as a John Deere Tech, I get to be around massive, loud, powerful engines. I will be successful in both of my adventures because, firstly, I cannot sit in a desk all day without going insane. Secondly, I have a passion for learning all that I possibly can and spreading what I learned to all that I can, referencing my goal as mentioned earlier. Thirdly, I have a knack for anything I can do with my hands. Finally, because I have all my mentors and my family cheering me on and rooting for me to be successful and win the game that I'm playing. In my eyes success looks like, having a loving wife with beautiful children who carry good morals and are brought up in the word of God. Success is being surrounded by people you love and not having to worry about money, or food, or payments, but being able to take in the moment with a clear and clean mind. Success is having a job that you genuinely love and enjoy going to work. I will be successful because I have been brought up in the word of God, I have been taught good morals and how to be a gentlemen, and I cannot wait to learn to be a John Deere Tech and I cannot wait to build and grow J&J Services.

1. I have great goals for my future, a sub-goal to a goal of mine is to learn all the trades. I'm going to be doing this through my business J&J Services. Right now I'm just a small welding business, just barely kicking my feet. With J&J I plan to grow the welding branch of my business until I have an employee whom I trust to manage my shop and continue growing that branch, then I will go and start spreading my wings in another trade, say carpentry. I continue doing this throughout the span of 40 years and once I have all the trades under my belt I launch a campaign where I teach kids the trades, I speak in more detail about this plan on an essay that is showcased on my profile. But I know that I can't go full into my business straight out of high school, so first I'm going to become a John Deere Diesel Technician and work for Western Equipment. 2. I'm interested in becoming a John Deere Tech. because over the summer I applied for a internship, not really thinking anything of it, Western Equipment (WE) got back to me and set up an interview. Long story short, I got the internship and was totally flabbergasted with all the giant engines and tractors, I think I almost had to get a mop with how much I was drooling over everything. I'm pursuing this trade because over the summer I was inspired beyond measure. 3. A recent project I did, which I'm most proud of, is my county Ag. Mechanics entry, this was a 4x4 shop table. It wasn't any ordinary table it had a few bells whistles and gizmos. I put a welding rod holder in each corner so no matter the side I'm on I can grab a rod with ease. Secondly I crafted three electrical boxes, two of these each had 2 DFCI duplex receptacles, and the third had a welding plug, both types of receptacles each had a 20' cord that I could plug into a wall. I'm proud of this part most because I was able to learn basic electrical, which I had no idea on how to do before. A third part of the table that is not found on most are adjustable wheels, I made this by welding 1/2" all thread to a nut, and that nut was then welded on a plate, which I bolted the casters onto. This whole assembly was then threaded into a cap that I cut, drilled, then tapped. The floor in my shop is not level at all, with these adjustable wheels I can lift one corner making the table level. I also added a pipe holder made from 3" angle Iron, and clamp holders with 1/2" hot roll. 4. My plan for after high school is to go and do Western Equipment's Ag Tech program. I will be going to the Garden City Community College location to get an associates degree and become a certified John Deere Technician. Because of my internship at their Clovis location, and because of my hard work and ambition to learn more about tractors I was guaranteed a spot in the Ag Tech program and have been accepted to GCCC. I will be a John Deere Tech until J&J requires all my time, the goal is in 8 years, I will part from Western Equipment and go full into J&J. 5. It all really depends on which adult you ask. If you ask my current ag teachers Mr. Howard or Mr. Morris they will probably say something along the lines of how I'm a dedicated ambitious young man, and how with this financial support I can utilize it to help others down the road. After that they will probably go to talk about how I'm always trying my hardest to keep all of the Farwell FFA expectations to the highest standard and how I try to lead the younger classmates to follow my lead and try their hardest. However if you ask someone like my mom she will probably say the typical mom stuff with how I'm "sweet, and kind" and normal mom things to say. Lastly, if you ask my old band director Mr. L, He would probably tell you about how I gave learning the trumpet everything I had at the time, and how I came in every morning and tried to learn something new and master that horn. Then he would probably talk about how even though the band and everything to do with the Harrold band was looked down on, I still practiced and practiced, because I had a goal of inspiring music.

As I so foolishly said at an interview, "Well, I'm Jonah. and I like to work on things." I've since learned that is not what an interviewer wants to hear when they ask that question. Somehow I got the internship and I am thankful I did because without it, I would not have had the kick for the goals I've set in stone. So let me try that again. Hi I'm Jonah and I have big dreams, to get an understanding where I get these dreams you need to know what kind of people have taught me. There are three people who have inspired me, the first one is my old wood working teacher Mr. Mummery. Mr. Mummery is a kind and gentle man who, without his gentle guidance, I would not have even started the path I'm on. His goal in teaching me was to see me succeed and do more with my talent then he ever did. The second person is my old band director Mr. L. Mr. L was an erratic change in comparison to Mr. Mummery, Mr. L is an energetic, goofy, loving man. I went into the band hall every morning to practice my trumpet and spend time with the best teacher in Harrold, he took my ambition to learn my horn and sent it through the roof, teaching me skills that I had not even dreamed of. Mr. L wanted me to go further with that horn then he ever did. The third and final person who has given me so much inspiration is my current ag teacher, Mr. Howard. Mr. Howard is a man who, if a student has the slightest interest and work ethic, will teach that student more then they could imagine and take them further then he ever got. If you have not spotted the pattern yet, all three of these men wanted to see me go further then they ever did. My dream is to be like these men. I will do this through my business J&J Services right now I'm just a small welding business however, I plan to grow. My strategy will be to grow a team of welders and pick one whom I trust to manage and grow the welding branch of J&J while I go and start learning another trade to add to J&J. I will continue this process until I have every trade well established in J&J, during all of this I will be taking 20% of every job throughout J&J, this 20% will come in later. But as we both can guess, going 100% into my business straight out of high school is not going to work. So I plan on going to Western Equipment's Ag Tech program to become a John Deere Technician, I've gotten accepted to this program because of my willingness to learn over the summer during my internship and will be utilizing this opportunity to one day incorporate diesel tech into J&J. You may be asking how I'm going to make a positive impact on the world through my education or career choices. In 50 years, when I'm old and grey and once J&J has laid its roots in all the trades, I plan to launch a campaign where I take that 20% mentioned earlier and I supply the shop, equipment, materials, and teachers to where someone who wants to learn the trades can sign up and learn. Another reason I am doing is this because the current ratio for young people replacing old retiring people is 2:5 and if those numbers keep up all the trades are dying.

Zooming through town, I pass fabric stores, gas stations, grocery stores, even the police station. Faster and faster, my engine roars louder, all the sudden I'm being tailgated, sirens wail, lights flash and the cop yells over his speaker to pull over. If we pause this scene and ask, "What's all going on?" Obviously I'm in trouble, but a deeper look will take us down to the root of it, what's going on is the product of agriculture. M.S. Swaminathan once said “If agriculture goes wrong, nothing else will have a chance to go right.” Without someone to build and maintain the roads I would not have been able to be racing down them. Without someone who works the crops, fields, tends to the cattle, and supports the community, I would not have had the energy to race my truck through town and the cop would not have had the energy to have me call my parents then and there and give me a hefty ticket! Agriculture is essential to everyday life but how can I make a positive impact on my community? The current ratio of young people coming into the trades replacing (the older generation) old people leaving the trades is 2:5 according to https://resources.skillwork.com/skilled-trades-shortage-stats. We've all heard the term "dying trade." These numbers are a prime example of what "dying trades" are and what they can do. I plan to fix this by first starting a small welding business, J&J Services is what I named it. From this I will take 20% of every job J&J ever works and put it into a fund, this fund will come in later. I will grow the welding branch until I can trust one of my employees to become a manager and oversee and continue to grow the welding side of J&J. Then I move onto another trade, say carpentry. I rinse and repeat this operation of growing and setting a manager and moving to another trade. I will do this over the span of 40 years until I have every trade well established and have a toe in everything. After 45 years when I'm old and grey I will launch a campaign funded from that 20% mentioned earlier, where J&J supplies: shop space, tools, materials, instructions, and everything in between to where if an individual wants to learn any and all trades all they have to do is sign up, show up, and learn. My inspiration and motivation to do this comes from three people specifically. The first one is my old band Director Mr. L, without his lessons where I learned that if I want to become skilled at one thing I have to practice it endlessly. Secondly is my old Woodworking teacher Mr. Mummery, without Mr. Mummery's teachings to be patient and calm, I would have never been able to go through all the obstacles in life that I have. The third and final is my current ag teacher Mr. Howard, without his encouragement and pushing me to be better I would still be a kid without a dream. All three of these men wanted to see me succeed, they wanted me to go further then they ever did. I plan on doing that, but I plan on doing that by how they did it, I want to see each and every person who goes through my trade program to go off and have more success then J&J would have. I want to be the one who stands in the back telling himself with a smile on his face "That's my Student."

"Ew ... What's that smell" yelled one kid from across the band hall. It has happened to us all, we finish taking care of our livestock and you step in a big pile of crap! Hi, I'm Jonah Rose and I've been in the livestock part of the agriculture business for two years. My Ag. Journey started nine years ago. It didn't start as the traditional Texans journey starts, that's mainly because I wasn't a Texan when it started, I was a full blown hockey loving, snowball throwing, maple tree tapping Canadian. It all started In Valleyview Manitoba at the local 4-H club. Here I was mainly introduced to woodworking and a little bit about equine, that's where I learned how to saddle a horse and make a fine hot chocolate. While Learning Woodworking my Teacher, Mr. Mummery, taught me countless lessons that could be applied in both the shop and in everyday life. I still find myself today quoting Mr. Mummery's wise words of "Measure twick, cut once" and "A good woodworker isn't perfect in his work, he is smart and knows how to hide and fix his mistakes." Mr. Mummery's lessons were what really gave my Ag Journey the spark it needed. Fast forward seven years, when I've been a Texan for two years, my Ag Teacher, Mr. Howard, comes up to me and asks if I wanted to show a pig and told me that he thought it would be beneficial for me. Obviously, Me being the naive foolish young man I was, said yes without hesitation. Because I was not licensed yet, This is the part of my journey that my mom wasn't the most happy about. After my first year of showing I learned lessons like: be gentle with your pig, remain calm (even when your pig goes for your knees), never whip your pig out of anger, and most importantly become your pig's best friend. With these four important lessons going into my second year I was able to teach my little sister how to properly love, care, and walk her pig. Without blindly going headfirst into the pig business I would never have gotten the opportunity to lead my sister into such a fulfilling journey. I also wouldn't have been able to inspire the majority of the little 5th graders to pursue a journey that will teach them patience, discipline, respect, and showmanship. As my senior capstone, for lack of a better word, I've been able to apply all that I've learned in the past seven years regarding the Ag. Mechanics and condense it into one project. This capstone project was a 4'x4' Shop Welding Table, this table had spots to hold welding electrodes, spots to plug in grinders and welders, spots for hanging tools, saddling pipe, adjusting to become a level surface. I was only able to create such an intricate table because of the patience and creativity Mr. Mummery taught me, or the welding and craftsmanship Mr. Howard taught me. or the simi cool shop tables both of them had. As my Ag. Journey closes its high school chapter and the career chapter opens. My first steps are going to master the mechanics bit of the trades. After mechanics, I will be going full into my business where I will eventually launch a campaign that will provide shop space, materials, teachers, tools and everything needed to teach all who want to learn the trades and further their Agriculture journey.