The higher education field I am currently studying is HVACR (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration). I am studying this field for a couple of reasons. First, I will be part of the movement to revive the trades and promote industries affected by the large push for traditional college degrees over the last decades. Second, I will have a challenging and rewarding career that gives me experience to start my own business in HVACR service and repair. Being a father, I can attest that academic-heavy success paths are not for everyone. My nine-year-old son already knows academia is not for him, and I find nothing wrong with that. I will expose him and steer him to explore the trades. He likes puzzles and problem-solving, so troubleshooting HVAC systems is a viable option for him. Like my son, many people struggle in school. These future professionals are often better working with their hands rather than reading books and filling out quizzes perpetually. I want to encourage those who find themselves gifted in hands-on learning and have a successful future in the skilled trades. After high school, I struggled, bouncing from one part-time job to another. I was never educated or encouraged to pursue a career in the trades. In high school, we were told that if we did not get into a renowned college or university, it meant failure. Once I gain years of experience, I will start my own business so that I can offer disadvantaged workers opportunities to shadow my employees and me and be evaluated for consideration. If they are willing to put in the work, I will support them with entry-level positions. I have planned an entrepreneurial career so that I may have more freedom as to how to promote HVACR, the trades, and social responsibility within the company. I chose a higher education in HVACR because the opportunities are endless. I will be successful in my business endeavors while so many fail because I am a proven trailblazer compared to most. I am a first-generation immigrant and a first-generation college student. My father abandoned us when I was seven. I had to walk from Tijuana, Mexico, to San Diego, California, to go to high school, taking taxis, buses, and the trolley. My daily odyssey was from 4:00 am to 5:00 pm, from the time I left home to the time I got back home right on time for my one meal a day. I used a typewriter. I did not have my own phone until I worked after high school and bought it myself. We did not have a car for transportation. I had to learn English with a device that translated one word at a time. It looked like a calculator. I have never seen one since, nor have I met anyone who knows what I am talking about. Getting to where I am today was the difficult part. That was hard, but failure has never been an option for me, and it sure will not start now. Now, I speak English fluently, I am a disciplined United States Army veteran, and I have a passion for life-long learning and service to others. I will not fail because that is not my culture, that is not who I was trained to be. Being an entrepreneur, your company fails when you fail. It may take long nights, very long nights, overtime on weekends, but whatever it takes, I will just keep going as I always have. As the Soldier’s Creed states, “I will never accept defeat, I will never quit”.

It was in the land of the midnight Sun, Alaska. That is where I started volunteering as a youth sports referee for the Army’s Child and Youth Sports (CYS) program. I volunteered in Fort Wainwright, AK from 2016 - 2018 and then continued at my new duty station, Joint Base Lewis McChord, from 2018 to present day. One of my favorite memories of refereeing is running into my former players I have coached on base and calling them out on things I spent too much time teaching them. It is funny to see their faces trying to come up with excuses and saying, “C’mon coach”. They should have paid more attention or practiced some more on their own time. Participating in sports as a referee has strengthened my character by giving me better insight into the sports, leading young athletes, managing different personalities, and adapting to different learning styles from my team members. Being a referee for soccer on the field helps me remain fresh on the players’ perspective rather than just yelling from the sidelines as a head coach. It has given me more patience by reminding me it is all different in the field. I get a better appreciation for the players’ reactions and how they feel when they miss a play or shot. This reminds me as a coach to understand the athletes are still kids looking to have fun above all. In addition, being a volunteer referee allows me to deal with different players’ personalities in the field. My goal is to end the game with the same number of player we began. I do not expel any players unless it cannot be helped. I even do on-the-spot coaching to help the players on both teams fix small errors that hinder the flow of the game. This leads me to identify different learning styles. Some young athletes learn by listening, others require me to show them. Some need one on one during half time or after the game. At the end of the day, my duty is to exemplify integrity, dedication, and a passion for sportsmanship by making a meaningful difference through promoting fairness and positive athletic experiences. My future plans when it comes to participating in refereeing include pursuing a degree in sports management and becoming certified through US Soccer. Also, I will continue to attend workshops through Soldiers to Sidelines to gain insight into the sports I coach from college and top-level coaches and other coaching team members. Furthermore, I will begin to volunteer with my local YMCA again. I want to be able to move on to refereeing middle school and high school, eventually college.

I was an active duty enlisted soldier in the Army for seven years and three months. I served as an electronics technician specializing in missile systems. I went to Basic Combat Training in Fort Sill, Oklahoma followed by Advanced Individual Training in Fort Lee, Virginia. My first duty station was Fort Wainwright Alaska where I experienced -30 degree weather for the first time. After three years I moved to Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM), Washington where I fell in love with the place and community. My first deployment to Iraq is coming up this weekend so during the selection process I will be out there side by side with the troops as an Army Civilian now. I am almost at two years as a deployable Army Civilian now. I came back three months after being medically retired upon receiving the call. During my time in the Army I deployed twice to the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California. One time with the Arctic Wolves Brigade out of Alaska and the other with the Ghost Brigade out of JBLM, Washington. These exercises consisted of 30-day rotations to the desert simulating combat operations. This included but was not limited to scarce resources, no communication with our families or friends back home, various trainings, extended work hours, harsh weather conditions, simulated casualties, etc. I learned valuable experiences and formed stronger bonds with my leadership, peers, and soldiers under my care. Experiences like these shaped me into who I am today by helping me work under high stress and pressure, thinking outside the box, and being more resilient. My education goals include earning an Automotive Technology Associate in Applied Science from South Puget Sound Community College. I will attend their program at night so I can continue to work. Eventually I will learn more of the mechanical engineering side. Post-graduation, I see myself applying my new skills at work by helping soldiers troubleshoot and repair the vehicles their lives depend on. I will also volunteer at the Auto Skills Center on base where soldiers can use tools to make repairs on their own vehicles to try and save money. I was that young soldier without a mechanical background needing help in the garage before, I will do my part to ensure others have the help they need so I can decrease the stress they have with everything else they need to worry about.

I am interested in pursuing a career in automotive repair. After graduating from San Diego High School in 2011, I attempted to go to my local community college to complete my general education classes. I was raised by a single mother and left here in the united states alone at a young age. As a result I had many unique challenges from moving a lot living with different friends and family members to working at many restaurants, to going down to live in Mexico due to lower cost of living and having to cross the border everyday for school or work. After four years of going to college part time, dropping out a couple of times, and realizing I was not getting anywhere, I decided to join the Army. I figured this would give me more stability, discipline and skills to pursue my educational goals. While I served in Alaska and Washington for seven years as an electronics technician, I took online classes to finally finish my general education requirements. I would take one or two classes at a time. Sometimes in field environments, reading at night after duty near the arctic heater so I could stay warm and have some light. Other times doing homework while on 24-hour duty. Sometimes it was very difficult to take tests after being in the field for 30 days or more. Often times this would take a big hit on my grade, but I never gave up. The commitment to my educational and career goals drastically changed my life trajectory. I am now a disabled veteran, husband, father of two, volunteer youth sports coach, and dog dad. I would have never guessed the road I would have to travel to reach my goals. I am no longer than lonely young man or kid I was back then in San Diego. I now live in Washington and will complete the Automotive Technology Associate in Applied Science from South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia, Washington. I will be attending this program at night after work. I currently work in the same field for the Army but as a civilian now. Completing this degree will allow me to gain the skills, knowledge and experience to expand my expertise and help Soldiers with the vehicle side of our assigned systems. I will be able to compete for promotion and finally become an automotive technician. This will open many doors for the to continue my career. I want to ensure I can provide for my family and teach my children not to give up on their goals regardless of the obstacles or challenges they will have to face. I will also be able to volunteer in the Auto Skills Center on the weekends and assist young Soldiers in doing their own vehicle maintenance helping them save money. This long journey continues to change my life trajectory from that lone, broke kid trying to get by to a responsible man with a strong sense for selfless service who continues to pursue his career and educational goals while giving back to the community. I would have never believed how my life would change course so dramatically but still remain on target to arrive at the same goal.

I am applying for this scholarship because I want to complete the associate in applied science: Automotive Technology from South Puget Sound Community College. I want to further my career. In addition, I want to be able to do my own vehicle maintenance and help others in need such as disabled veterans and the elderly. I am applying to this scholarship so that I can pay all tuition, fees, and/or tools I need to successfully complete the program. Being fully prepared and equipped will allow me to better experience the hands-on portions of the classes, study, and practice to really learn the technical and detailed tasks required to be a great auto repair worker. With this scholarship award, I will be able to dedicate extra time to my career progression. I currently work assisting Soldiers with electronics training and maintenance of missile systems. I want to be an auto mechanic because many of the missile systems I work with are mounted on a vehicle platform and I am not qualified to guide Soldiers through much of the auto/mechanic side of the systems. I want to be the best maintainer I can be so I can best help Soldiers fix their vehicles and weapon systems. I am committed to learning the auto mechanic side to better help Soldiers troubleshoot systems and accomplish the mission. I am the first responder when certain systems fail, and Soldiers need help fixing them. Sometimes we must wait on personnel more experienced in the vehicle side of the systems which delays maintenance and negatively affects unit readiness. I hope to make a difference by helping Soldiers troubleshoot and make repairs more efficiently so they can go home earlier and spend time with their families while here on station. On deployment, my improved skills can translate into life or death. I could help repair the truck side of systems and get Soldiers out of a pinch. Also, I always talk to Soldiers about the benefits of pursuing careers in the trades after the military since many of them have the mechanical aptitude, problem-solving skills, and discipline needed for these rewarding careers. After gaining auto mechanic experience, I will be able to talk to them about this field from experience. I want to have a positive impact on service members’ lives by displaying the most professional and technical knowledge of auto repair. I wish to inspire Soldiers to follow me and seek post-secondary education as auto technicians so they can have a rewarding career, job security, and be able to provide for their families after their service. Furthermore, I want to be qualified and confident to volunteer at the auto skills center at Joint Base Lewis McChord and wherever I may go next so I can help young Soldiers save money by guiding them in doing their own vehicle services and repairs. It must be the old Sergeant in me, but I still want to take care of Soldiers.

My name is Mario Anzaldo. I was raised by a single mother and lacked a father figure or role model in my life. I worked in restaurants for four years after high school. I joined the Army and served honorably as an electronics technician for seven years. In the Army I developed mechanical and troubleshooting skills which ignited my passion for problem solving. I worked on the electronic aspect of missile systems throughout my career but was always curious about the auto mechanic side of systems. I now work as an Army civilian assisting Soldiers with maintenance. My ambition has grown. I am committed to learning the auto mechanic side to better help Soldiers troubleshoot systems and accomplish the mission. I am the first responder when certain systems fail, and Soldiers need help fixing them. Sometimes we must wait on personnel more experienced in the vehicle side of the systems which delays maintenance and negatively affects unit readiness. I want to pursue a career in the automotive industry for two main reasons. I want to be of further assistance to Soldiers. I want to help them troubleshoot and make repairs more efficiently so they can go home earlier and spend time with their families. In certain situations, this can also translate into life or death. Secondly, I want to be qualified and confident to volunteer at the auto skills center on base so I can help young Soldiers save money by guiding them in doing their own vehicle maintenance.

My name is Mario. I am 30 years old. I was born in California but was raised in Mexico. My father left when I was seven and I was raised by my mother until 12 years old when she brought me back to the United States. She left me too soon after. Like Johnny Douglas Conner, I had demonstrate hard work and determination early in life. I joined the Army to serve my country and ensure my children would have more opportunities than I did. The Army provided many opportunities for me. I was trained as an electronics technician and served as a missile systems tech. I served honorably for seven years on Active Duty. During those seven years my ambition only grew more and more. I returned to college, took classes in electrical/electronics, HVAC/R, and sharpened my leadership and management skills professionally and technically in my field. I was medically retired due to several service-connected injuries. Leaders and mentors who witnessed my drive throughout my career recommended me for my current job. Three months after my medical retirement I was called back to serve as an Army Civilian in the position of Equipment Specialist. I recently completed my first year in my new career. My official title is Equipment Specialist. Due to my expertise with missile systems and proven success record, I was offered this position and started faster than most do. I am also known as a Logistics Assistance Representative (LAR). I work with Soldiers daily and assist with maintenance, training, and logistics. My 8+ years in the Army both as a Soldier and as a Civilian I have volunteered as a youth sports coach on the military bases I have been stationed at. I have been recognized with the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal (MOVSM) twice and have received many military coins and certificates of appreciation from the Post Commander. I have amounted over 1,500 verified volunteer hours mostly on base but also at my local YMCA. In my job, I was just awarded a “Two-Star Note” and a military coin from the Major General in my Chain of Command. The military has affected my life in a positive way through job security, volunteer opportunities, training, helping me provide for my family, and giving me a sense of purpose in life. My life has been transformed thanks to the military. I would not believe this is where I would be at 30 years old. I have a beautiful family I can care and provide for. My son and daughter have many opportunities and great military and veteran communities to support them. All of my family is proud of my service and so am I. Some systems I work with now depend on vehicle platforms. My background is not that of an auto mechanic. Therefore, I will use this scholarship to fund my auto tech education and training at South Puget Sound Community College. As a result, I will be better equipped to help Soldiers troubleshoot the vehicle side of our systems. In return, this will allow for them to accomplish the mission, get out of harm’s way, and return home to their families.

My favorite game to play in co-op mode is Super Smash Bros in Nintendo 64. I have played this game since childhood. For a while I stopped playing. One day I reconnected with a good friend of mine that moved high schools. I went to his house and it turned out he had a whole group of friends who liked to get together and play video games. It was minutes into the conversation when Super Smash Bros came up and that was the beginning of renewed and new friendships for years to come. My friend’s name is David. David and I would be in a team against whoever thought they could beat us. My best character was yellow Kirby, but to give some people a chance or prove a point I would choose other characters as well. Whenever I chose Don King Kong I would charge the strong punch and David would “pitch them” to me so I could use the strong punch and knock them off the stage. We would settle all sorts of disputes about anything and everything on Smash Bros. It was about honor and respect. Even though it was the same game over and over every time we got together for years it seemed to not get boring. This is when I realized “Yep, this is THE game”. I ended up joining the Army and leaving town. When I talk to my friend David, he tells me he talks about me and our partnership in Smash Bros to newer members of the squad. Even though, I have been away for years when I have gone back and played it seems like I never left. Some “did that just happen?!” moments include fighting in the Hyrule Castle and losing due to the damn tornado that appears randomly or getting shot away by the laser in the Starfox Spaceship when I was about to beat the other guy. My favorite memory however, must be from about 25 years or so around this time of year. I woke up along with my brother to play Nintendo 64. I must have been about five years old. We had set up the mattress in my parents’ room down on the floor in front of the fireplace. It was a rainy day around new years. We have hot chocolate and pan dulce (sweet bread). We stayed in bed playing Nintendo 64 for a while. My parents were still together. We lived in Mexico. We had all slept in the same mattress that night. It is actually the best memory I have of my childhood before my family would go separate ways. My father left when I was seven. Shortly after that my brother came to the United States to live with my cousin. When I was twelve my mother brought me to the United States too, then left me also. After my career in the Army and starting a family of my own, I decided to buy a Nintendo Switch so I could recreate that moment. I have a wife, son, and daughter. My son is seven. The difference is I am not leaving my family and my children get to have many of these memories with me and Nintendo helping us bond together. I must now finish this and go play Mario Party on Nintendo Switch with my son. My name happens to be Mario and I almost named my son Luigi but my wife was not very happy. So we compromised with Luis, in honor of my best friend who lost the internal fight.

During Basic Combat Training in Oklahoma (2015) I experienced a transformation like no other. I was broken down and rebuilt a better version of myself. I will never forget I experienced all sorts of weather in one day. I saw snow, hail, rain, sunshine, and we even had a tornado warning as we marched back from dinner. Advanced Individual Training in Virginia was a lot more enjoyable. We made it fun. The weather was hot and humid but at least it was predictable. The opposite was the case when I stepped off the plane at my first duty station in Fairbanks, Alaska. It was a nice and crisp 17-degree day. That would be a mild introduction to the -33-degree weather I would experience later on. I was there for three years. It was those harsh conditions and experiences that made my buddies and I develop a tight bond. It was the only way to get through our time there. The conditions added to the already challenging military experience. Many good Soldiers did not re-enlist after our time there. Some others lost the internal fight. At its worst, we lost four Soldiers to suicide in four consecutive months at our unit. At Fort Wainwright, Alaska, I met a couple of key mentors who played a crucial role during my Army career as a Soldier and even now after the military. During my time there I became very resilient and mature. I used my time wisely and spent time as a volunteer sports coach on base, explored fishing, and began running 5K races and playing soccer regularly. I was an electronics technician dedicated to my craft. I enjoyed passing on my knowledge to the newer Soldiers. I was appointed Team Leader and helped supervise the squad and lead maintenance in our shop. After three years, the Army moved me to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. I brought with me a shoulder tear that would not be recognized by the medical staff until 2020 when I saw a new doctor who recommended surgery in three days. I took the surgery after living with increasing shoulder pain for four years. That was the beginning of the end of my career. Shortly after, I was involved in a vehicle accident on base that resulted in injuries including a TBI, not at my fault. Adding to it, discs in my back were injured developing sciatic nerve pain. I continued to serve honorably until 2022 when I was medically retired. My educational goals include graduating from South Puget Sound Community College with an Associate in Applied Science – Automotive Technology. I currently work as a maintenance advisor with my electronics experience. Combining my background with new automotive education I will be better able to assist Soldiers in maintaining and repairing their assigned vehicles. On the weekends, I plan on volunteering at the Auto Skills Center on base offering assistance to young Soldiers looking to save some money by doing their own vehicles’ maintenance.

I have always been interested in the automotive industry. The lack of a fatherly figure growing up distanced me from getting much hands-on experience. I remember all my friends in the Army always had stories about them working on trucks with their dads. I did not know what that was like. I want to make those stories with my son now. Becoming competent in the automotive industry will ensure I can always provide for my family. I also like the fact that it is not a stagnant industry. Progress in technology is reflected in the automotive industry year after year. When I was in second grade my parents separated. My mother did not have a car. Where I grew up, most people did not have cars. Regardless, from an early age, I have always been a fast learner and a problem solver. I use my imagination to think creatively and generate ideas on how to approach problems from multiple angles. This helped me become a Missile Systems Technician in the United States Army. It was in the Army that I became more confident in troubleshooting and mechanically inclined. I learned as much as I could from my peers’ experiences back home with their dads and my leaders’ experiences in the Army. They would often talk about fixing trucks or other systems in unconventional ways during deployments. Any time I work with my hands at home I call my seven-year-old son over to watch as I explain what I am doing and why. I like to get his brain and imagination going. As he continues to grow up, I will involve him more. I am confident with simple tasks such as doing oil changes, starters, alternators, radiators, etc. I have also fixed my deep freezer before. Some missile systems I have dealt with use an altered vehicle as a platform. Often, the system is down for chassis issues. Not having an auto mechanic formal education or extensive experience prevents me from helping the Soldiers fix their equipment faster. On deployment, this can be the difference between life and death. I intend on earning scholarships to attend my local technical college and earn an Associate Degree as an Automotive Technician so I can be of more help. I will also volunteer on Saturdays at the Auto Skills Center on base as an aide to help young Soldiers maintain their vehicles and save them money. While in the Army I often took advantage of those experienced volunteers. After gaining a formal education and valuable experience as an Automotive Technician/Mechanic, I will be able to advance my career and work at Red River Army Depot or Letterkenny Army Depot. After having extensive first-hand experience on both the missile and automotive sides of systems, I will be able to combine years of experience, formal education, ingenuity and unparalleled critical thinking skills and contribute to innovation and progress in this field. This will translate into contributing to improvements in efficiency, reliability and lethality in these systems Soldiers and our nation rely so heavily on. I will have the advantage of thinking like a mechanic while working on new projects. I will ensure user-friendliness and maintainer friendliness on all equipment I contribute to. Once I can no longer keep up with the Soldiers or the mission, I will start my shop. My final goal is to help transitioning service members and other disadvantaged hard workers transition into the automotive industry like I am doing now.

My favorite way to help others is volunteering my time and skills to positively impact the community and doing my part to ensure a better tomorrow. For the past seven years I have been in the Army, I have volunteered as a youth sports coach. Between the Army Child & Youth Sports program and the YMCA I have 1,100+ hours as a volunteer sports coach. I coach children ages 3-15. Not only do I teach them to be athletes, but good children and teens who will grow up to be good people. In addition to sports, I teach respect, courage, leadership, humility, sportsmanship, compassion, understanding, teamwork, empathy, and responsibility. While training in California, I ran into Major Cole. I had coached his two daughters Aubrie and Brook for 2-3 years when I was stationed in Alaska. He said they were just talking about me at the dinner table before he left for that training. This is reassuring and encouraging to me to know that I am making a lasting positive impact in kid's lives. Some ask me why I volunteer so much and put in the extra effort after work knowing I have a family and homework to go home to... I just try my best to explain that even though non-monetary, it is very rewarding to me. I feel that I am doing my part in our shared responsibility to make the world a better place. Also, I do volunteer recruiting. So far, I have brought on my wife and five friends as volunteer coaches into Army Child & Youth Sports. I also recently recruited a fellow veteran and classmate into Team Rubicon. I am new to this group also and look forward to volunteering with them as an emergency response team answering the need after natural disasters.