My favorite song on the '1989' album is 'How You Get the Girl'. Like most of the album, this song also goes over the topic of on-and-off relationships. In this song, Swift is giving a step-by-step of how to win a girl over after leaving her. It's not a "perfect" love story or a treacherous breakup. It's about that bleak, hopeful middle. When someone has left us, but we still want them. We find them in everything we do and we remember all the pain they had caused us but we continue to hope we won't end things this way. Taylor even has some similar connections with this song in her newer and even older albums. Everything from 'This Love' to "Paper Rings'. Incorporating these shows the vast genres that this song covers. Depending on personal interpretation, it could be seen as upbeat, depressing or even demanding. People go through breakups completely differently. With the quick change in the song from third person to first person, we understand this is something from Taylor's life. Someone left her without explanation and she wishes for them back. The lyrics explain how she wants to go back in time to when the relationship was still good. Many people wish for that as well. She wants this person to acknowledge that they broke her heart, and then offer to fix the problem they've created. With her first line, "Stand there like a ghost shaking from the rain", she's referencing how rare it would be to find this person at her doorstep. What I like about this song is that it's realistic in a way. They didn't just magically get back together. He had to work for it and put his pride aside to admit his faults. Not many people can do that even if they want to mend the relationship. Many of the other songs are great, but I don't think they incorporate exactly what we want to hear as this one does. A week from then, you might not even want that person anymore. But when one person is all we know, we want them back more than anything. Which is why she ends the song with "That's how you got the girl". Insinuating that the person finally won her over after following the directions of the song. He learned from what he did wrong and found a way to prove that he would treat her right.

As the famous Henry Ford once said, "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal". Though I agree with this statement, there is so much more to challenges that are created to be overcome. As an athlete, I have faced many challenges that have shaped me as a person, as a friend, a leader, and an athlete. Through the challenges that I have faced, I learned how to adapt and overcome what faces me. The greatest challenge I have overcome in my four years of track and field is an injury that threatened my senior season. I have competed in both track and field as well as swimming during my years of high school. In January of 2023, I sustained an injury in my elbow and shoulder that abruptly ended my senior year of swimming. The injury did not heal by the time track started and I was unable to participate in the first eight weeks of track. Though this was a challenge, I did not let it stop me. I still showed up to practice and helped the other athletes with their technique and progressions. Even though I could not participate, I did not want to be left behind and alone. This injury took a serious toll on my mental health which still affects me sometimes to this day. But I could not let it take over me. I still wanted to participate and be part of the team. It was so important to me to still be a leader on the team even though I could not participate. Overcoming this challenge was a challenge in itself. I overcame this challenge by working with physical therapists to get my arm back in condition to compete. This took months and months of work to get back to the ability I was once before I got hurt. I am grateful to all the people that worked with me to get me where I am because it was not just me who had to put in the effort to overcome these challenges, but all of the people who wanted to see me succeed and who pushed both themselves and me to get me healthy and ready to compete again. I am grateful that I was still able to attend practice and do what I could to get back in the condition in order to compete for what was left of the season. Though there are so many challenges in the world, the real challenge is overcoming them.

Throughout my high school career, I have gone against the grain with what was considered "normal" for a student. My freshman year of high school, I entered the business department with an interest in owning my own farm and helping those in need with the food I produce. Through this interest, I found the Agriculture department where I learned how to diagnose and fix engines, weld, and learn basic construction, as well as many other things that would help me invest in my future as a farmer. In addition to the agriculture classes I took, I also took an Electricity and Electronics class where I learned basic wiring and electrical codes. Through these classes, I found a passion for metalworking and designing and building projects out of horseshoes. With these skillsets, I was blessed with Thaddeus Stevens' College of Technology being interested in me and my interests. They felt that with their program and job placement, I'd be a good fit for their programs and I would be a good ambassador for the school. With this opportunity, I will be the first person in my family to go to a trade school and end up in a job that my education prepared me for. You may be thinking, "Wow! That is a lot to process. Why would she do all of this?" Here is the answer to that question: It is all about my family. When my parents are older, I don't want them worrying about being able to pay for things with only what they saved up, where they would live where they would be taken care of, what they would do when they are no longer able to do their normal activities, etc. I made a promise to them that I will work hard as long as I can to be able to provide for them. In addition to caring for my parents, I want to get married and have a husband and children that I will be able to care for with my farm and passions for the farm, welding, and electrical work. My family is the most important thing in the world to me and every choice I make regarding my future is all about having my farm and being able to care for my family.

Everything about college excites me. I am thrilled to be taking classes that I have an interest in, meeting new people, continuing to play my sports at a more elite level, and having "the college experience". Amidst all of these exciting new challenges, other experiences and obstacles could distract me from maintaining a healthy mind, body, and soul. Health is the most important aspect of life. A famous quote from The 'Princess Bride' states, "If you haven't got your health, you haven't got anything at all". In college classes, homework, sports, and other group activities take a considerable amount of time and students often forget to take care of themselves while they are away from their homes and usual routine. There are many ways to maintain overall health while away at college and I have already started thinking about how I can take care of all aspects of my health. Classes are mentally invigorating and students need to have exceptional mind health to maintain grades and mental demands. There are many ways to take care of mental health such as taking supplements to promote brain function and limit brain fog. There are vitamins that one can take to maintain the health of the brain. Another way to maintain mental health is taking time for mindfulness and time away from school. Ways to do this are meditating, sitting outside, and taking a walk outside, among other activities that allow the mind to clear itself. I will be using mindfulness and sitting outside to keep my mind clear and healthy. In addition to this, reading books about the importance of mental health and other books that aren't exactly school books. It's very important to keep learning new things in addition to one's studies at school. A healthy mind affects the body as well. Bodily health is another aspect of health where students may struggle because athletes for example are expected to practice regardless of pain, injury, or burnout. Other students may struggle because they aren't getting the recommended amount of exercise and they feel unhealthy. To me, the most important aspect of bodily health is the use of a balanced diet. Everything can be healthy in moderation and food is important for a healthy body. A balanced diet is important to perform well in sports and more importantly, to feel good in one's body. Another important aspect of bodily health is getting the recommended amount of exercise. Doing this allows the body to feel good and it's good for the mind because it allows the student to feel accomplished. I believe the most important aspect of health is soul health. The soul affects attitude and the way a person acts is contagious to others. It is important to be positive and have an infectious laugh and personality that people want to be around. In college, it is important to be around people who fill the soul with joy and positivity because that negative energy can affect every other aspect of a student's health. Another way to support soul health is for students to do things that they enjoy. Many animal rescues need volunteers just to be around the animals and that is something that I believe would positively impact my soul health because it makes only me happy. In college, it is important to maintain all pillars of health.

Imagine a novel that changes the way people are perceived in the world. Throughout history, people have been misjudged, stereotyped, and treated unfairly for various and unjust reasons. However, through the sharing of stories and events, people can change their minds and realize that they have misjudged someone without proper evidence or understanding of their situation. There are novels all over the globe that have changed the way that people are perceived. Harper Lee's, "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a perfect example of an entire society realizing that they have misjudged an entire race of people for ultimately no reason. There are so many aspects of this novel that can speak to people who are facing many different walks of life. A major aspect of the novel is that it is told through the lens of a child. This perspective allows the reader the ability to learn and understand situations in sync with the narrator. In the novel, Harper Lee's character is about elementary school age who has no understanding of how the world works, but throughout the novel, she learns about how complex people are, the importance of kindness in a dark world, and that even when evidence is present the world is not always just or fair. The novel is groundbreaking in a way because the narrator is not omniscient, so the reader only understands or figures out a situation as the narrator is explaining it. Everyone should read this novel because it changes the way that people have the ability to think or understand situations that are far more complex than meets the eye. This novel does an excellent job of showing the complexities of the world through the eyes of a child, which allows the reader to evaluate new ways of thinking to create a better understanding of the world around them.

I have been an athlete since I was 10 years old and it took until my freshman year of high school to have a coach that impacted my life in a way that was not about my athleticism. I competed at Northern Swimming and Dive in PA for four years in addition to other sports such as track and field, softball, and soccer, among others. Through Northern Swimming and Dive, I met Coach Bill Resser. One of the most honorable, respectable, and selfless men I have ever met in my life. Just this past year, I learned that Coach Resser had not coached swimming before his high school career, which he has been doing for the last 23 years. He coached soccer for a couple of years before being approached by the first head coach of the Northern Swim and Dive team about coaching a swim team. Through Coach Resser, I have learned about being an effective and selfless leader. Every year, I excitedly ask him to tell me stories about his time at the United States Naval Academy. He is always hesitant to tell me anything because of how humble and respectful he is. But I always grasp onto every word he says and he has taught me many valuable lessons that I will carry on for the rest of my life. The end of my season brought some trials and difficulties. I had gotten injured with what I later learned was a shoulder impingement, bicep tendonitis, and an inflamed ligament in my elbow called a UCL. While our head coach was adamant that I swim through these injuries effectively making them worse, Coach Resser helped me create a plan that would allow me to finish my senior swimming season while still being able to keep myself mostly healthy for my next sports season. He personally worked with the trainers to develop a physical therapy program that would help me stay healthy enough to finish the season and helping me stay on task. In addition to doing all of this for me, he alone planned the biggest event of the year: The MidPenn Plunge. This meet is an enormous invitational with well over 300 swimmers competing over the course of two days. Each swimmer is allowed to compete in 2 individual events and 2 relay events. Throughout the season, Resser and I decided that the best way to end my season would be to compete in my best events: 200 medley relay (fly leg), 200 freestyle, 400 freestyle relay, and my best event 100 fly. As the time got closer to the meet, my injury was getting worse and worse. I stopped swimming completely for 2 weeks prior and was able to get back in the water just 4 days before. Before practice one day, I was sitting in the bleachers beside the pool just absolutely bawling when Coach Resser saw me and walked over to me. He told me that he noticed how much pressure I was putting on myself to do well in the meet and that my high school swimming career would not be diminished by this one event. He said that my legacy was more than what I am doing in the meet. He made me feel valued and cared for more than anyone else had. This is what I want to carry on for the rest of my life in his legacy. He helped me to feel the best I could and get the most out of my last time swimming. He shared so many values that I hodl very close to my heart.

Serving those around you and being involved in the community are ideals that I was raised with. In school, one thing we are taught is to be civically engaged. To be civically engaged, my swim team hosts an annual swim-a-mile, a bring-a-smile fundraiser in which we pick a local non-profit organization to pledge money and donate to in addition to swimming a continuous mile in the pool. The swim team has an inherent desire to serve the community, and as team captain this past year, I am very happy to have been a part of that. As the captain of the team, I felt that pledging money was not enough. I felt that it was important that the team also participate in volunteer work and community service, so on January 16th, the Northern Swim Team volunteered at New Hope Ministries in Dillsburg, PA. I also participate in many volunteer opportunities through my church. Over the holidays, we participate in Operation Christmas Child. This organization provides children with Christmas presents when their families may not be able to afford them, and through this, the children are able to learn the Word of God. Another organization my church works with is the Feed My Starving Children program, where boxes of food are donated to families in need. This year I helped box and prepare the food for shipment. Being engaged in my community and helping those in need is very important to me, but I also believe that one does not have to be impoverished to be in need. There are many children who are going through the school system with no idea of what they want to do when they grow up. Suddenly, they graduate and they still don't know, but what's worse is they don't have any skills to go into adulthood with. This was a predicament that I thought I would be faced with, then by a miracle, I found welding and with that, a passion for teaching. Using these gifts, it is my ultimate goal to become a welder and do that for about 10-15 years while continuing my education to become a teacher. Once I finish that degree, I would like to teach TechEd to students who feel as if they don't have any skills or don't know where they want to go next in life. Because I feel that no kid deserves to go through life feeling like they aren't good at something. My goal is to help students avoid college debt and dread by exposing them to trades or hobbies that they feel passionate about and that they can carry with them for the rest of their lives. My whole life I have been taught that it's not about what you take with you when you go, but what you leave behind. At the end of the day, people don't remember what you said to them, but they will always remember how you made them feel. It is my calling to live my life through service to others, no matter what that looks like.

I will be honest and say that from the day I was born, I have always been unapologetically myself. I am the way I am and for whatever reason, though I may be a little odd, I am confident in the person I am. As a girl from a small town, I have some "odd" interests such as becoming a fabricator and a welder. I enjoy making crosses for my church and others that are interested in old horseshoes. For months, I have been driving all over town to find horseshoes that will one day become a work of art. Some other things that set me apart are my taste in socks; I wear these loud and colorful weird animal print socks. I have flying pig socks, cow print socks, and guinea pig socks, you get the picture, I have some fun socks. The biggest thing that sets me apart from others is that I won't change myself for anyone. If someone thinks I am too weird to be around, that is their problem and there are a lot of other people out there, they're just not me! As my mom always says, "I'm a good time!" No matter the trend that's happening or things that seemingly everyone is interested in, I am just off doing my own thing. I have more fun that way because I know why I like the things I like and it isn't because everyone else likes or does that thing. I am just happy being me, and I can't say that a lot of people my age feel that way anymore. Through my interests and my faith, impacting my community is something that over the years has become increasingly more important to me. One of my favorite things to do is volunteer through my church. This year, I am doing a new volunteer opportunity called Feed My Starving Children, where I will pack and help ship boxes of food to children in need across the country. In addition to helping my community through volunteering, I am attending Thaddeus Stevens' College of Technology to obtain an Associate's Degree in Metal Fabrication and Welding Technology. After working in the field for some time, I would like to switch to teaching TechEd and help students find their passions in the trades. Talking to my peers that are graduating this year, I have come to the conclusion that many of them are only going to college because they don't know what else to do. It is my hope for the potential students in my community, to find something they're passionate about and are willing to pursue in the future. I will be happy if that thing is college and I will be happy if that thing is something else. Passion is the driving force that keeps people where they are, or pushes them foward.

Community service is something that no matter where I have been, has been something very important to those who brought me up. In my church, every year, we do community service for the Feed My Starving Children Organization. This organization receives both monetary and food donations to feed children who are in a situation where they may not know where their next meal comes from. The first time I heard this, it broke my heart, because I knew that God's children should be treated better than that. Because of my parents, I know how fortunate I am to have most of the things I do in my life, and that others aren't nearly as fortunate as I am. Through my fortune in life, I am constantly seeking ways to serve those in my community. So, in April, I will be packing boxes and sorting food for those children. Using monetary donations, the organization purchases food and distributes them to the children. Another service that is important to me is Operation Christmas Child, which is usually done around Christmas time. Through this charity that I work with, donators fill shoeboxes with childrens toys and they are distributed throughout the country and the world to lesser fortunate children. In addition to this, they also have the option to participate in learning about the word of Jesus. This makes me happy because once they feel blessed, they will want to pass that blessing on to others. I participate in this charity every year and it always makes me feel so happy inside. This past year, I was captain of the Northern Swim and Dive Team. Each year we do a swim-a-mile, bring-a-smile fundraiser where we get local businesses as well as friends/family to pledge money for another local non-profit organization. The 2023 beneficiary was New Hope Ministries, which is local to my hometown as well as Central PA. The swimmers are to complete a continuous mile in the pool, which is 66 laps. I felt this year that it would also be appropriate that the team to volunteer at the organization we fundraised for. I spearheaded the mission to volunteer for New Hope Ministries. While there, the team helped to restock the food pantry, clean the floors, and clean the kitchens as well as the outside area. I believe that the team and I felt the importance of caring for our community. Because the people that New Hope Ministries often serves would be people that we know or go to school with. I can't stress enough the importance of living life through service to others. Those of us who do often have more than plenty to live off of, but the way we treat and serve others will be how we are remembered. I will end with this: as Muhammad Ali once said, "Service to others is the price we pay for our room here on Earth". I couldn't agree with him more.

This scholarship will help me pursue my future career goals by allowing me to go to school with minimal debt so that I can start my life debt-free. I plan to attend Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology to obtain an Associate's Degree in Metal Fabrication and Welding Technology. Through scholarships, I will have an easier time paying for school, books, and room and board. Another long-term future goal of mine is to become a TechEd teacher to teach other kids about the world of trades. Many students don't learn about all of the possible job opportunities in life, or they go to college without a plan in place for their future. Because of scholarships, I will be able to pursue my dreams of being in a trade, working in the field of my studies, then be able to teach kids hands-on skills that they will use for the rest of their lives. Through this scholarship, you are helping me prepare the next generation of tradesmen and women of the world. I will learn skills that I will be able to use for the rest of my life. I will be able to learn hands-on skills as well as industry secrets that can be taught to others. Through Taddeus Stevens, I will gain an education that will always benefit me and I will be guaranteed to get a job in the field that I picked. Because of the scholarships, I will be able to come out of school with less debt and be able to make big purchases such as a house sooner. Another long-term goal of mine is to purchase farmland and teach people the importance of Pennsylvania agriculture. Without scholarships to Thaddeus Stevens, I would not be able to make these purchases without going into crushing debt. At Thaddeus Stevens, I will also be able to continue competing in track and field. I will be able to continue to make friends and get to compete in the sport I love. In addition to more affordable education, a jumpstart to my career, and the ability to compete in my sports, scholarships help me to become a better writer and also become better at writing resumes. Resumes and writing are very important in the job world. In order to be able to apply for jobs and even get jobs, you have to be able to write and explain yourself well. I appreciate how many scholarships are on this site because it will help me jumpstart my career of being a fabricator and welder.

Feminism is the belief that women are just as capable as men at certain tasks It is more than just equal pay and equal rights, it is the fact that women shouldn't be treated differently because they are women. As a woman, I just want to be treated with respect and be judged based on my merit, not my gender. Feminism is important because there are so many girls out there who believe they can't do things because they're girls. I take shop classes at my school and more often than not, I am the only girl there. Girls are afraid of big machines and things that could potentially be dangerous, but they could also be afraid of being harassed and annoyed by the boys. There is probably the fear that the boys will be mean to them or they won't get the same amount out of the class as the boys. One girl in my class, in particular, is afraid of all of the machines in our shop and does not do anything herself. It is almost annoying because it gives me the fear that the teacher or the other guys in my class won't trust me to do anything myself. Someone who has impacted my view on feminism is my mom because she is there to guide me while I am carving my own path. Every woman in my family before me has worked traditional jobs such as being teachers, nurses, or stay-at-home moms. Those are respectable careers, but they are not what I want for my life, and I am so grateful to my mom for letting me choose my own path and becoming a completely different person from those before me. Contributing to the feminist movement in life is simply leading by example. I can show other women that they are capable of doing anything they want with their careers. It is important that no matter what they want to do, as women we have to be supportive of what other girls want to do with their lives. Leading by example, I can lead women to succeed in life, careers, and character. It is important as feminists to show other women that character counts and that they have to be willing to work on themselves to be successful. There are important qualities in women that need to be shown to other women to improve all of us as a whole. We need to be teaching other women confidence, intelligence, and strength. Teaching this to other women and leading by example will make all women better and strengthen feminism as a whole.

Generational wealth is assets and traditions passed down from generation to generation through family members. My family has many things that will be passed down to me such as our traditions, family recipes, and cast iron skillets. In the future to achieve generational wealth, I would like to buy a working farm that I can pass down to my descendants. Though there is money in that, more importantly, they will be taught hard work, dedication, and the importance of being in nature, and they will know how to run a farm when I am no longer there to run the farm with them. I plan to become a metal fabricator and a welder, this way I can make money, but more importantly, save money so that I can buy my farm. I would like to buy this farm in the Lancaster area where I'll be working. Though I will have a farm, I will continue to work to save money to save for my descendants. I want my children to be able to have the farm and the money to be able to go to college without worrying about debt. The most important generational wealth that my family and I can pass down, is the importance of character. No one will ever get what they want out of life when they lack a quality character. Through my family, I learned the importance of family loyalty. A family is a unit more important than anything. My family went through some very rough times years ago, and through these times, we learned that we have only one another, and that is all we need. This is something that I would like to pass on to my future family someday so that they know that they can always trust their parents and they also know that I will always be there to protect them. Another important thing that I would like to pass down as generational wealth is the importance of traditions and family morals. I feel that today most kids aren't learning the morals of their parents or they just don't care about them, so they act out in school or at home and cause trouble. I want my kids to be able to succeed in life through their character and their morals. My children will be raised to be good people and care about those around them. Generational wealth is not only about money, it is about the skills that are left to your children so that they are able to succeed for themselves and passed down what they learned to their children, in that way, both you and your family make the world a better place.

Being a coach, you have to have the goal of winning as well as maintaining the team as a whole. The head coach of the Northern Swim and Dive team had these qualities in addition to one of the most important qualities: caring about the members of the team. Coach Resser is one of the most important and influential men that I have ever met in my life. No single person has affected me in the way that he has. In February, a couple of weeks before our biggest meet of the season, I came down with Tendonitis in my bicep, which pulled me out of the pool for the rest of the season. Though he was planning the meet and helping my teammates practice, he still made time to take care of me and make sure that I was doing what I needed to do to get better. As the days counted down until the meet, I was able to get in the pool for a little bit and swim with my teammates, it came time to decide what I would swim at the meet. I decided that I would swim the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard butterfly. After hearing this decision, my coach decided to pull me aside and have one of the most heartfelt conversations I've had in my whole life. We always conduct our meetings as if they were business meetings. He told me that he noticed that I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to do well in the meet because that is how I felt that my worth to the team would be determined. He also told me that as the captain and as a leader, I impacted the team in ways I would never know. He told me that I need to trust myself and my team and that in the 4 years, I have been on the team and the one year that I served as captain, I made an impact on the team that will have a lasting legacy. Because my lasting legacy is more than just my fastest times. The most important quality of his swimmers that he focuses on is their character. It is in the Northern Swim and Dive Creed, "Excellence in Academics, Athletics, and Character". Through my years on the Northern Swimming and Diving Team, this became something that I will live by for the rest of my life and has affected the other swimmers as well. Afterward, we decided that I would only swim three events at the meet: the 200-yard medley relay, the 100-yard butterfly, and the 200-yard freestyle relay. The coach showed me that though I was injured and barely able to swim, I had integrity and discipline because I was willing to do what I could to be there for my team. He is one of the most honorable and honest men I have ever met. He influenced 23 years' worth of swimmers and impacted every life that he has ever touched. Through being a coach, he lives his life through service to others.

Being an American is one of the greatest experiences I have had in my life. It is also one that many people in our country take for granted every single day. In this country, we get to live our lives the way we want without judgment, so long as we follow the law. In America, we are able to have careers in anything we are interested in and are willing to obtain an education in. In the UK, students are placed in schools based on testing and exams, but what happens when they stop having an interest in their chosen subject? I can tell you if that were me, I'd be an aerospace engineer or astronaut. Those are amazing careers, but not ones I have an interest in anymore. Because I live here where I can obtain any education I want, I am able to attend a trade school to study metal fabrication. Even while I'm in a career, I can make a switch to do something else that I have an interest in. It is amazing that we are not stuck. We can start businesses, we can become anything we truly want to be because, in this country, we are blessed with freedom. In America, we can do anything we can put our minds to. My mind wants to be a farmer. I want to either move to Montana or somewhere that I can grow peaches. Those are two varying places, but I very much want my farm. I am very excited to have my farm because I am able to grow and test out products that I am interested in growing. I want to have cows, chickens both for meat and laying, outside cats, a couple of horses if their rescues, sheep, goats, ducks, and some dogs to protect my farm. As an American, I am able to follow my dreams and no one is able to stop me. Because Americans have so many rights that many others don't, it is always important to make sure we can preserve the rights that men and women died for. The future generations of Americans have to learn how important their rights are. As someone who is hoping to have children someday, I think it is important to teach those children how important their rights are and how important it is that they live here and get experiences that so many people will never experience. It is important that everyone who lives in this country knows how important their rights as people are and that many people will never have them.

My name is Madelyn and I plan to pursue Metal Fabrication and Welding as a career. I found welding as a senior in high school from one of my favorite teachers who was invested in my future in the trades. Through him and other kids in my classes, I found Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I met my future teachers and we discussed the programs as well as potential apprenticeships that I could do while I'm at school. Many businesses in the Lancaster area hire from Stevens because students who come from there are knowledgeable in their field of study. I plan to work at one of these businesses because they were picked by Stevens as the better company in that field. Thaddeus Stevens is involved in the community. Local businesses come to campus and talk with students about jobs and careers in their chosen fields. Additionally, many of these employers sit on the board of Thaddeus Stevens and determine the curriculum that students learn so that they can be successful when working in the field. The teachers at Stevens also are experienced in the field that they are teaching, so they know industry secrets. In addition to this, they have contact with employers in the working world. There are many steps to mastering the trade of metal fabrication and welding. The first of these steps is to attend Thaddeus Steves to obtain my Associate's Degree. The next step is to go into the working world and learn as much as possible from my employers as well as the people I work with. In addition to working, I will continue my education by obtaining additional certifications and experience. After learning as much as possible and working in the field for many years, I want to go back to school to obtain a TechEd degree. There are many ways to give back to my community after having experience in the field of fabrication and welding. The way I am choosing to do this is to teach younger students about the world of trades. In school, we learned about so many jobs, but not ones that lead to a career. I never learned about the importance of trades in school, and I believe it is important that future generations of children learn about how many options of careers are out there and that they don't have to waste 4 years and thousands of dollars on a degree that they may not use. Though I did very well in school, I preferred working with my hands and I wanted to be able to build and construct things in school. I am aware that many students also feel this way and they need the outlet to build, design, and create projects with their own hands. Through teaching metal, woodshop, or welding, students will be able to design and problem-solve their projects, as well as learn different parts of machines, and will learn different processes of woodworking, metalworking, and welding. The most important aspect of classes like this is the generation of interest in careers as well as hobbies that the students enjoy.

I learned welding during my senior year of high school in the school's agriculture program. It was encouraged by my teacher who said that a job in the trades was the best idea given my talents and interests. In addition to welding, I also took Small Gas Engine Repair/Overhaul, Intro to Ag Mechanics and Engineering, as well as Ag Building Construction. In these classes, I learned that I love the trades and wanted to pursue a career in that. Because of these experiences, I found the Metal Fabrication/Welding Technology at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Lancaster, PA. I planned a career in fabrication because of the number of jobs in the field and the opportunity to advance and learn. Another interesting thing about fabrication and welding is that there is no limit to the places you can go. There is always a new certification to get and something new to learn about the trade. That is the aspect of fabrication and the trades in general. It is also very helpful that all of the trades connect with each other so that I could switch careers if I needed to. To be successful in the trades, you have to have the desire to learn and the drive to do well in the job. I believe that I will be successful in metal fabrication and welding because I will have the desire to learn. I love to work and I enjoy doing a job that means something and provides me the satisfaction that I accomplished something. I plan to continue building my skills and honing my craft in order to advance as well as teach others. What does a successful life look like? There are so many different ways to answer that question based on people's life experiences and varying visions of a successful life. I have a lot planned in my life that I would like to happen in order to feel successful. Firstly, I want to graduate from Stevens with my Associate's Degree in Metal Fabrication and Welding Technology. In order to be successful, I would like a job where I can make a living wage, whether it be salaried or hourly. Another thing that I would like to have is a farm. Since I was younger, I always wanted to be able to grow and produce my own food. I want to have a little farmhouse in Lancaster with about 20 acres of land where I can have both fruit/vegetables as well as livestock. In addition to all of these things that make a person successful in the workplace, I also want success in my personal life. I would like to get married and have a husband, as well as kids to help me with my farm. This is one of the most important things to me because I want to continue the traditions of my family as well as teach the children more traditional and important values that they otherwise wouldn't learn. Many people would not agree with my desires for a demanding job, a family, and a farm, but these are the things that I would want to be successful.

I have competed in sports since I was very young. At 9 years old, I started playing softball and it took me about 2 years to understand what was happening. Through the ages of 9-15, I learned sportsmanship and teamwork, and one of the most important skills I acquired is being coachable. During my years of softball, I played for many different teams, one of which was a team that "drafted" girls to play. It was about 15 girls who did not know each other and through our practice months, we had to become a congealed unit. I learned better social skills as well as leadership through the captain that I admired at the time. Once I was done playing softball, I joined my high school swim team, where I took everything I learned from softball and built off of it. On the swim team, I learned about servant leadership. This was through the head coach, who is one of the most amazing and selfless men I have ever met in my life. Through the swim team, I learned how important community service was through one of our fundraisers where we benefit local non-profit organizations. Community service was a very important aspect of the swim team. Not only the outside community was important, but our swim community. We were all connected and it was important that we all were nice to each other. One of my most notable memories of the swim team is how well the athletes got along and how we felt like a family. Obviously, we weren't all best friends, but we all had mutual respect and understanding for each other. Which was nonexistent when I played softball. I learned how important hard work and determination are. Swimming is easily one of the hardest sports on the planet. Every single day we got in the pool and pushed our bodies to the limit. I can't ever remember having an easy practice in the 4 years I was on the team. I also learned how important it is to know when to stop. In my senior season, I was afflicted with a shoulder injury that I tried to push, but it got worse and I developed tendonitis in my bicep. Through my injury, I learned how to be there for my team even if I was unable to be in the pool swimming every day. I learned to give it my all in meets even when I was in pain. In the last meet I competed in, I was still able to be there for my team and produce career-best times even though I was in pain. Though it hurt, I would not give it up for the world because it taught me what it truly means to be a leader. Being a leader is more than just being the best, it means that you are there for your team, even when you yourself are suffering because the team is bigger than you.

One of the most important things a student must do well is to manage their finances. Post-secondary education is not the cheapest thing in the world and students must be able to track and manage money efficiently. Managing finances as a student is important because it is easy to fall into the rabbit hole of debt, which is something I am very afraid of. My mother taught me from a very young age to be smart with my money and avoid debt. In addition to reducing debt, it is also important to keep track of incoming cash and outgoing expenses. Managing finances is important for students because it is necessary to keep a budget and keep track of all expenses. Budgeting is also necessary for long-term goals such as vacations, purchasing a home, and potential marriage and children. Knowing how to live on less than you make and save as much money as possible helps students be prepared for the real world where they have to pay bills by themselves, do their own taxes, and complete their own financial transactions. Though in an increasingly cashless world, it is difficult to keep track of transactions, there are many different apps that make it easier to pay attention to their finances. There are many different things that I do to continue to manage my money well. One of these things is to continue working as much as possible so that I have more money to work with. Another thing I do is I set aside a specific amount of money that I am able to spend on certain things. This is easier because I am not an impulsive spender. I work hourly, so my pay depends on how much I work, but I create a budget for the minimum hours I believe I am going to work that month. That varies depending if I am going on a vacation or if my boss is not here, so for those instances, I may work fewer hours. Most of the money I earn I immediately set aside in preparation for the major spending in my life, right now it is college. The next couple of big purchases will be a house or rent for an apartment. Another way I manage my finances well is that I keep track of all of my purchases, no matter how small. I also limit how much I go out to eat because it can get expensive. Personal finance was a graduation requirement at my high school, and ideally, it will be in more high schools so that students are better able to support themselves when they become adults.

1. I am pursuing a career in metal fabrication and welding. I am passionate about this career because of my high school teacher. Around Christmas, we did these horseshoe welding projects that caused me to fall in love with welding and gave me a passion for it. I learned that I can be creative, which I never felt I was. He encouraged me to go to school to continue to learn how to weld even when I felt nervous about entering a trade. 2. After my trade education, I plan to work in the field for about 10-20 years. After this, I would like to become a Tech Ed teacher to teach other kids about trades, so that they can also be successful and learn that there is more to life than a 4-year degree. Many students do not enjoy the academic aspect of school, and I was one of those students. I very much enjoyed working with my hands and I would love that if there were students out there that could benefit from my life experiences. 3. I am currently overcoming adversity. In January, I was diagnosed with Bicep Tendonitis. At the time, I was on the swim team and a captain. Every day during the last 6 weeks of the season, I was barely able to practice with my team. It pained me to watch them swim every day and I couldn't be there with them. I went to physical therapy at school every day, but the pain was too much and I would get out of the pool after only 15 minutes of swimming. Even as the season was winding down, I was still unable to be with my team and practice with them. Though I was still there, it felt as if I was not there. I desperately did everything I could to get back in the pool as soon as possible, but it was out of my hands by that point. We had our last meet, and even though I was in pain I wanted to be there for my team and I did the best I could. One of my relays medaled and I had 3 career-best swims. Though I was in pain and ready to be done, I still came through for my team and I could not be happier with the way the swim season ended. I did my best and that is all that matters.

The trade career path that I am interested in is metal fabrication and welding. I originally applied to Thaddeus Stevens with an interest in being an electrician, but after talking to the fabrication teachers, I felt that this program would better suit my needs. Through this program, I will learn how to build air ducts, program an AutoCAD computer, drive a forklift, and operate a crane machine among other important qualities found in a welder/fabricator. I would like to learn a variety of skills during my career. Much of the work is done in factories or plants. Some welding is done as site work, similar to construction work. Machinery over the years has become advanced, so as a fabricator, I will need to be able to keep up with technology and industry trends. There are so many places where welding can take me and I am very excited to learn a huge variety of skills that can be transferred elsewhere. After working in the field for a couple of years, I would like to pursue a career in Technology Education so that I can show students about the world of trades. Many students would never learn about the trades unless a teacher taught them, and I would like to be that teacher. I want to be the one to show them that there is more to life than a 4-year degree that they may or may not use. Much like the kids I am hoping to teach, I did not love the academic aspect of school, but I learned from a very young age that I loved working with my hands and building/constructing projects. I feel that having kids work with their hands during school can increase their ability to learn in their other classes. Through hands-on work, they feel a sense of accomplishment that they may not feel in their other areas of study. In classes such as metal shop, woodshop, welding, and engineering, students can learn about the world around them as well as how things are made and maintained. Students are able to learn about jobs and careers that other students will never know. One thing I am most excited about in the area of metal fabrication and welding is that boredom is a choice. One of the teachers at Thaddeus Stevens told me that. She said that she has traveled around the world using machines that very few people know how to operate. She taught me that there are so many ways to advance in a chosen career because of the various forms of training and certifications offered.

My name is Madelyn and I am going to Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in the fall of 2023. Throughout high school, I competed on the Northern Swimming and Diving Team. On this team, one of our creeds was excellence in character. In this, we were very involved in the community. Each year the team participated in the swim-a-mile, bring-a-smile fundraiser. The swimmers would swim 1 mile or 66 laps in the pool and would gather pledges for a non-profit organization in the community. In the 3 years that this was completed, we benefitted the York Covenant House, the Central PA Canine Rescue, and New Hope Ministries. As the captain this year, I felt it was my responsibility to take this time of giving and take it one step forward. I brought it to the attention of the coaches that we should also participate in volunteering activities. Because this year we were supporting New Hope Ministries, I felt it would be appropriate if that is also where we did our volunteering. I felt it necessary to organize this event because it was my idea. I gathered the swimmers and we talked about potential activities we could do there as well as donations for their food pantry. After agreeing that volunteering at New Hope was a good idea, I communicated with the Executive Director of the Dillsburg branch to organize potential days and activities that the swimmers could volunteer. The date of January 8th was agreed upon. At 9 am, the swimmers met at New Hope Ministries ready to volunteer. The Executive Director had a list of chores that needed to be done in the food pantry area as well as their loading dock and offices. Some of the jobs that needed to be completed were mopping the food pantry area, repainting concrete barriers, restocking the pantry shelves, wiping off the windows, cleaning the kitchen, storing backup food, and cleaning the bathrooms, among other jobs. I believe that this opportunity was important for the swimmers of both experience and character. They learned a lot about taking care of their community as well as the people in it. Their experience at New Hope Ministries proved to them that they can make a difference in their community. Many of them have yet to work, so I believe that it gave them a little bit of work experience. I also believe that they had a good time because they had the opportunity to experience some team bonding as well as enriching experiences through volunteering.

Welding was never something I thought I would have an interest in. One of my high school teachers recommended that I take welding so that I have another door open in the world of the trades. Much to my disappointment, I was terrible at it. But, after months and months of practice, I became a decent welder. As a project during the holiday season, I made a project out of horseshoes, which became a hobby for me that I enjoy. Now, I do these projects often. So far I've made a cross, an elephant, a turtle, and an armadillo. To complete these, I sandblasted, ground, cut, bent, and welded different horseshoes into different shapes. I developed a passion for it that someday I would like to teach other kids by becoming a metal-shop teacher after working in the field. In the fall of 2023, I will be attending Thaddeus Stevens College of technology to major in Metal Fabrication and Welding Technology. At first, I was hesitant about the major, but I met the first-year teacher who was willing to talk to me about my hesitation about the program where I learned that I get to operate huge pieces of equipment, cranes, and forklifts! In addition to that, I met the second-year teacher about the program, she had amazing input for me about places I could go, and other opportunities presented to women in the field. The thing I am most excited about my major at Thaddeus Stevens is their job placement rate of 97%. At an open house, I attended in October of 2022, I learned that many companies in the Lancaster area only hire from Thaddeus Stevens because of their knowledge, skill, and desire to learn. Though there are no longer very few women in the field of welding, only 6% of welders are women. I would like to encourage women to take jobs in the welding field because I believe that more women could do better than welding at men because you imagine a welder as a big man. However, a lot of welding, mostly pipe welding, takes place in small spaces that women could fit into better than men. The most important reason to spread the word about welding to women is that they will have more access to trades than they could ever imagine. Someday, I would love to be able to teach both women and kids about the amazing world of trades that they could be involved in to make a wonderful life for themselves.