When my Dad passed away back in 2019 from a automobile accident, it hit home hard on me, my sister, and my Mom. I was twelve at the time and going into eight grade. I will admit that my whole view on my future would change from that point onward. I had dreams of going to college to study Natural Resources Conservation. After my Father's death I figured college would be out of questions for me or my family. I thought college would be unobtainable for people like me. My original career path was to work blue collar jobs for the rest of my life like the rest of my family. None of my family members have ever been to college or pursued higher education It wasn't until my junior year in high school that I would consider college, yet I was so hesitant because I didn't want to get me or my Mother in financial trouble involving student loans or any educational expenses. My whole view on college changed after I learned about several scholarship opportunities with the help of my Counselor and Mother. Such scholarships I learned about were on websites like like Bold or were local scholarships in my home town of Penn Yan, NY. My mother would push me to apply to every scholarship that I was eligible for. She didn't want me to have the same fate as my Dad or the rest of my family. Working long hours, coming home with body aches, or having to work well into your seventies. My goal is that with these scholarships I can use them to obtain either a associates or bachelors degree in the field of wildlife management and conservation. This field is the one me and my Dad cherished when he was alive. We could hunt and fish responsibly and manage our hunting grounds for healthy wildlife that can reward us every fall when we would go hunting. With a degree in land management or Natural Resources Conservation, I intend to use these skills to my full potential to preserve and conserve the multiple habits of various living creatures that live in the state of New York I have already applied to four colleges in the state of New York that offer such majors that I can obtain. A career in U.S. Fish and Wildlife as a management officer would be my pick for a career involving my efforts in boosting environmental prosperity.

On August 17, 2019, I found my Dad's truck upside down in a ditch on a road with no cell phone service. I knew he wasn't gonna make it and it shattered my family. I didn't know what was going to happen to us. Now it was just me, my Sister and my Mother. I gained anxiety over what was going to happen next like moving out of our home, or sell things. It was a lot to process for my family, I was all worried about how the future was gonna go. I figured I may never go to college or pursue higher education. I thought I'd be working blue collar jobs like the rest of my family. Eventually, we were able to get over the death. My family still lives in the same house and we continue on with our daily lives. My Father would of been mad at me for not moving on from his death. The sadness eventually faded away as time marched on. My anxiety over his death eventually faded as I realized my family continued to prosper even after his death. Me and my Sister remained highly active in activities like sports or education. Recently I started considering college again but I didn't know if I could afford it. My Mother persuaded me to pursue more education though, She didn't wan't ending up like my father. She wanted me to get out of the blue collar lifestyle and find a nice, safe, lifelong career. I think that pursing a college degree would make my father proud. It would ensure me that I wouldn't have to do any kind of dangerous task for a life long career. If I did get a college degree, I would be the first one in my family to have one. Getting one could inspire my future children to pursue higher education as well. I think the death of my father shows how me and my family got over the fact that's he gone but still in our hearts. We as a family got over the financial hardship, anxiety, or despair. Living through these hard times can show character of how people deal with these situations. I think with me pursuing higher education would broaden my horizons on how I view the career market. I would get more career choices my Father ever had and pursue higher paying jobs that would benefit my family.

On August 17,2019, I found my Dad's truck upside down in a ditch on a road with no cell phone service. I knew he wasn't gonna make it and it shattered my family. I didn't know what was going to happen to us. Now it was just me, my Sister and my Mother. I gain anxiety over what was going to happen next like moving out of our home, or sell things.It was a lot to process for my family, I was all worried about how the future was gonna go. I figured I may never go to college or pursue higher education. I though I'd be working blue collar jobs like the rest of my family. Eventually, we were able to get over the death. My family still lives in the same house and we continue on with our daily lives. My Father would of been mad at me for not moving on from his death. The sadness eventually faded away as time marched on. My anxiety over his death eventually faded as I realized my family continued to prosper even after his death. Me and my sister remained highly active in activities like sports or education. Recently I started considering college again but I didn't know if I could afford it. My Mother persuaded me to pursue more education though, she didn't wan't ending up like my father. She wanted me to get out of the blue collar lifestyle and find a nice, safe, lifelong career. I think that pursing a college degree would make my father proud. It would ensure me that I wouldn't have to do any kind of dangerous task for a life long career. If I did get a college degree, I would be the first one in my family to have one. Getting one could inspire my future children to pursue higher education as well. I think the death of my father shows how me and my family got over the fact that's he gone but still in our hearts. We as a family got over the financial hardship, anxiety, or despair. Living through these hard times can show character of how people deal with these situations. I think with me pursuing higher education would broaden my horizons on how I view the career market. I would get more career choices my Father ever had and pursue higher paying jobs that would benefit my family.

When my Dad passed away back in 2019 from a automobile accident, it hit home hard on me, my sister, and my Mom. I was twelve at the time and going into eight grade. I will admit that my whole view on my future would change from that point onward. I had dreams of going to college to study Natural Resources Conservation. After my Father's death I figured college would be out of questions for me or my family. I thought college would be unobtainable for people like me. My original career path was to work blue collar jobs for the rest of my life like the rest of my family. None of my family members have ever been to college or pursued higher education It wasn't until my junior year in high school that I would consider college, yet I was so hesitant because I didn't want to get me or my Mother in financial trouble involving student loans or any educational expenses. My whole view on college changed after I learned about several scholarship opportunities with the help of my counselor and Mother. Such scholarships I learned about were on websites like like Bold or were local scholarships in my home town of Penn Yan, NY. My mother would push me to apply to every scholarship that I was eligible for. She didn't want me to have the same fate as my Dad or the rest of my family. Working long hours, coming home with body aches, or having to work well into your seventies. My goal is that with these scholarships I can use them to obtain either a associates or bachelors degree in the field of wildlife management and conservation. This field is the one me and my Dad cherished when he was alive. We could hunt and fish responsibly and manage our hunting grounds for healthy wildlife that can reward us every fall when we would go hunting. With a degree in land management or Natural Resources Conservation, I intend to use these skills to my full potential to preserve and conserve the multiple habits of various living creatures that live in the state of New York I have already applied to four colleges in the state of New York that offer such majors that I can obtain. A career in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife as a management officer would be my pick for career involving my efforts in boosting environmental prosperity.

To take action against climate change, we must understand that climate change is a natural occurrence for the world. Throughout many centuries our climate has shifted in various ways. Natural actions that caused climate change can be volcanoes or natural disasters. Even though climate change is a natural occurrence, it can be propelled by human activity. To take global action on subject requires individual efforts throughout the world that could easily benefit themselves or communities. Such actions can be in everyday routines like shorter showers, carpooling or composting. If an individual can do their part, it benefits the whole world and future generation. As a whole world or United Nations it would be difficult due to certain countries disregarding climate pledges due to their high manufacturing facilities. Such countries include China, India and the United States. Throughout the United States several states inputted climate legislation in the future years to come. States like mine which is New York have inputted a ban of new gas powered vehicles in 2035 and another law stating that all new homes built after 2027 have to be electric heating. This can reduce emissions but this won't benefit people living in rural New York like me. My home is heated by a coal stove, and if we loose power in a snow storm, I won't be able to heat my home. I have to use a kerosene heater until the power comes back on, which can take hours or days. I think these new climate laws should be enacted in the cities where emissions and air quality are worse than rural areas. With the amount of vegetation and wildlife in rural areas, it can sustain the small amounts of emission created by small communities.

My name is Mason Bush, I am from a small town called Penn Yan. I am an older brother to a sister and a son to a single Mother. My Father passed away in 2019 in an automobile accident. It was hard to process and overcome but I did eventually. I didn't have time to become depressed, I had things to do. I continued with my family and the things I love to do. Like hunting, fishing, trap shooting and history. Over time I've learned more and gained new skills thanks to my actions in the academic field. When I was a junior and a senior, I took a Conservation and Heavy equipment program to find a high-paying job in the trades or a nice part-time job for college. I would learn how to run heavy equipment, cut down trees, do erosion control, and climb trees. This helped me become more active and more agile to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The school that helped me get to my BOCES program is Penn Yan Academy. Throughout my junior and senior years, I took college courses so I wouldn't have to take large amounts of classes throughout my college experience. The classes I took are AP US History, Composition I, and AP Economy and Government. Since I already had enough high school credits by my junior year. I also attended and participated in several clubs and sports teams that involved volunteering. For my junior and senior years, I participated in the Pen Yan/Dundee Football Team. I didn't get much playtime but I was happy to be there. For the football team, I would sell spaghetti dinner tickets and then help out by packaging the orders for customers. I was also on the clay target shooting team for Penn Yan as well. I have won awards for several shoots I attended throughout high school. For the team I would sell raffle tickets to raise money for our ammunition, also I would wash dishes for our shooting location, The Seneca Lake Duck Hunters Club. They would have a fish fry once a month and I would attend and participate in the event. The FFA is another organization I attended as well. I too competed in forestry competitions and have won awards in that field too. I have participated in many hours of volunteering in FFA since I started in my sophomore year. Throughout my time at FFA, I would volunteer in activities to help fund trips or activities. I helped park cars at the Steam show, make ice cream at our annual cider day, and do occasional activities such as the toy auction. I would volunteer so the cost of my state convention trip would decrease. If I were to start my charity, My main mission or problem I would solve is unemployment. I would create an organization that helped find people jobs so people don't have to live off unemployment benefits for the rest of their lives. The amount of people on unemployment benefits, lowers the amount of benefits that can be given to an individual, so there should be an easier and quicker way of searching for employment.

With the resources and innovations that help build cities, communities or small towns, civilization can thrive with both natural and traditional resources. I think that a balance must occur between renewable energy to traditional energy to sustain our industrial might and to preserve our environment. There are certain areas of technology where renewable energy seems worthy of mankind's use. Renewable energy is energy that can be reused over and over. Equipment like solar panels, windmills and electric vehicles. Power generators that can run on alternative energy could help lower the input of fossil fuels on the power grid. Electric vehicles could help lower emissions in big cities or any place, but electric vehicles require huge amounts of energy to charge the batteries. Such energy comes from diesel generators that can input these huge amounts of energy. Also to find lithium for the battery, it requires huge amounts of scrape mining that can clear mass amounts of areas, involving heavy equipment that is possibly running off fossil fuels. Therefore I don't see electric vehicles as a completely environmentally friendly solution in the future. On the other hand, there is traditional energy, which is energy sources that are already in use like diesel, propane, coal, gasoline or natural gas. These energy sources can be defined as fossil fuels, which are nonrenewable energy sources. Over time mankind has learned or innovated to make the greatest output from fossil fuels. Several inventions were created to run off of fossil fuels such as the combustible engine, powerplants or the steam engine. Even today traditional energy is still in use to build cities or to heat homes. The abundance of fossil fuels such as coal or natural gas, makes it easier for people with lower incomes to heat their homes or drive their vehicles. Though electric vehicles are still being innovated today, I don't see the electric motor being inserted in pieces of equipment that require huge amounts of power. Equipment like tractors, construction vehicles or tractor-trailers that hydraulic pumps move the machines around. Some jobs require this much power and effectiveness and the electric motor is not qualified to meet the needs of heavy equipment operators. Also, equipment run on traditional energy is cheaper than the electric models, due to the abundance of fuel and low maintenance requirements for an equipment unit. Especially in rural areas the need for equipment with power is crucial, especially in the winter. Accumulating snow needs to be pushed off roads and that requires high power machines.

If I were to have everyone in the world to read one book, it would be an influential book that inspires people to do great things. The book I'm talking about is "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This book was written in 1922 and serves as an example of the futility of the American Dream. Taking place in the roaring 20s, a time where financial prosperity thrusted money into the pockets of many Americans trying to obtain the American dream. Several characters within this book are either chasing the dream or have already obtained it, characters like Nick, Gatsby or Tom are such examples from the book that are chasing this dream. The American Dream is a goal or stopping point when you have wealth and power at your disposal. But what is beyond the dream? There could be more things to accomplish other than that dream. If an individual already accomplish this goal, what's next? The American dream could lose its value or meaning when it is accomplished. There's not much a person could work for after obtaining this lifestyle It's seen throughout the book that Gatsby, who already has wealth and a mansion seeks another goal. That goal is to get Daisy back, which was practically impossible since she is married. I think that Fitzgerald's message to the reader is that the American dream looses it's meaning as it's accomplished. I think this book would help guide others into searching for other goals than wealth and first class living.

With the scholarship that was funded by many generous donors, I will use this fund to lower the cost of achieving my academic goals. The college I plan on attending for a bachelor's degree is Paul Smith's College in Upstate New York. This particular college contains in my opinion one of the best Environmental science and forestry courses I've seen in New York. With the education, I can receive in this college I plan to become a worker in the field of conservation and wildlife management. I believe that New York state has a huge absence of land managers throughout the Department of Environmental and Conservation, With small amounts of land managers it's hard for state officials to reach out to areas that are in dire need of environmental growth and support from human involvement. A land manager is an individual who can work for himself or for a local and state government that inspects and monitors the overall health and growth of a wildlife area. Wildlife managers decide whether or not a certain area could be infected with diseases or an invasive species has been introduced. Invasive species have been a problem in my region of Upstate New York. The Gypsy Moth had been an impending problem for the environment where I live. Their larva would eat the leaves of the trees and spawn off bark which would harm tree bark and break down the bark structure. Eventually, the tree would die due to the lack of leaves that were eating and the spawning areas of the Gypsy Moth. This ongoing issue is due to the lack of environmental efforts in my area and the lack of knowledge about these types of Moths. To contain and prevent the spread of invasive species requires knowledge that colleges may teach to further enhance the abilities of people to prevent the spread of invasive species like the Gypsy Moth. I think that with the help of learning how to become a New York state land manager, I could make a change in the State's environment and the threat of invasive species. With this scholarship, I can further enhance my skills with the learning-based knowledge provided by Paul Smith's College that could make an impact for all New Yorkers. The scholarship provided would be something to look back on how I managed to get a career I love and what work I put in and the things I did to obtain my career.

My family have been farmers or heavy equipment operators. My family has been living in low income situations for decades. None of my family members have been to college because of the low income or their own personal choices. Manual labor was viewed as a regular job throughout my family. My father did well drilling and my grandfather did farming. Same as my great grandfather whom also did truck driving. I myself worked two summers on a lawn crew and I didn't enjoy the manual labor as time went on. Also my boss wasn't very nice and would often make fun of me. Every day I would see my father come home and complain about his job, All the things he did or what people he had to deal with, Like who messed up or how long he worked. He would come home tired and out of energy to do anything. He would get up a 5 am and work till 5 in the evening. Sometimes he would of been gone for weeks to go drill wells as far away as Binghamton or Buffalo. One time he was gone for most of December. His job would eventually kill him back in 2019. In a fatal car accident. I saw the blue collar working system as dangerous and tiresome. Though blue collar jobs are much needed in society and helped and built America. But still I don't want too do manual labor for 40 to 50 years of my life and end up with health problems when I retire like my Grandfather whom has several health problems from decades of work or my Uncle whom has to take a part time job hauling coal because his social security doesn't cover most of his expenses. To do go to work early in the morning, Do the same work and then come home late and doing the same thing again everyday sounds boring and tiresome. How much of that time could you spend with your family? I don't want to end up living paycheck to paycheck of a job that you give more than you take. I don't wanna waste more than have of my life working everyday at a job that I'm not gonna like in the long run. I think with some higher education I can find a career that I will love and make money little manual labor and good health.

I've been playing Minecraft since I was little. I've made countless worlds and memories amongst the square world. I've built things that could stretch beyond my imagination. Like forts, house or underground strongholds. I've made new friends along the way but fought against enemies and monsters. Minecraft was the game I could let my imagination grow and build and do whatever I want, to be able to put in the time and effort to have a little fun in life. I deeply appreciate what Mojang has been doing over the years since 2011 to make Minecraft a better and the game more fun to play. All the updates over the years had made the whole experience better, Like adding new potions, redstone building materials or new weapons to defend yourself. Mojang has really put in the effort to make the most out of a very simple game. But the one thing I like the most about Minecraft is when I'm down in the caverns or up on the surface and the sun's going down. My favorite piano song starts to play as the blocky sin sets over the realm to explore, ending a day of imagination to start a new.

The one book I think everyone in the world have read is "The Great Gastby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I think it's a great story that takes place in a crazy time in American history. We're many people including some of the characters are chasing the futile American Dream. But what happens when the individual has accomplished that dream? In the book we see several individuals were the dream losses it's meaning as they accomplished it. For Gastby he got his wealth and manison. For him the American dream lost it's meaning for him. He had another craving, Daisy whom was already married and hadn't seen or heard of Gatsby since world war one. The individual or people could see the American dream as a set of goals especially as some of the characters in this book. A set of guidelines of success and greatness. I think this book would also cover the futility of the American dream as well. If the individual accomplished the dream and it's goals what is there to accomplish beyond it. The individual could make it but loose it's drive to even more greatness or success even though the individual has a manison or tons of money. For any people not just Americans, I hope for them to seek out goals beyond my nations dream. Take the book presented in this essay as a message. There's more things to accomplish than a one national dream when there could be 330 million of them. I hope people would read this and look for goals beyond the American dream.