“Green?! You want to work on green tractors?” my grandpa asked half joking, half serious. Farmers like my grandpa are loyal to their favorite equipment brand, sometimes for generations. My grandpa likes International Harvester red, not John Deere green. Whatever the color, farmers need their tractors to run right and depend on technicians to keep them operating. My name is Levi De Jong, and I live in Falcon, Colorado. I want to go into the trades and become a John Deere certified technician after high school. My family background in agriculture is extensive. On my father’s side, my great-grandfather Henry immigrated on his own from the Netherlands at age 17 and started with his faith and work ethic. On my mother’s side of the family, my great-great-grandfathers William and George also came from the Netherlands to Iowa to farm. One of those farms has been in the family for almost 60 years. My love for agriculture began at a young age visiting this farm in central Iowa. I have learned much from these visits such as long days, hard work, and how to work with heavy farm equipment. I’m excited to continue after high school in a profession that supports the farmers that have been in my family for generations. To achieve this goal, next fall I will enter the Ag Service Technician program at Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa. I will graduate from this program as a certified John Deere technician with an associate’s degree in two years. My education in this program will be essential to achieving my goal and will also guarantee a job after graduation. I recently graduated from a classical, Christian high school with a 3.7 GPA and 21 dual-enroll college credits. A classical education is about forming the whole person, not just transferring information. Through the classical Trivium—Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric—students learn how to think, reason, and communicate with clarity and conviction. This uniquely tailored academic experience has prepared me to enter any profession ready to excel and perform high quality work with character and integrity. In addition to studies, sports have been an important part of my high school experience with participation in basketball, baseball, and golf. Being a student athlete has taught me the importance of time management and establishing priorities. Leadership skills have developed as I became an upper-classman and assumed the role of team captain, learning to encourage younger players and set the tone for the team. Sports have also given me joy. My freshman year our basketball team played in the Colorado high school state basketball tournament, a great memory that will last a lifetime. I’ve just begun my fifth summer of running a self-employed lawn mowing business. I have learned much from my mowing business including how to manage money and equipment, while delivering great customer service. I truly enjoy the work I get to do because of the people I have met and the chance to work outside. In addition to studies, sports, and work, my time has also been spent volunteering through a program called the Isaiah Project at my school and church. The Isaiah Project has given me the opportunity to serve a variety of good causes that include assisted living facilities, Colorado Parks and Recreation and The Ronald McDonald House. I’m looking forward to the next stage of life after high school and beginning an education that will help achieve my goal of working in agriculture. Thank you to the Ryan Murray Red Canyon Scholarship Award for offering this scholarship to young people like me pursuing their goals.