Early in my high school career, I struggled with time management. I then took a study skills class and had an amazing teacher that helped me get back on track. Her name is Mrs. Donahue and she struggled with ADHD and dyslexia like I do. She was able to share with me tips, tricks, and helped me to improve skills that she uses to help herself stay on track and manage time. She also helped me to fill out applications, create resumes, and encourage students to work. My freshman and sophomore year I babysat, lawn work, a lifeguard at the pool in the summer, and provided private swim lessons too. My junior year when I had my license, I worked at Domino's pizza and then worked full time in the summer for SK Exteriors doing labor work and helping at Frontier Farms during harvest on the weekend.SK Exterior is tough work. I am lifting heavy bags of concrete, tearing up old and installing new fencing. Every night I came home filthy with blisters on my hand, but I loved the work and felt so accomplished when the job was done. When school started back, I had to find work that I could do that would work with my sport and school schedule. My senior year I started a class called Sangamon Valley CEO. The CEO Program is offered to seniors in our community and teaches skills that I will be able to implement in real life and work experiences. It helps build skills such as creativity, leadership, encouragement, and entrepreneurship. The CEO program has been great for a hands-on learner like me to immerse me in real-life learning experiences with the opportunity to take risks, manage the results, and learn from the outcomes. In this class we need to create our own business. My business is called Max of All Trades Helping Hand service. I provide minor repair services, labor work, Senior companion care, errand/ delivery service, lawn service, and whatever else someone might need a helping hand with. I have kept pretty busy with this business and plan to work at SK Exteriors full time this summer to help cover school costs. I guess you could say it runs in the family. My mom was a single mom when I was a baby-toddler. She always worked 2-3 jobs at a time to provide for me. Her work ethic was something that I have observed and learned from. My plan is to attend a local community college's industrial technology program. After finishing my associates degree and receive certifications, I plan on finding work with a local union or business for about 10 years to gain experience, skills, and knowledge. Eventually, I would like to own my own business and hire students that have a strong work ethic and help guide them to success too. I am applying for this scholarship to assist in the cost of continuing my education as much as I can. I want to be fiscally responsible for myself and limit any financial burdens on my parents too. I appreciate your consideration and offering a scholarship for students pursuing work in the trades.

My name is Max. I am a senior in high school and my dream career for me would be a job in the trades, specifically welding. After graduation, I plan on attending a community college or trade school. I am interested in the welding trade because in high school I have always struggled academically. My freshman and sophomore years were tough. I struggle with ADHD and dyslexia. Fortunately, I was placed in an IEP program at the end of my sophomore year and also started taking industrial tech classes my junior year. This was a real game changer for me because I was able to learn skills to do better in school, and learned positive habits that helped me become a better student. The IEP Study Skills class taught me how to be more organized and I loved the hands-on learning that the industrial tech classes offered. I enjoy welding because I like to repair things and make useful items. My big welding projects this last year included a side table and a metal porch swing that I customized and made for my mom to give to her on Mother's Day. I have also repaired some farm equipment, trailers, and other projects for friends and neighbors. It makes me feel good to help others out and make things that are used regularly. I am a very creative person and always looking for ways to think outside of the box. An example of this is the time I made my mom a heavy-duty metal porch swing. She wanted something sturdy enough to endure the weather in the country, but looked nice too. It is so nice to see my parents sit on the swing that I built and I am proud of the work. Another way I am thinking outside of the box is enrolling in the Sangamon Valley CEO program. The CEO Program is offered to seniors in our community. The class meets at 7 am Monday- Friday and then I will also be taking the regular senior class load with a math class focused to help students going into the trades. CEO teaches skills that I will be able to implement in real life and work experiences. It helps build skills such as creativity, leadership, encouragement, and entrepreneurship. This will help prepare me to be a responsible, enterprising individual and contribute to economic development and sustainable communities while also allowing me to do welding work. The CEO program is great for a hands-on learner like me to immerse me in real-life learning experiences with the opportunity to take risks, manage the results, and learn from the outcomes. My ideal plan after graduation would be to attend a local community college with a welding program that is affordable or attend a technical school. I am working hard to find ways to get my training while staying financially responsible and not have large amounts of school loans. I will work part time as a laborer and seasonal farm help, as well as applying for scholarships to help with the costs. I am sorry for your loss of Kevin. He sounds like we are very similar and I appreciate that you offer this scholarship to assist non traditional students pursuing a career in the trades/ welding in his memory. Thank you for your consideration.

My dream career for me would be a job in the trades, specifically welding/pipefitting. After graduation, I plan on attending a community college or trade school. I am interested in the trades because in high school I have always struggled academically. My freshman and sophomore years were tough. I struggle with ADHD and dyslexia. Fortunately, I was placed in an IEP program at the end of my sophomore year and also started taking industrial tech classes my junior year. This was a real game changer for me because I was able to learn skills to do better in school, and learned positive habits that helped me become a better student. The IEP Study Skills class taught me how to be more organized and I loved the hands-on learning that the industrial tech classes offered. I enjoy welding because I like to repair things and make useful items. My big welding projects this last year included a side table and a metal porch swing that I customized and made for my mom to give to her on Mother's Day. I have also repaired some farm equipment, trailers, and other projects for friends and neighbors. It makes me feel good to help others out and make things that are used regularly. I am a very creative person and always looking for ways to think outside of the box. An example of this is the time I made my mom a heavy-duty metal porch swing. She wanted something sturdy enough to endure the weather in the country, but looked nice too. It is so nice to see my parents sit on the swing that I built and I am proud of the work. Another way I am thinking outside of the box is enrolling in the Sangamon Valley CEO program. The CEO Program is offered to seniors in our community. The class meets at 7 am Monday- Friday and then I will also be taking the regular senior class load with a math class focused to help students going into the trades. CEO teaches skills that I will be able to implement in real life and work experiences. It helps build skills such as creativity, leadership, encouragement, and entrepreneurship. This will help prepare me to be a responsible, enterprising individual and contribute to economic development and sustainable communities while also allowing me to do welding work. The CEO program is great for a hands-on learner like me to immerse me in real-life learning experiences with the opportunity to take risks, manage the results, and learn from the outcomes. My ideal plan after graduation would be to attend a local community college with an industrial technology/ manufacturing program that is affordable or attend Technical Institute. I am applying for this scholarship to assist in the cost as much as I can. I appreciate that you offer this scholarship to assist non traditional students pursuing a career in the trades and your consideration.

My dream career for me would be a job in the trades, specifically welding/pipefitting. After graduation, I plan on attending a community college or trade school. I am interested in the trades because in high school I have always struggled academically. My freshman and sophomore years were tough. I struggle with ADHD and dyslexia. Fortunately, I was placed in an IEP program at the end of my sophomore year and also started taking industrial tech classes my junior year. This was a real game changer for me because I was able to learn skills to do better in school, and learned positive habits that helped me become a better student. The IEP Study Skills class taught me how to be more organized and I loved the hands-on learning that the industrial tech classes offered. I enjoy welding because I like to repair things and make useful items. My big welding projects this last year included a side table and a metal porch swing that I customized and made for my mom to give to her on Mother's Day. I have also repaired some farm equipment, trailers, and other projects for friends and neighbors. It makes me feel good to help others out and make things that are used regularly. I am a very creative person and always looking for ways to think outside of the box. An example of this is the time I made my mom a heavy-duty metal porch swing. She wanted something sturdy enough to endure the weather in the country, but looked nice too. It is so nice to see my parents sit on the swing that I built and I am proud of the work. Another way I am thinking outside of the box is enrolling in the Sangamon Valley CEO program. The CEO Program is offered to seniors in our community. The class meets at 7 am Monday- Friday and then I will also be taking the regular senior class load with a math class focused to help students going into the trades. CEO teaches skills that I will be able to implement in real life and work experiences. It helps build skills such as creativity, leadership, encouragement, and entrepreneurship. This will help prepare me to be a responsible, enterprising individual and contribute to economic development and sustainable communities while also allowing me to do welding work. The CEO program is great for a hands-on learner like me to immerse me in real-life learning experiences with the opportunity to take risks, manage the results, and learn from the outcomes. My ideal plan after graduation would be to attend a local community college with an industrial technology/ manufacturing program that is affordable or attend Technical Institute. I am applying for this scholarship to assist in the cost as much as I can. I appreciate that you offer this scholarship to assist non traditional students pursuing a career in the trades and your consideration.

My name is Max Scheffer. I am a senior at Monticello High School. I found a passion for welding and trades in my industrial tech classes in high school and have decided I would really like to attend a trade school to pursue my welding certification or attend a local community college's industrial tech program. I have struggled academically in the past and have been in and out of IEP programs for my learning disabilities. Recently placed back into the IEP program the end of my sophomore year and it has helped immensely to help me get back on track. I was excited to be accepted in to my school's CEO program for my senior year and possibly be an entrepreneur some day. I am a hard worker with lots of energy and have a passion for trade work and labor. I take pride in my strong work ethic, but also that I work well with others. I feel I am a good employee that doesn't mind getting my hands dirty or help others out to get the job done. I have been able to make good friends with my coworkers. My high school industrial technology teacher has had a big impact on my life. I always struggled academically until I started taking his classes. It changed my entire mindset and always looked forward to going to my welding/ industrial tech classes. I want to pursue a career in welding, because I prefer hands on learning and really enjoy trade work. I enjoy being able to come to class and get straight to work. My mom and stepdad raised me. My stepdad came into my life when I was about a year old and been a father figure to me. I have a half sister that lives in Indianapolis and a half brother that I live with in Monticello. Recently I have been finding work that can get me experience in the trade field. I worked full time as a laborer this last summer for SK Exteriors. At SK I dig fence post holes, carry heavy bags of concrete, tear down old and bring in the new. Every day I am filthy, my hands have blisters, and I have worked in all weather conditions BUT I love the feeling of accomplishment I feel when I clock out. Unfortunately, I was no longer able to work full time at SK when school and sports started back up my senior year. Currently, I pick up all side jobs that I can and also do seasonal work for Frontier Farms. I am currently in the CEO program at my school and have been doing little welding projects to possibly use as my class business. I created a metal front porch swing for my mom, repaired some items for friends, and now making shoe racks out of horseshoes. In the CEO program, we travel to local businesses to learn the ins and outs of being a successful businessman. I am also taking a math class that is focused to help students going into the trades. CEO teaches skills that I will be able to implement in real life and work experiences. It helps build skills such as creativity, leadership, encouragement, and entrepreneurship. The CEO program is great for a hands-on learner like me to get real life learning experiences with the opportunity to take risks, manage the results, and learn from the outcomes. I feel the skills will help me whatever I decide to do. My goal is to attend a local community college's Industrial Technology program or trade school.

My dream career for me would be a job in the trades, specifically welding. After graduation, I plan on attending a community college or trade school. I am interested in the welding trade because in high school I have always struggled academically. My freshman and sophomore years were tough. I struggle with ADHD and dyslexia. Fortunately, I was placed in an IEP program at the end of my sophomore year and also started taking industrial tech classes my junior year. This was a real game changer for me because I was able to learn skills to do better in school, and learned positive habits that helped me become a better student. The IEP Study Skills class taught me how to be more organized and I loved the hands-on learning that the industrial tech classes offered. I enjoy welding because I like to repair things and make useful items. My big welding projects this last year included a side table and a metal porch swing that I customized and made for my mom to give to her on Mother's Day. I have also repaired some farm equipment, trailers, and other projects for friends and neighbors. It makes me feel good to help others out and make things that are used regularly. I am a very creative person and always looking for ways to think outside of the box. An example of this is the time I made my mom a heavy-duty metal porch swing. She wanted something sturdy enough to endure the weather in the country, but looked nice too. It is so nice to see my parents sit on the swing that I built and I am proud of the work. Another way I am thinking outside of the box is enrolling in the Sangamon Valley CEO program. The CEO Program is offered to seniors in our community. The class meets at 7 am Monday- Friday and then I will also be taking the regular senior class load with a math class focused to help students going into the trades. CEO teaches skills that I will be able to implement in real life and work experiences. It helps build skills such as creativity, leadership, encouragement, and entrepreneurship. This will help prepare me to be a responsible, enterprising individual and contribute to economic development and sustainable communities while also allowing me to do welding work. The CEO program is great for a hands-on learner like me to immerse me in real-life learning experiences with the opportunity to take risks, manage the results, and learn from the outcomes. My ideal plan after graduation would be to attend a local community college with a welding program that is affordable or attend Kentucky Welding Institute. My preference is to attend KWI. The reason I like the KWI program is because it is an accelerated 6-month program that I can complete quickly and start work right away. The only downfall with KWI is that student loans are not available so my parents will have to cosign a loan for approximately $25,000 to cover the expense of the accelerated program. I am hopeful I can make this work, get my certification, and start working to pay back my debt after the 6-month program is done. I am applying for this scholarship to assist in the cost as much as I can. I appreciate that you offer this scholarship to assist non traditional students pursuing a career in the trades and your consideration.

If you were to go to my school and ask teachers or administration about me, I think the first description would be "compassionate". As I grew up, my dad was absent most of my childhood. Unfortunately, he struggled with addiction and mental health issues that did not allow him to be a stable parent to depend on. This helped me to be compassionate and empathetic at a very young age. I love my dad and know that his mental health issues not only caused struggles for him but everyone close to him. This experience has opened my eyes to other's struggles and made me want to make a difference whenever I can. I feel I am very keen on noticing when others are struggling and always try to reach out, lend a helping hand, or just be a friend when needed. I also struggle with ADHD and dyslexia. Not everyone understands these struggles, but I am fortunate to have teachers that have made a difference in helping me to be a better student. They have made a lasting impression on me and I try to pay it forward any way I can. In middle school, I became friends with a boy that moved to our community in his 6th-grade year. He was not very sociable and struggled to make friends. He would sit alone in the cafeteria and I took it upon myself to sit with him almost every day. I enjoyed my lunch with him and it made me feel good. I also try to volunteer for various community activities and events as much as I can. My mom works for a hospital which allows me to volunteer a lot with her. I also volunteered last year with Tim Tebow's Night to Shine as a buddy and had a blast! I can't wait to volunteer next year and find other opportunities to help with Special Olympics or other programs like this. Eventually, when I am done with school and have a job, I hope to be able to mentor younger kids that might struggle with ADHD like I do (did), that have a broken family or deal with mental illness in the family, or volunteer to coach for Special Olympics. I will never stop being a Buddy at Night to Shine or involved in some capacity! I love being able to help out or be a friend to someone that needs it the most.

After graduation I plan on pursuing a certification in welding. I am interested in the welding trade, because in high school I have always struggled academically. My freshman and sophomore years were tough. I struggle with ADHD and dyslexia. Fortunately, I was placed in an IEP program the end of my sophomore year and also started taking industrial tech classes my junior year. This was a real game changer for me, because I was able to learn skills to do better in school with the IEP Study Skills class and I loved the hands on learning that the industrial tech classes offered. I also really like repairing things and making items that are useful. My big welding projects this last year included a side table and a metal front porch swing that I customized and made for my mom. I have also repaired some farm equipment, trailers, and other projects for friends and neighbors. It makes me feel good to help others out and making things that are used on a regular basis. This last summer I have been working full time as a laborer for a company called SK Exterior. The work is hard. Sometimes I am digging fence post holes, carrying heavy bags of concrete, tearing down old and bringing in the new. Every day I am filthy, my hands have blisters, and I have worked in all weather conditions BUT I love the feeling of accomplishment I feel when I clock out. I also try to take advantage of every opportunity the company gives me to work and learn from the welders. I sometimes will come in early or leave late to get some extra practice. I am proud to say I have been able to save money and purchase a stick welder and various other equipment needed to expand what I can do. Eventually I would like to buy a truck to haul everything and do more work. I am a very creative person and always looking for ways to think outside of the box. An example of this is the time I made my mom a heavy duty metal porch swing. She wanted something that was sturdy, but looked nice. It is so nice to see my parents sit on the swing most evenings that I built and I am proud of the work. Another way I am thinking outside of the box is enrolling in the Sangamon Valley CEO program. The CEO Program is offered to seniors in our community. The class meets at 7am in the morning Monday- Friday and then I will also be taking the regular senior class load with a math class focused to help students going into the trades. CEO teaches skills that I will be able to implement in real life and work experiences. It helps build skills such as creativity, leadership, encouragement, and entrepreneurship. This will help prepare me to be a responsible, enterprising individual and contribute to economic development and sustainable communities while also allowing me to do welding work. The CEO program is great for a hands-on learner like me to immerse me in real-life learning experiences with the opportunity to take risks, manage the results, and learn from the outcomes. I feel the skills will help me if I choose to work as a union member, own my own company, or whatever I decide to do with my welding certifications earned. My ideal plan after graduation would be to be accepted into a pipefitter union apprenticeship program or attend Kentucky Welding Institute. The reason I like the KWI program is because it is an accelerated 6-month program that I can complete quickly and start work right away. The only downfall with KWI is that student loans are not available and so my parents will have to cosign a loan for approximately $40,000-$50,000 to cover the expense of the accelerated program. I am hopeful I can make this work, get my certification, and start working to pay back my debt after the 6-month program is done. I am applying for this scholarship to assist in the cost as much as I can. If you were an adult in my life that knows me well, you would recommend me to receive the scholarship because I am a hard worker, generous, compassionate, creative, make the most of any scenario, and have a passion for the trades especially welding.

Max Scheffer Scholarship Essay I am not a high honor roll student and I struggle taking tests, but I have always put forth full effort at school. I have a good attitude, good relationship with teachers, and I try hard. My freshman and sophomore year of high school were big years of struggle for me academically, until I was accepted back into an IEP program late spring of my sophomore year. I have struggled with ADHD and dyslexia my entire school career. The IEP program and Study Skills program I started my sophomore year was a true game changer. It helped me to improve my weaknesses and build on my strengths. Another game changer is starting to take industrial tech classes in high school. I have found my passion and realized that I am more of a hands-on learner. I look forward to my welding classes everyday and always feel a sense of accomplishment when it is over. My junior year was a big year of growth for me and has made me realize that welding is the field I want to go into and feel it is something that I can excel in. This last summer I have been working full time as a laborer for a company called SK Exterior. The work is hard. Sometimes I am digging fence post holes, carrying heavy bags of concrete, tearing down old and bringing in the new. Every day I am filthy, my hands have blisters, and I have worked in all weather conditions BUT I love the feeling of accomplishment I feel when I clock out. I also try to take advantage of every opportunity the company gives me to work and learn from the welders. I sometimes will come in early or leave late to get some extra practice. During my senior year, I will be participating in a program called Sangamon Valley CEO. The CEO Program is offered to seniors in our community. The class meets at 7am in the morning Monday- Friday and then I will also be taking the regular senior class load with a math class focused to help students going into the trades. CEO teaches skills that I will be able to implement in real life and work experiences. It helps build skills such as creativity, leadership, encouragement, and entrepreneurship. This will help prepare me to be a responsible, enterprising individual and contribute to economic development and sustainable communities while also allowing me to do welding work. The CEO program is great for a hands-on learner like me to immerse me in real life learning experiences with the opportunity to take risks, manage the results, and learn from the outcomes. I feel the skills will help me if I choose to work as a union member, own my own company, or whatever I decide to do with my welding certifications earned. My ideal plan after graduation would be to be accepted into a pipefitter union apprenticeship program or attend Kentucky Welding Institute. The KWI program is a 6-month program. The only downfall with KWI is that student loans are not available and so my parents will have to cosign a loan for approximately $40,000-$50,000 to cover the expense of the accelerated program. One good thing is that I will be able to start work right away and start paying back my debt after the 6-month program is done. I am applying for this scholarship to assist in the cost as much as I can. I appreciate you taking the time to consider me for this scholarship and look forward to hearing back from you.

Max Scheffer Scholarship Essay I am not a high honor roll student and I struggle taking tests, but I have always put forth full effort at school. I have a good attitude, good relationship with teachers, and I try hard. My freshman and sophomore year of high school were big years of struggle for me academically, until I was accepted back into an IEP program late spring of my sophomore year. I have struggled with ADHD and dyslexia my entire school career. The IEP program and Study Skills program I started my sophomore year was a true game changer. It helped me to improve my weaknesses and build on my strengths. Another game changer is starting to take industrial tech classes in high school. I have found my passion and realized that I am more of a hands-on learner. I look forward to my welding classes everyday and always feel a sense of accomplishment when it is over. My junior year was a big year of growth for me and has made me realize that welding is the field I want to go into and feel it is something that I can excel in. This last summer I have been working full time as a laborer for a company called SK Exterior. The work is hard. Sometimes I am digging fence post holes, carrying heavy bags of concrete, tearing down old and bringing in the new. Every day I am filthy, my hands have blisters, and I have worked in all weather conditions BUT I love the feeling of accomplishment I feel when I clock out. I also try to take advantage of every opportunity the company gives me to work and learn from the welders. I sometimes will come in early or leave late to get some extra practice. During my senior year, I will be participating in a program called Sangamon Valley CEO. The CEO Program is offered to seniors in our community. The class meets at 7am in the morning Monday- Friday and then I will also be taking the regular senior class load with a math class focused to help students going into the trades. CEO teaches skills that I will be able to implement in real life and work experiences. It helps build skills such as creativity, leadership, encouragement, and entrepreneurship. This will help prepare me to be a responsible, enterprising individual and contribute to economic development and sustainable communities while also allowing me to do welding work. The CEO program is great for a hands-on learner like me to immerse me in real life learning experiences with the opportunity to take risks, manage the results, and learn from the outcomes. I feel the skills will help me if I choose to work as a union member, own my own company, or whatever I decide to do with my welding certifications earned. My ideal plan after graduation would be to be accepted into a pipefitter union apprenticeship program or attend Kentucky Welding Institute. The KWI program is a 6-month program. The only downfall with KWI is that student loans are not available and so my parents will have to cosign a loan for approximately $40,000-$50,000 to cover the expense of the accelerated program. One good thing is that I will be able to start work right away and start paying back my debt after the 6-month program is done. I am applying for this scholarship to assist in the cost as much as I can. I appreciate you taking the time to consider me for this scholarship and look forward to hearing back from you.

Max Scheffer Scholarship Essay I am not a high honor roll student and I struggle taking tests, but I have always put forth full effort at school. I have a good attitude, good relationship with teachers, and I try hard. My freshman and sophomore year of high school were big years of struggle for me academically, until I was accepted back into an IEP program late spring of my sophomore year. I have struggled with ADHD and dyslexia my entire school career. The IEP program and Study Skills program I started my sophomore year was a true game changer. It helped me to improve my weaknesses and build on my strengths. Another game changer is starting to take industrial tech classes in high school. I have found my passion and realized that I am more of a hands-on learner. I look forward to my welding classes everyday and always feel a sense of accomplishment when it is over. My junior year was a big year of growth for me and has made me realize that welding is the field I want to go into and feel it is something that I can excel in. This last summer I have been working full time as a laborer for a company called SK Exterior. The work is hard. Sometimes I am digging fence post holes, carrying heavy bags of concrete, tearing down old and bringing in the new. Every day I am filthy, my hands have blisters, and I have worked in all weather conditions BUT I love the feeling of accomplishment I feel when I clock out. I also try to take advantage of every opportunity the company gives me to work and learn from the welders. I sometimes will come in early or leave late to get some extra practice. During my senior year, I will be participating in a program called Sangamon Valley CEO. The CEO Program is offered to seniors in our community. The class meets at 7am in the morning Monday- Friday and then I will also be taking the regular senior class load with a math class focused to help students going into the trades. CEO teaches skills that I will be able to implement in real life and work experiences. It helps build skills such as creativity, leadership, encouragement, and entrepreneurship. This will help prepare me to be a responsible, enterprising individual and contribute to economic development and sustainable communities while also allowing me to do welding work. The CEO program is great for a hands-on learner like me to immerse me in real life learning experiences with the opportunity to take risks, manage the results, and learn from the outcomes. I feel the skills will help me if I choose to work as a union member, own my own company, or whatever I decide to do with my welding certifications earned. My ideal plan after graduation would be to be accepted into a pipefitter union apprenticeship program or attend Kentucky Welding Institute. The KWI program is a 6-month program. The only downfall with KWI is that student loans are not available and so my parents will have to cosign a loan for approximately $40,000-$50,000 to cover the expense of the accelerated program. One good thing is that I will be able to start work right away and start paying back my debt after the 6-month program is done. I am applying for this scholarship to assist in the cost as much as I can. I appreciate you taking the time to consider me for this scholarship and look forward to hearing back from you.

Max Scheffer Scholarship Essay I am not a high honor roll student and I struggle taking tests, but I have always put forth full effort at school. I have a good attitude, good relationship with teachers, and I try hard. My freshman and sophomore year of high school were big years of struggle for me academically, until I was accepted back into an IEP program late spring of my sophomore year. I have struggled with ADHD and dyslexia my entire school career. The IEP program and Study Skills program that I started my sophomore year was a true game changer. It helped me to improve my weaknesses and build on my strengths. Another game changer is starting to take industrial tech classes at my high school. I have found my passion and realized that I am more of a hands-on learner. I look forward to my welding classes everyday and always feel a sense of accomplishment when it is over. My junior year was a big year of growth for me and has made me realize that welding is the field I want to go into and feel it is something that I can excel in. This last summer I have been working full time as a laborer for a company called SK Exterior. The work is hard. Sometimes I am digging fence post holes, carrying heavy bags of concrete, tearing down old and bringing in the new. Every day I am filthy, my hands have blisters, and I have worked in all weather conditions BUT I love the feeling of accomplishment I feel when I clock out. I also try to take advantage of every opportunity the company gives me to work and learn from the welders. I sometimes will come in early or leave late to get some extra practice. During my senior year, I will be participating in a program called Sangamon Valley CEO. The CEO Program is offered to seniors in our community. The class meets at 7am in the morning Monday- Friday and then I will also be taking the regular senior class load with a math class focused to help students going into the trades. CEO teaches skills that I will be able to implement in real life and work experiences. It helps build skills such as creativity, leadership, encouragement, and entrepreneurship. This will help prepare me to be a responsible, enterprising individual and contribute to economic development and sustainable communities while also allowing me to do welding work. The CEO program is great for a hands-on learner like me to immerse me in real life learning experiences with the opportunity to take risks, manage the results, and learn from the outcomes. I feel the skills will help me if I choose to work as a union member, own my own company, or whatever I decide to do with my welding certifications earned. My ideal plan after graduation would be to be accepted into a pipefitter union apprenticeship program or attend Kentucky Welding Institute. The KWI program is a 6-month program. The only downfall with KWI is that student loans are not available and so my parents will have to cosign a loan for approximately $40,000-$50,000 to cover the expense of the accelerated program. One good thing is that I will be able to start work right away and start paying back my debt after the 6-month program is done. I am applying for this scholarship to assist in the cost as much as I can. I appreciate you taking the time to consider me for this scholarship and look forward to hearing back.