1. I've spent the past two years in trade school working on getting my associate's degree. In just a couple short months, I'll be graduating and pursuing a career as a wind turbine technician. This has been my dream for years now, and I'm closer than ever to realizing this goal. I'm passionate about this career for a few reasons. For starters, it'll present me with the opportunity to work hands-on. Trade school has been one of the most fun experiences I've had, and the most I've enjoyed any school. It's satisfying to work with an array of tools to solve problems and have tangible results from your labor. Furthermore, I'm passionate about the wind turbine industry for the abilities to travel and exercise through work. Many wind technician careers are travel roles where you get sent to various wind farms across the US, or even internationally. Additionally, you also have to climb 300+ feet of ladder to get to work. I'm into fitness, and I'd love to travel the world, so by being a wind turbine technician I'd be able to pursue both these interests. 2. My plans after my trade education are to join the industry as a wind turbine technician. I only have a couple months left till I get my degree, so I've already started applying to openings at various companies. My plan is to keep living at home with my parents and get sent to different wind sites for weeks at a time. Once I get a few years of experience under my belt, I might even try working in offshore wind. As if working on wind turbines wasn't thrilling enough, the ability to do it on water sounds amazing. 3. A time in my life when I overcame adversity was when my grandpa passed away last year. It was the day right before Easter and the weekend right before my final exam for one of my hardest classes. I still remember sitting down to breakfast when my mom's phone rang and she answered it. Then a grave look came over her face as I heard her exclaim, "He's dead?!?" In the following days, I still had to go to school, take the exam, go to the visitation and funeral, and still go to work that week. It was challenging to manage working and taking one of the hardest exams of my life while dealing with the loved of someone I loved so much, but I overcame it. All I had to do was give it time and keep putting in the effort to get good grades. In conclusion, I'm passionate about pursuing a career as a wind turbine technician, which is what I plan to do after my trade education. I've already started applying to jobs to accomplish this. Even in the face of adversity, such as losing loved ones, I'm able to persist and keep putting in the effort. I've come so far to reach my goals, and nothing's stopping me now.

For me, the sky isn't just the limit - it's where I want to work. I am enrolled in Universal Technical Institute's associate degree program, part of which is wind turbine technology. Once I graduate, I plan to find a career working on wind turbines so that I can contribute to the clean energy industry. I have already completed the wind turbine technology education, as well as the industrial maintenance portion, leaving me with just robotics. The former portion taught me all about how to troubleshoot, maintenance, and repair various parts of a wind turbine, specifically the nacelle. Additionally, it taught me critical safety aspects, such as climb and rescue, suspension trauma, safety equipment and tools, and the like. In addition to learning about wind turbines and related topics such as physics or AC/DC electrical, Universal Technical Institute has also helped provide me with certifications that will help me find a career once I graduate. I have received certifications in OSHA, NFPA, AHA, and most importantly, GWO. My Global Wind Organization (GWO) certification will tremendously impact my ability to find a career in the wind turbine industry because it proves that I have the skills and knowledge to successfully work on wind turbines and handle emergency events that may arise in the field. Once I graduate with my associate's degree, I hope to find a career as a wind turbine technician. Having the opportunity to travel the world working 300+ feet in the air sounds exciting to me, almost like a dream come true. Working with my hands is already fun, but the thrill of feeling on top of the world will be unlike any other. Not only that, but by climbing to the top of turbines and working hands-on, I can get exercise from work. This is a benefit for me because I love to work out, so working a career like this will keep me in shape. These are all great benefits of being a wind turbine technician, but one of the greatest things I'm looking forward to is the ability to help the world. Wind energy is proven to be safer for the environment than alternative energy sources such as fossil fuels or nuclear. Additionally, it's renewable, and I highly doubt we'll ever run out of wind. With these benefits, you'd expect the tradeoff would be higher cost. However, while it might have higher upfront costs, wind energy eventually pays itself off. As wind energy becomes more popular and accessible, these benefits will keep having a positive impact on the world. That means by me working on wind turbines and keeping them up and running, I am helping to provide these benefits. I'm creating a greener planet that more and more people can use and afford. I won't just be helping my own community, I'll be helping thousands. In conclusion, I plan to work in the wind turbine technology trade after obtaining my associate's degree. I am pursuing this trade because of the thrill and satisfaction I will find working it, as well as so that I can help the world both environmentally and economically. All I ask is that you please consider me for this scholarship and help me help others.

1. I plan to pursue Wind Turbine Technology after graduation. 2. I am interested in Wind Turbine Technology because of the opportunity to work hands-on, but also for the thrill of the job. As a wind turbine technician, I'll have the ability to travel to different places across the country to work, and I love to travel. Then I'll be able to climb 300+ feet in the air to work. This is perfect for me because I love exercise and weightlifting, so by climbing that much length of ladder I'll be able to get exercise at work. Not to mention, it's just thrilling and fun being so high up. I'll get a pretty view from my workplace, which sounds nice. 3. So far I've gotten plenty of outside the box problem solving experience in trade school. I've worked on a multitude of projects such as gearbox inspections, generator alignments, wiring boards, climb and rescue scenarios, and more. While most of my work will be more mechanical, my biggest problem-solving project was troubleshooting a relay board. Two classmates and I had to wire a board with buttons, lights, and relays so that when we pressed one button, it would turn a motor, and when we press the other button the motor would reverse direction. When we pushed a third button, it would cut power to the motor to stop it. We initially wired it perfectly then had another student put some faults into it for us to find. By checking voltage and testing continuity, as well as simply inspecting our board visually, we were able to find and fix over 20 faults. 4. I'm currently about halfway through my studies in trade school, and can't wait to get a career as a wind turbine technician as soon as I graduate. I'm about to graduate my Wind Turbine Technology course in less than two weeks from now. After I finish this course, I plan to learn Industrial Maintenance, and finally Robotics from the same school. My school has a program to get an associate's degree if you take these three trade programs, which is what I plan on doing. I still have an additional 8-10 months of school, towards the end of which I plan to apply to different wind technology companies such as Vestas, Nordex, Siemens, IPS, and more. I've already had contact with a couple companies at career fairs because I want to set myself up for success as much as possible. Trade school hasn't just helped me learn about my desired trade - it's given me the resources to help me find a career. So far in trade school, I've received four different certifications that will be useful in the industry: OSHA10, NFPA70E, AHA First Aid, and probably the most useful, GWO. With these certifications under my belt, I will be able to stand out to potential employers. In fact, I'm one of only 200,000 in the world with a GWO certificate, which will definitely help me in my goal of becoming a wind turbine technician. 5. Any adult that knows me well would be able to tell you how hard of a worker I am. From my boss at work to my teachers in school, or even my own parents, any adult you ask would say I'm very disciplined and self-motivated. I always give my best effort in whatever I do: work, school, house chores, studying, helping others, etc. That is why an adult you call would recommend me for this scholarship.

I'm currently in my second year of trade school working towards getting my associate's degree in Energy Technology. This involves learning three different trades: wind turbine technology, industrial maintenance, and robotics. I've already completed the first two programs and am graduating from the last this year. I chose the trades because I want a job that I'll enjoy and be able to work hands-on. I chose the energy industry, specifically wind turbine technology, because power is in huge demand in modern society, so they'll be no shortage of work for me, and I'll be able to help provide electricity to countless customers all while helping the environment by working with renewables. After graduating, I plan to find a career as a wind turbine technician, and this is for several reasons. Firstly, I'll get to work hands-on in a skilled trade, and get exercise while doing so. These are both things I enjoy, as working with tools is fun to me, and I love working out. Next, I'll be able to travel in this career path. Typically, wind turbine technicians are sent to different wind farms throughout the country, or even the world, to work on them. That means I'll get to explore plenty of places I never would've expected to visit otherwise. Finally, I'll be able to help both people and the environment. Power doesn't magically appear on its own- something or someone has to produce it. By working on wind turbines, one of the fastest-growing renewable power sources today, I'll be providing that power to those in need. Wind energy is also cleaner and better economically than sources such as fossil fuels, or even other renewables like geothermal. That means my work will have a better environmental impact on the world all for cheaper. To me, success is all about reaching your goals, and even beyond them. I know that I'll achieve success by finding a happy career in my desired industry because I have God on my side. One of the most important things in my life is my faith as a Lutheran Christian. God has guided me every step of the way so far in my life, from allowing me to graduate from trade school with two certificates already, to when I had personal struggles in my life that affected my trade education. He's been there for me to guide me, and I have no doubt He'll continue to do so even far after I graduate again and find my dream career. Of course, just because God is helping me doesn't mean I'll sit and be idle. I know my efforts to succeed will be essential. For years now, I've been putting in hard work and dedication towards achieving my goals, and I plan to do so as long as possible. Even from back in high school when I worked two jobs, partook in extracurriculars, and volunteered in numerous organizations, till now when I'm still working hard, studying plenty, and exercising every day to stay in prime shape for the trades, I know I'll find success through hard work and determination. With my faith in God and discipline combined, I know I'll achieve a successful life and reach whatever goals I have ahead of me. I don't care to have a large bank account or a big house, or anything like that. I just want to live a God-pleasing, happy life, maybe start a family, and retire. Even with just these, I know I'll be satisfied and be successful in my own eyes.

When I was confirmed at the end of my 8th grade year, my confirmation verse was John 15:5: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (NIV). Ever since then, I've seen that verse being fulfilled throughout my life. My faith has helped me stay devoted towards hard work and helping others, and God has richly blessed me in innumerable ways during my short time on this earth. Ever since I got confirmed, I realized I needed to take my faith more seriously. I used to live very sinfully (of course, I still do today), but I started making conscientious efforts to improve myself. This is what has motivated me to work hard in school, at my job, and eventually at my future career after college. In my efforts to live all in for God, I joined volunteer organizations during high school so I could help others. I signed up for student council and National Honor Society during my junior and senior years, then helped with events for both of these organizations. By volunteering in my school community, I could work for God's glory and help my small parochial school engage in Christ-centered events for students to enjoy. Beyond these organizations, I also served as an usher in my church, and still am one to this day. Even more recently, I have started to deacon so that I can help pass out communion with my pastor. Throughout my daily life, I've also been trying to stay close to God. I started praying more and pray about many things I do, even about filling out this scholarship essay. I also set aside time each day to read God's Word. Every night before bed, I'll read the Bible anywhere from 20-45 minutes. On nights I can't do this because of work or other life events, I do my best to make sure I fit in time to read before. So far, I've read the NIV twice and am currently reading an EHV Study Bible I just got. While blessings and salvation can't be earned through efforts, such as these, I have started noticing recently just how blessed I truly am. I realized that everything around me - my home, family, friends, job, education - all these things, God could take away at any minute. A lot of people go without one or several of these blessings that I'm truly blessed to have them in my life. Beyond that, I've noticed recently that I simply feel happier with my life. School, work, family life, etc. have all been going great for me, and I know these are all blessings from God. Going forward, I know my faith will continue to guide not just my career but my entire life. My faith empowers me to try my best for God, which I plan to do in the workforce. I want to let my light shine so that others can see just how much God can change a person's life and come to faith themselves. I also know it'll be thanks to God that I find a job where I'll be happy and can work hard for Him. In conclusion, God has helped me immensely in my life by encouraging me to work hard in everything and by blessing me with more than I could ask or imagine. I pray that God's will take place whether or not I receive this scholarship, since I know His plan for everyone is perfect.

My faith in God is one of the most important things in my life. It's what drives me to do what I do and keep working hard no matter what. It's instilled in me a desire to help others, which was one of the major influences in my decision to study wind turbine technology. In this trade, I can make an impact on the world by helping to provide clean, sustainable energy to countless people. Another influence besides my faith was my desire to work a hands-on career. I wouldn't mind working a normal office job if I had to, but I just like working with my hands so much more. It makes work that much more engaging, and time just seems to fly while you're doing lab projects in trade school. Since I enrolled into trade school, I've wired electrical boards, aligned generators, replaced parts of a wind turbine nacelle, repaired parts off a steam turbine, welded, rappelled down great heights, and done so many other thrilling things I could've never done in a regular college. I've already completed my wind turbine technology course and received my certificate, but I didn't just stop there. I went on to get my certificate in industrial maintenance and am currently studying robotics. After completing this final trade, I will have my associate's degree in energy technology. Not only did I get these diplomas, but I also received the following certifications from various organizations: OSHA10, NFPA70E, American Heart Association CPR, and GWO. I'm also studying to take my NIULPE exam soon, which is all about industrial boilers. While trade school has been fun so far, it hasn't been all smooth sailing. The week of my industrial maintenance final exam, my grandpa passed suddenly. It was a difficult time for my family and I, but I was able to push through and pass the exam with 98/100- the highest in the class. Besides that, my schedule is also busy and it can be tough to manage working part-time and being in school full-time. Yet I make it work, and I know it'll all be worth it after I graduate. Speaking of graduating, I hope to find a career in either wind turbine technology or boiler and steam turbine operation after I graduate. In either of these trades, I wish to make a difference in the world by providing power to innumerable customers. Electricity is something we often take for granted, so by working in this career I hope to help keep it stable. It'll be people like me who are working behind the scenes to make sure things are running as they should, and fix it when something's off. In conclusion, I'm studying energy technology with a focus on wind energy and boiler operation. It's my faith in God and desire to work hands-on that drive me to find a job where I could help others and work in the trades. I know with hard work and dedication, I can realize these goals.

Fun fact: 'wind turbine service technician' is currently the fastest growing job in the US. According to the BLS, it's expected to grow 60% from 2023-2033. Another fun fact: less than 200,000 people in the world have their Global Wind Organisation (GWO) certification. One more fun fact: I'm pursuing the trade of wind turbine technology, and am one of the less than 0.0025% people in the world to have their GWO certification. As a future wind turbine technician, it would be my job to troubleshoot, repair, and maintain wind turbines. This could include anything from helping with the building of new turbines to lubricating various parts and bearings, testing electrical equipment for voltage and resistance, or even rappelling off the front to work on the blades. It's can be dangerous and sometimes even frightening, but the rewards of the job are worth it. I want to pursue a career in this field for a variety of reasons, with the first being so I can work hands-on. I could work a white-collar job if I wanted to, but to me it just doesn't seem as fun. By working in the trades however, I could do physical labor, use some pretty neat tools and equipment, and just get absorbed into my work. In trade school, you'd be surprised how fast a couple hours go by in the lab; I don't expect it to be any different out in the real industry. Another reason I want to become a wind turbine technician is so that I can travel. There are wind turbines all over the world, not just the US. By pursuing a career in this field, I would be able to fly all over to places I never expected to visit, all while on company time and coin. My instructors in trade school have told me about how they've gotten to visit places such as Alaska, Florida, Puerto Rico, and more. This would be an amazing opportunity to explore the world, or even just more of America, which is something I've wanted to do for a long time. As passionate as I am about becoming a wind turbine technician, it hasn't always been my dream. In fact, I had never even heard of this career until about a year and a half ago. At first, I was planning on doing welding, so I started looking for trade schools near me. When I found one that seemed right for me, I decided to take a guided tour to learn more, which is where I happened to learn about their wind technology program. Ever since I saw a nacelle up close and got to go inside, something inside me sparked. It was then and there that I knew I wanted to find a career in this industry. A year and a half later from enrolling into trade school, here I am now with my wind turbine technology certificate. I already graduated from my program, as well as another. The only thing stopping me from getting a career in the wind turbine industry is the fact that I'm pursuing my associate's degree still. As soon as I get that, I'm going straight to the workforce to pursue my dream job as a wind turbine technician. In conclusion, I'm passionate about pursuing the wind turbine technology trade so I can work hands-on and travel all around. I was inspired to pursue this career path after I got to see a nacelle up close and learn about being a wind technician. One final fun fact: nothing is stopping me from pursuing my dream job now.

The first half of 2022 was pretty rough for me. School was exhausting, my job situation was in shambles, and I had some personal issues going on at the time that, all combined, made my life pretty rough. However, once summer came around, I decided to finally take action to fix myself before I let myself go too far. I prioritized both my physical and mental health and used that to prepare myself for future success. First things first, I joined the gym. I signed up for a local Planet Fitness thanks to their summer pass, then started showing up. Like many others in their first few weeks in the gym, I didn't know much about what I was doing. I just showed up, set an hour timer on my phone, and picked whatever machines looked fun. Yet I did some more "research" at home by watching YouTube videos and looking up stuff online, and soon I learned how to properly set up a split. I also learned about nutrition such as calories and macros and the like. Not long after, I started tracking my calories and eventually all my macros by using a kitchen scale. All these little things I did that started as habits soon became my lifestyle. Every morning that summer, I would wake up early, eat and get ready, then hit the gym first thing. I tracked all my macros throughout the day and ate clean for the most part. I was eventually able to get my dad and brother to join the gym with me. By living much healthier, I was able to shed off some fat while building quite a bit of muscle in the process. Unfortunately I have lost some muscle since, but I'm still in a much better shape today than I was just a few years ago. Staying dedicated to the gym hasn't helped just my physical health, but also my mental. By showing up day after day, sticking to a relatively clean diet, and teaching myself about fitness, I was also able to become more disciplined. However, this isn't the only reason I've been able to consistently hit the gym these past three years- it's also because I enjoy it. The gym has become a place for me to escape from the world. When I'm in the middle of a workout, I have nothing on my mind but moving heavy weights, blasting metal or rap, and going all out. I just love it, and there's no better feeling than having a pump after a hard session. Getting in shape hasn't just served as a hobby for me, but also helped me in school and will help me later on once I get a career. I'm studying to become a wind turbine technician, and part of the job is climbing to reach the nacelle of a wind turbine. That means going up 300+ feet of ladder every day for work, which requires both strength and stamina. Thankfully, this shouldn't be a challenge for me since I've gotten in such good shape and have the endurance to do so. All in all, one of the biggest things I learned from my gym experience is that I should've joined sooner. Weightlifting has consistently been one of my favorite hobbies for a little over three years now, and has also helped to improve my physique, discipline, and mental health. It's already helped me succeed in life, and will do so when I go out to join the workforce in a physical labor job.

Ever since high school till now, I've embodied selflessness through my actions in various volunteer organizations. In high school, I participated in both student council and National Honor Society, while also partaking in general school volunteer events. Outside of school and still to this day, I serve at my church as an usher and am learning to become a deacon. While still in high school, I volunteered for student council and NHS. In both of these organizations, my fellow members and I volunteered to plan, set up, and run different school activities. These were anything from pep rallies and dances to spirit weeks and activity days. We would devote time, effort, and sometimes even our own money towards these events so that we could allow students to have a good time together. There weren't many greater feelings than seeing students making unforgettable memories at these events, knowing that our hard work paid off. One of the biggest events we were in charge of in NHS was our annual Pink Out. Every October, for breast cancer awareness month, we would have a volleyball game and set up a freewill offering bake sale. We would also design shirts to sell to students and parents. I helped with all this as much as I could, in addition to bringing some desserts to the bake sale. After the event, we would take all the profits and donate it to the Karmanos Cancer Institute to be used towards breast cancer awareness and research. Even outside of these organizations, I still performed selfless volunteer acts by helping with general school activities. One such event was our school's Kindergarten reading day, where students could read books to Kindergartners from local schools. I signed up for it a couple years and was able to help out with it. Another event, this time more significant however, was our school's annual auction. I volunteered for this event multiple years and helped work to raise money for the school. Additionally, I also helped to contribute items we would be selling at the auction, along with my other classmates. Beyond just school, I embody selflessness by serving at my church. For over 5 years, I've been volunteering as an usher, alongside my dad and brother. Every other month or so, we work every Sunday in that month to perform various tasks such as lighting candles, ushering people up for communion, passing out bulletins, and more. It's small tasks, but it makes a huge impact, especially since we just got a new pastor not too long ago and he's still adjusting to our church. Recently too, I've been learning from my dad how to deacon. This entails helping perform communion by passing out the wine to people when they come up, among additional responsibilities. It's exciting that I'm learning to do this and will be able to help out even more, and I wish I started learning to deacon sooner. In conclusion, I embody selflessness through my volunteer acts in different communities, especially in school and church. By helping out with volunteer events, I've been able to help raise money for charitable causes, teach younger kids in the next generation, strengthen people's faith in God, and overall help make the world a better place. I don't plan to ever stop volunteering or doing good to others because it's just a part of who I am.

For me, the sky isn't just the limit - it's where I want to work. I am enrolled in Universal Technical Institute's associate degree program, part of which is wind turbine technology. Once I graduate, I plan to find a career working on wind turbines so that I can contribute to the clean energy industry. I have already completed the wind turbine technology education, as well as the industrial maintenance portion, leaving me with just robotics. The former portion taught me all about how to troubleshoot, maintenance, and repair various parts of a wind turbine, specifically the nacelle. Additionally, it taught me critical safety aspects, such as climb and rescue, suspension trauma, safety equipment and tools, and the like. In addition to learning about wind turbines and related topics such as physics or AC/DC electrical, Universal Technical Institute has also helped provide me with certifications that will help me find a career once I graduate. I have received certifications in OSHA, NFPA, AHA, and most importantly, GWO. My Global Wind Organization (GWO) certification will tremendously impact my ability to find a career in the wind turbine industry because it proves that I have the skills and knowledge to successfully work on wind turbines and handle emergency events that may arise in the field. Once I graduate with my associate's degree, I hope to find a career as a wind turbine technician. Having the opportunity to travel the world working 300+ feet in the air sounds exciting to me, almost like a dream come true. Working with my hands is already fun, but the thrill of feeling on top of the world will be unlike any other. Not only that, but by climbing to the top of turbines and working hands-on, I can get exercise from work. This is a benefit for me because I love to work out, so working a career like this will keep me in shape. These are all great benefits of being a wind turbine technician, but one of the greatest things I'm looking forward to is the ability to help the world. Wind energy is proven to be safer for the environment than alternative energy sources such as fossil fuels or nuclear. Additionally, it's renewable, and I highly doubt we'll ever run out of wind. With these benefits, you'd expect the tradeoff would be higher cost. However, while it might have higher upfront costs, wind energy eventually pays itself off. As wind energy becomes more popular and accessible, these benefits will keep having a positive impact on the world. That means by me working on wind turbines and keeping them up and running, I am helping to provide these benefits. I'm creating a greener planet that more and more people can use and afford. I won't just be helping my own community, I'll be helping thousands. In conclusion, I plan to work in the wind turbine technology trade after obtaining my associate's degree. I am pursuing this trade because of the thrill and satisfaction I will find working it, as well as so that I can help the world both environmentally and economically. All I ask is that you please consider me for this scholarship and help me help others.

So much of your life hangs on the balance of doing well in college. Success or failure in life are dependent on how you decide to spend your years in university. Will you try hard and get that degree? Or will you choose to party and have fun but flunk out of school? To me, college means working hard to get the most out of your education so that you can secure your future. This is exactly what I hope to accomplish. I'm currently studying to obtain my associates degree in energy. I've been working hard for the past few months in school to get the most out of my education and learn as much as I can. I'm studying in my free time to keep up my good grades, and I even quit playing video games just to have more time to study. I want to make sure I get my money's worth out of every penny I spend on tuition. I'm not just going to college for the degree. I'm doing all this so I can prove to myself and others that I can accomplish whatever I set my mind to. College also represents an opportunity to me. Students often tend to fall into the habit of waking up every day and thinking to themselves, "Ugh, I have to go to school today." However, to me, I see it as that I don't have to go to school, I get to go to school. Not everyone has that same opportunity as me, but thankfully I've been blessed enough with such a chance in life. I have the opportunity to learn, to find a career to support myself, and to eventually have enough to retire. Some people don't have these opportunities and are stuck living in poor, run-down conditions. I hope to never take what I've been given for granted. Another goal of mine through going to college is to give back to others. Throughout my life, I've been surrounded by so many people who've invest so much into me. My parents, especially, have sacrificed so much time and money on me, and I hope I can give back to them someday. After I graduate and have a career, I hope to use my money for good and help others. I wish to share my future earnings with my family and friends to show my thanks and appreciation for all they've done for me. Not only that, but I hope to someday support my own family and treat my kids with the same love my parents have shown me. In conclusion, college to me means working hard to succeed in life, and I hope to make the most of every opportunity and give back to others through my education in college. I've invested so much time and money into my education, and I have no doubt that through my efforts I'll find success in life.

My whole life I've been raised a Christian, but that doesn't mean I acted like it. My parents raised brought me to church every Sunday and sent me to a Lutheran school. I was taught daily about God, hearing different Bible stories and learning about how they impact us today. Despite receiving all this Christian teaching and attending church, I never really lived out my faith. In fact, the way I used to behave and act as a child now seems anything but Christian. Around my seventh and eight grade years in school, I started picking up a lot of bad habits. I started swearing so I could "be cool" and fit in better with my friends. I started showing disrespect to my parents, teachers, and anyone else in authority to be rebellious and do what I wanted to do. I delved into plenty of other sins that I'm too ashamed of to even admit now. What's worse is I just kept telling myself that all these sins were fine since I was a Christian. I thought if I just asked for forgiveness later, I'd be fine. Little did I realize that this wasn't true repentance. Being truly repentant means you actually are ashamed of your sins and not just planning to keep repeating them over and over again like I was. I was on the fast track to losing my faith if I didn't change my ways. God showed me this in a way that I never would've expected. One day in the summer between my eighth grade and freshman year of high school, my parents got into a big fight, bigger than any they've ever had. I remember that night so vividly. Tears poured down my face as I, for the first time in a long time, came to God in earnest prayer. I asked Him to make my parents stop fighting, to let them not separate after this, and that they instead make up. I just kept praying for that over and over in my head. That night, God heard my prayer, and despite having every reason to ignore me and deny my requests, He answered my prayers. My parents ended up staying together, and while it took a while for things to go back to normal, they did. Ever since that day, I realized that I needed to start taking my faith more seriously. I started coming more to God in prayer, not just before bed every night like I used to. I reflected on my life and how sinfully I was living, and I started taking action to fix it, asking God for help. Throughout the following years, I still kept struggling with the same sins I was falling into. The difference was that this time, I was more aware of them. I don't know if I can even claim that I was trying to avoid those sins or not, since I kept falling back into them over and over. It took almost three years, but I finally broke my habits of swearing, as well as some of the other sins I repeated. I'm still as far from perfect as I can be, but I'm much better than I used to be, and my relationship with God is much deeper. Whenever any challenge comes my way, my first action is to go to God in prayer - something the old me would've never thought of. Romans 8:28 tells us about how God works for our good, and I definitely saw that in action that one day. We are also told that God knows the plans He has for us, as revealed in Jeremiah 29:11. This is another verse I have seen in action plenty throughout my life. This is especially true for my career plans, as it's changed numerous times throughout the years. Back when I was in preschool, my plan was to be a firefighter. In grade school, I wanted to be a pastor, which was ironic considering the poor condition my faith was in. Around eighth grade, I didn't have a plan at all, then once I got to high school I just decided I would open my own business. Finally, I think God has revealed His plan for me, and that is to work in the trades. I'm currently studying three different trades in trade school: wind turbine technology, industrial maintenance, and robotics. I would be happy with a career in any of these, but my main focus is on wind turbine technology. I want to get a career in this industry where I can travel the world working on wind turbines, troubleshooting and repairing them. Part of why I want to work this career is to help take care of God's creation. Wind energy is proven to be more sustainable and better for our environment than other power sources such as fossil fuels, or even similar renewables. By working on wind turbines, I'll be making an impact to help our environment. Numbers 35:33-34 tells us about how we should take care of the land, and while it's not specifically focused on the whole earth or on energy production, it still provides a guideline of how we should treat the earth God has blessed us with. This scholarship would help me achieve my goal of finding a career in the industry by helping me afford my trade school tuition. I've already been plenty blessed with loving parents who have helped me pay for a lot of my schooling, but the rest falls to me. It is still possible to find a career in the industry without trade school, but this will help me find a career even easier, and allow me to do better. Another way this scholarship would help is by allowing me to focus more on school, worrying less about the cost. By having part of my tuition paid for, I could have less debt and thus less stress. Either way, I know that God will continue to provide for my every need. As Philippians 4:9 tells us, God will supply our every need, whether it be clothing, food, a house, education, or anything else. Whether or not I win this scholarship, I still hope to someday donate to others to help them pay for school. God has blessed be with more than I can imagine, and it would be wrong of me to keep it all to myself.

For me, the sky isn't just the limit - it's where I want to work. My desired career path is to become a wind turbine technician, where I can travel the world working on wind turbines, troubleshooting and repairing them. I want to make a difference in this world by working this career and creating a greener planet. I've already taken steps to achieve this career goal. I'm currently studying in trade school to learn wind turbine technology, as well as industrial maintenance and robotics. In fact, I've already obtained my certificate in wind turbine technology, so I just have to finish my other two trades before I start working in this field. I'm pursuing my associate's degree in energy because my school has a program to learn these three trades and in turn receive an associate's degree instead of three separate certificates. Just because I'm still in school doesn't mean I can't start looking for work. I've already been researching and contacting potential employers I would like to work for. As the world starts relying more and more on wind energy, there will be an increase in demand for people like me to maintain wind turbines, which makes now the perfect time for me to find a career in this field. The skills and knowledge I'm gaining in trade school will have a tremendous impact in ensuring I find a good career out in the wind turbine industry. I have also received certifications from school that will prove to employers I'm a good fit, such as my OSHA10 or GWO certifications. I think wind turbine technology is the perfect career for me because it aligns with many of my interests. I would get to do hands-on work as a wind turbine technician, which is something I enjoy doing. I just get an amazing sense of satisfaction working with parts and machines, taking them apart and putting them back together. Not only do I like working hands-on, but I also love exercise. I've been going to the gym almost daily for about three years now, doing weightlifting. As a wind turbine technician, I'll be able to exercise daily just by working. I'll be lifting heavy parts and using big machinery to perform my work. More importantly, though, it that I'll be getting in cardio by climbing the wind turbines. Most wind turbines have ladders inside for technicians to climb to the nacelle. That means every day for work, I'll be getting exercise by climbing 300+ feet of ladder, sometimes even multiple times a day. I hope to have a positive impact not only in my profession, but on the whole world. I've always been a hard-working individual, so I know I can put in the effort and achieve this goal. Wind energy is proven to be cleaner and more sustainable that alternative sources, such as fossil fuels. By working on wind turbines, I'll be providing cleaner, greener energy to the world. This will have numerous benefits for our environment and economy, which perfectly aligns with my other interest of helping others. I can't wait to finally finish trade school in a few months and join the workforce. It's been a huge dream of mine for a while to work in this career, and I'm so close to achieving it. I know that by putting in the hard work and effort, I can make an amazing wind turbine technician and change the world of energy for the greater good.

My experience with mental health started five years ago when I was just a high school freshman. I still remember taking a health class, where the teacher told us about different nutrition topics such as calories, fats, carbs, protein, and more. She warned us about the dangers of being unhealthy and overweight, and that stuck with me, but not in a good way. Ever since, I've struggled with eating disorder, and it's taken a toll of me mentally and physically. Since I first learned about calories and macros, I started being more mindful about what I ate. Yet I took it too far. I just knew that too many calories was bad for you, so my young freshman mind thought that starving myself would be healthy. At first, it wasn't that bad. I just started packing lighter lunches of peanut butter sandwiched between two slices of white bread. Yet it got worse fast. I started skipping lunches, and then even breakfasts some days. I got thinner and thinner, but I didn't seem to notice. By the end of my freshman year, I was back to eating mostly healthy, and even started eating desserts again. My sophomore year went by without many eating problems, but then I joined a gym and started tracking calories, and that's when the real problems started. I became way more conscious about how I looked, and because of this started starving myself again. I ate as little as 500-1000 calories a day for days in a row. I became underweight, losing 15 pounds in just 4 months - not something a growing high school boy should do. My eating disorder affected my relationship with my family. My parents started claiming I was eating "too healthy", while I was judgmental of them for eating "unhealthy". It was hard for us to go out to eat together. My parents would get mad at me for ordering healthier options like salads without dressing. They knew I was eating too little, and I was refusing to accept any help in overcoming my disorder. Eventually I caved one day when I had a mental breakdown in the gym. It just occurred to me that my gym progress had plateaued because I wasn't eating enough. When I got home I talked with my parents about my eating disorder, and we then went on to find a nutritionist to work with us. It was the summer of 2023 when I first started working with my nutritionist, and since then I've been feeling and eating much better. I finally got proper information on how to eat right and ensure you're eating enough. I bought a kitchen scale to track my food and count my calories and macros, which I still do to this day. I went on a lean bulk that summer where I gained 10 pounds, a lot of which was muscle. Ever since then, my diet and training have both been locked in, and I've never felt better. I still follow a very strict diet and avoid processed foods and desserts, but my parents are more understanding of this. Overall my experience with my eating disorder has been a curse to me, but also a blessing in some ways. While it drastically affected my physical and mental health and put some tension on my relationships, it helped me learn a lot about nutrition and fitness. Eating less can be healthy, but it depends on your circumstances, and you should only do so if you actually need to lose weight - not if you are skinny high school teen like I was.

During high school, I spent a lot of time volunteering for my community. I participated in my school's NHS chapter and student council. These organizations both presented me with plenty of volunteering opportunities that I took advantage of. I, along with my fellow groupmates, would work together to organize, run, and clean up after various events. These were events such as school dances, pep rallies, spirit weeks, bake sales, auctions, and more. Through these events, we were able to greatly give back to our community. Most of these events were fundraises for charitable causes, so by us donating our time we could raise money to give to those in need. Some of the money, we used to reinvest it back into our school to improve it and keep doing these types of activities. However, some of the money we also donated to various organizations. An excellent example of this is our annual Pink Out. Every October, we host a volleyball game and have a free will donation bake sale right next to the gym. NHS members like me would bake goodies and run the bake sale. Instead of charging a set price for each treat, buyers could give a free will offering and pick what they wanted. Then we would donate all the money we raised towards the Karmanos Cancer Institute to use towards breast cancer awareness and research. Money wasn't the only thing we gave back to the community, however. The greatest thing we gave back to the community was experiences. Through the fun events we had - dances, spirit weeks, family fun nights - we were allowing students and their families to make memories they would never forget. These social functions allowed the community to take a break from school and work and just relax, have fun, and spend time together. You can raise as much money as you want to help others, but you can't put a price on these types of experiences. Leadership through service is important because the two go hand in hand. As a leader, it's up to you to set the example for your team and provide a clear direction. Leaders should be willing to go the extra mile for their team, never having members do anything they wouldn't do themselves. Otherwise you're being a boss, not a leader. Being a leader also requires sacrifice, which I learned through my volunteer experience. I remember one specific project I had to buy some of the resources for it with my own money, then wake up earlier than normal to finish the project before school. As much as I would've liked to use the schools money, or maybe get those extra few minutes of sleep and not be at school earlier than I wanted, I had to put aside my own wants in favor of the needs of others. In the end, this helped the project be successful and my team and I were able to finish right before the deadline. (Attached is a picture of me with the rest of my school's NHS chapter donating money from our Pink Out to the Karmanos Cancer Institute. I am the redhead standing between the check and the lady in all pink)

My experience with mental health started five years ago when I was just a high school freshman. I still remember taking a health class, where the teacher told us about different nutrition topics such as calories, fats, carbs, protein, and more. She warned us about the dangers of being unhealthy and overweight, and that stuck with me ever since, but not in a good way. Ever since, I've struggled with eating disorder, and it's taken a toll of me mentally and physically. Since I first learned about calories and macros, I started being more mindful about what I ate. Yet I took it too far. I just knew that too many calories was bad for you, so my young freshman mind thought that starving myself would be healthy. At first, it wasn't that bad. I just started packing lighter lunches of peanut butter sandwiched between two slices of white bread. Yet it got worse fast. I started skipping lunches, and then even breakfasts some days. I got thinner and thinner, but I didn't seem to notice. Around the same time, I also started being more active. I would come home from school and work out using a Bowflex machine and stationary bike I had in my basement. I noticed some progress at first, but it was hindered by my undereating. My parents noticed me getting smaller and talked to me about it. I listened to their advice for the most part and starting eating healthier again and not starving myself. By the end of my freshman year, I was back to eating right mostly healthy, and even started eating desserts again. My sophomore year went by without many eating problems, but then I joined a gym and started tracking calories, and that's when the real problems started. I gained about 10 pounds from June till December 2022, a lot of which was muscle from joining a real gym and taking weightlifting more seriously. Yet I also had a bit of body fat at the time, which I noticed more than my muscle. This had me too concerned, so I went back to starving myself. I ate way less than I should've to support my muscle growth, even going as little as 500-1000 calories a day for days in a row. I came so close to having an underweight BMI, and I lost 15 pounds in just 4 months. For an average adult, this is alright, but not for a high schooler still growing. My eating disorder, which was never officially diagnosed, affected my relationship with my family. My parents started claiming I was eating "too healthy", while I was judgmental of them for eating "unhealthy". It was hard for us to go out to eat together. My parents would get mad at me for ordering healthier options like salads without dressing. They knew I was eating too little, and I was refusing to accept any help in overcoming my disorder. Eventually I caved one day when I had a mental breakdown in the gym. I still remember being in the middle of a leg day, using the leg extension machine when I thought about how little progress I was making. In fact, I was losing gains. I hadn't been able to progressively overload in the gym in a while; my progress had plateaued because I wasn't eating enough to support muscle growth. I hid in the locker room, and with tears swelling in my eyes texted my mom about how I was starving myself, losing weight, and just wanted to talk to someone. When I got home I talked with my parents about my eating disorder, and we then went on to find a nutritionist to work with us. It was the summer of 2023 when I first started working with my nutritionist, and since then I've been feeling and eating much better. I finally got proper information on how to eat right and ensure you're eating enough. I bought a kitchen scale to track my food and count my calories and macros, which I still do to this day. I went on a lean bulk that summer where I gained 10 pounds, a lot of which was muscle. Ever since then, my diet and training have both been locked in, and I've never felt better. I still follow a very strict diet and avoid processed foods and desserts, but my parents are more understanding of this. Even they themselves are trying to diet to lose some weight now. Overall my experience with my eating disorder has been a curse to me, but also a blessing in some ways. While it drastically affected my physical and mental health and put some tension on my relationships, it helped me learn a lot. I got to learn more about nutrition and fitness, and how a proper diet is necessary to fuel yourself. Eating less can be healthy, but it depends on your circumstances, and you should only do so if you actually need to lose weight - not if you are skinny high school teen like I was.

One significant personal struggle I've faced was when I was stuck in a job I hated, and it started taking a toll on my well-being. I've always worked a part-time job since summer 2021, and in October 2022, I got a job at a local grocery store as a service clerk. My job was basically being a janitor and cart pusher, as well as doing some other miscellaneous tasks. I would also often have to do closing shifts, as most my shifts were after school. I would have to push carts and clean up guest messes, which were often disgusting. This includes cleaning the men's and women's bathrooms too, and we all know how gross that can be. I would have to push carts in any weather, whether rain or shine, scorching heat or frigid cold. This job really sucked, and it soon started taking a toll on my mental and even physical health. I dreaded going into work, as many people do, because I hated that job. However, I hated it more than any job I've ever worked. I found it hard to enjoy days where I would have to go into work that same day, and even days when I had work the next day. I even had trouble enjoying the holidays because my mind would be stuck on how I had work the next day. I even had a couple of nightmares where I was working at that job. That job starting causing me stress and anxiety, and because of that, my diet started lacking. I would starve myself some days, and other days I would eat whatever junk I wanted. I was sick of the job and wanted to change, but I couldn't just quit as I needed some source of income to provide for my future. I applied to so many other places, but I was either too young for many of them or they didn't respond. My next move was to submit an application to switch departments within that store, so I did. However, the problem was there weren't enough workers in that same position, so my boss wanted to wait till there were more service clerks. Many people did apply and come work as service clerks, and I was the one who trained a lot of them because I was really good at that job despite hating it. However, many of the people who joined didn't last that long because the job sucks as I've hopefully made clear by now. It took three months to get enough people for me to finally switch departments, but I eventually did and now I work as a stockboy for that same store. I worked that job for a total of about nine months, which I know isn't that long, but when you're young paired with how sucky the job was, it seems like a long time. Working that job changed my view on those types of workers, such as janitors. I now try to be more clean in public places and stores, and I also never leave carts where they shouldn't be. I also think that job helped boost my discipline a lot, and that challenging part of my life helped me grow to be the person I am today. I also know to never work as a janitor or cart pusher ever again.

1. I plan to pursue Wind Turbine Technology after graduation. 2. I am interested in Wind Turbine Technology because of the opportunity to work hands-on, but also for the thrill of the job. As a wind turbine technician, I'll have the ability to travel to different places across the country to work, and I love to travel. Then I'll be able to climb 300+ feet in the air to work. This is perfect for me because I love exercise and weightlifting, so by climbing that much length of ladder I'll be able to get exercise at work. Not to mention, it's just thrilling and fun being so high up. I'll get a pretty view from my workplace, which sounds nice. 3. So far I've gotten plenty of outside the box problem solving experience in trade school. I've worked on a multitude of projects such as gearbox inspections, generator alignments, wiring boards, climb and rescue scenarios, and more. While most of my work will be more mechanical, my biggest problem-solving project was troubleshooting a relay board. Two classmates and I had to wire a board with buttons, lights, and relays so that when we pressed one button, it would turn a motor, and when we press the other button the motor would reverse direction. When we pushed a third button, it would cut power to the motor to stop it. We initially wired it perfectly then had another student put some faults into it for us to find. By checking voltage and testing continuity, as well as simply inspecting our board visually, we were able to find and fix over 20 faults. 4. I'm currently about halfway through my studies in trade school, and can't wait to get a career as a wind turbine technician as soon as I graduate. I'm about to graduate my Wind Turbine Technology course in less than two weeks from now. After I finish this course, I plan to learn Industrial Maintenance, and finally Robotics from the same school. My school has a program to get an associate's degree if you take these three trade programs, which is what I plan on doing. I still have an additional 8-10 months of school, towards the end of which I plan to apply to different wind technology companies such as Vestas, Nordex, Siemens, IPS, and more. I've already had contact with a couple companies at career fairs because I want to set myself up for success as much as possible. Trade school hasn't just helped me learn about my desired trade - it's given me the resources to help me find a career. So far in trade school, I've received four different certifications that will be useful in the industry: OSHA10, NFPA70E, AHA First Aid, and probably the most useful, GWO. With these certifications under my belt, I will be able to stand out to potential employers. In fact, I'm one of only 200,000 in the world with a GWO certificate, which will definitely help me in my goal of becoming a wind turbine technician. 5. Any adult that knows me well would be able to tell you how hard of a worker I am. From my boss at work to my teachers in school, or even my own parents, any adult you ask would say I'm very disciplined and self-motivated. I always give my best effort in whatever I do: work, school, house chores, studying, helping others, etc. That is why an adult you call would recommend me for this scholarship.

Helping others is one of the best feelings in the world, but it feels even nicer seeing the results of your hard work. During my high school years, I participated in multiple volunteer events and societies, and because of that, I was able to help my school community and make an impact. Going forward after high school, I want to make an even bigger impact. I still plan to volunteer, but I also want to change the world by working as a wind turbine technician. I first started getting into volunteering around when I got into high school. I attended a small private school that, despite being no bigger than 60 kids at any given time, still had plenty of school events. I helped by volunteering for the events that I could, such as our annual auctions and Winter craft and vendor shows, or even just simple things like sports game concessions. It wasn't till my junior year that I really started taking volunteering more seriously. I joined both my school's student council and National Honor Society Chapters. These groups offered me a lot more volunteer opportunities that I took advantage of. I volunteered for dances, pep rallies, bake sales, and many other school events and fundraisers. I would help plan, set up for, run, and clean up after these events. It felt nice and was actually pretty fun helping with these events, but the best part was seeing the efforts of my classmates and I paying off. These events helped to raise money for a variety of causes, from funding school projects, to raising money towards breast cancer awareness and research. Not only that, but our efforts helped to bring students together. Events such as dances or spirit weeks allowed students to have a good time and make lasting memories and friendships. Even after graduating high school, I still volunteer when I can. My dad, brother and I all serve as deacons and ushers at our church. We help out by doing tasks such as lighting candles, ushering people up for communion, passing out bulletins, and more. I also participate in an annual event called the "Biomed Brass". Me and a few other musicians get together every Christmas season and play for our local hospital to raise Christmas spirit. While my volunteer efforts have had an impact in a couple different communities, I still have a bigger aim. I hope to become a wind turbine technician so I can help thousands, maybe even millions, by providing cleaner, more sustainable energy. As a wind turbine technician, my work would provide power to different homes across the US, or even internationally. I would be providing electricity to those with limited access to it. Wind energy also has multiple benefits for our environment, so I would be helping create a greener world. I love volunteering and helping others, so it's amazing to me that I found a career path that will allow me to do just those. My communities have given me a lot, so I hope I can give back and change the world.

During my senior year of high school, I struggled to decide what I wanted to pursue for my career. I knew I didn't have much time left, as I was about to graduate and go on to college in less than a year. At least, I thought I would go to college. After lots of consideration and thinking, I decided I wanted to pursue the trades instead. What trade I wanted to study, I had no clue. I just settled for welding because that was really the only trade I knew even the slightest bit about then. My mom was supportive of my decision to pursue the trades, but she didn't want me to go into welding. "It's bad for your lungs" and "You'll get cancer"; those were her biggest concerns about the trade. She encouraged me to look more into other trades, and she also suggested I tour a local trade school called MIAT, so I did. My mom and I went to MIAT together one day to learn more about the school, as well as the trades in general. I got to hear about different trades that they offered and different kinds of equipment and tools I'd have the potential to work with. During the tour, I saw this big, grey box, about as big as a shipping container, but that's not what it was. I didn't even have the slightest clue what it could be, so I asked about it. The guide told my mom and I that it was a nacelle, or the top part of a wind turbine. I'd never seen one so close up, especially on the ground. We got to see the inside of it, which blew my mind away. I'd never imagined what one of them would look like before, but it wasn't what I was expecting anyways. The guide told us more about wind turbines and the trade of wind turbine technology. Hearing all about the trade and seeing a nacelle up close, especially the inside, just seemed so cool to me. I don't know what it was, but something inside me just sparked. After the tour, I did some more research into the wind turbine technology field and learned even more about it. It was then and there that I knew that was what I wanted to do. I was going to study wind turbine technology. Not even a month later, I enrolled into MIAT, which is a sister location of Universal Technical Institute, a trade school with locations all across the US. I signed a bunch of online paperwork, attended some online meetings with advisors and staff, and bought all the gear and supplies I'd need for school. Flash forward over a year to today, and I'm studying at MIAT (now renamed UTI to fit the brand). I'm about to finish my wind turbine technology course in just a bit over a month, and I've learned and done so much I never imagined me doing in a million years. I've learned about troubleshooting and repairing components within the nacelle, performed rescue scenarios on a wind turbine ladder, and met people with years of experience in many different fields, including wind turbine technology. I never expected in a million years to be learning about wind turbines, yet here I am today. Something inside me just sparked to not attend college, but rather pursue the trades, and if I hadn't done that tour, I don't know what I'd be doing now. Sometimes in life, you just have to follow your gut and do what your mind is telling you to do.

It's not every day you go to work in an office 300+ feet in the air. At least, not with most jobs. For me, however, that will be a typical day in my future career in wind turbine technology. Throughout most of high school, my plan was to go to college and get my bachelor's degree in business. However, about a quarter through my senior year, I decided I wanted to pursue the trades instead. Something about the trades and being able to work hands-on seemed interesting to me, so I thought I wanted to do welding. However, my mom urged me to check out a local trade school, MIAT, to learn more about it first, so I did. On the tour, I learned about different trades the school offered. For some reason, wind turbine technology just stuck out to me the most. I got to see the inside of a wind turbine nacelle and learned a bit about careers in this field. I gave it some thought, and eventually I decided I wanted to become a wind turbine technician. I enrolled to MIAT and am now studying wind turbine technology, as well as industrial maintenance. I want to be a wind turbine technician because I want to work hands-on on different machinery, but also because I want to help. I want to help provide power to millions by harnessing the wind. Wind energy has many benefits, with one of the biggest being that it helps our environment and reduces CO2 usage. Wind energy is also more accessible, meaning my work will help provide power to those with limited access to it. I hope I can bring all these benefits and more through my work. Another reason I want to work in this career field is simply because I love exercise. Working on wind turbines will allow me to get plenty of exercise, from climbing up the ladder inside to lifting heavy equipment. In conclusion, I chose to pursue wind turbine technology because I want to work hands-on and get exercise at work. I hope that through my work, I can create a cleaner, greener world and provide sustainable energy to millions of people across the globe. It's not everyday you get to do that, at least, not with most jobs. For me, that will be a typical day as a wind turbine technician.

My name is Nicholas Tamer and I'm currently studying in trade school to be a wind turbine technician. This is a field I'm passionate about for a couple reasons, mainly because I like to work hands-on, and also so I can help others. My experience during high school definitely had a huge impact in helping me decide on this field, and it's not something I ever imagined I'd be studying in a million years. Ever since the start of my high school freshman year, I thought I had my college plan figured out: I was going to attend community college and knock out my basic credits, go to a real college and get my master's degree in business, then start my own yard work company. I'd been doing yard work for years by that point, and even to this day I still do yard jobs for a couple clients. I was very involved with it, and because of that I got used to working hands-on. However, my senior year rolled around and I completely changed my mind. I decided college wasn't right for me, and that I wanted to work something hands-on, but not yard work. That's when I decided on the trades. At first, I was planning on doing welding because that was really the only trade I knew at the time. Yet after doing some research and touring a local trade school I was considering attending, I decided on wind turbine technology. Something about this industry just stuck out to me so much. The idea of climbing 300+ feet and working on machinery interested me, and I told myself that that's what I want to do. Wind turbine technology is one of the fastest growing industries today in the US, and also one of the largest power sources too. As a wind turbine technician, I'll be able to help provide cleaner, greener energy to thousands. My work will have numerous benefits on our environment, and also help provide power to places with limited access to it. This is part of why I'm pursuing a career in this trade as I love to help others. Not only did I do a lot of yard work in high school, but I also spent a good chunk of time volunteering. I served in my school's National Honor Society chapter and student council. These organizations presented me with plenty of volunteer opportunities that I took advantage of, and overall I acquired 50+ hours of volunteering throughout high school. All this service time made me realize that it feels good to help others, and that I want to do that as part of my career. This was one of the biggest factors towards my decision to study wind turbine technology. It's hard to believe that it's already been a year since I enrolled in trade school, yet here I am today halfway through my studies. I know that through hard work and studying, I can finish trade school and find a career as a wind turbine technician where I can work hands-on and help others. Never in my wildest dreams did I see myself studying this field, yet my experiences with work and volunteering throughout high school put me on the path towards this field.

My name is Nick Tamer and I am most passionate about fitness. This scholarship will benefit me on my career path towards becoming a wind turbine technician by providing me the means to attend trade school. Almost 3 years ago now, I joined the gym. I signed up for the Planet Fitness High School Summer Pass and starting going every day. I didn't know much of what I was doing at first, but over time I gained more skills and knowledge. I still continue to go to this day, and typically my workout is the highlight of my day. Pursuing fitness has really helped me develop not only physically, but also mentally. I got a lot stronger and more muscular than I was when I started. I remember when I started I could barely bench 135 pounds without help, but now I do that much for reps easily. I also gained a vast knowledge about the human body and nutrition by pursuing fitness. I learned and taught myself how to eat right and also understand how different muscles work. Fitness has really changed my life in more ways than imaginable, and I plan to pursue it for lfie. As for my career path, I am studying in trade school to become a wind turbine technician. In this career, I will be working to provide cleaner, more sustainable energy to thousands. I will be working towards a better future of energy, but this is only possible through my studies. While trade school differs from college in many ways, they both share one common trait: being expensive. It's thanks to scholarships such as this that I am able to attend trade school so I can help the world of energy. Part of the reason I'm pursuing wind turbine technology is so I can get some exercise every day of work. Being a wind turbine technician requires climbing the 300+ tower for almost every task you can think of. By doing this daily, I will be able to get plenty of exercise. Another reason I'm pursuing this career is so I can travel. Wind turbine technicians often have to fly out to different wind farms, sometimes even to different countries. This sounds fun to me as I want to travel and explore the world. For me, a career in wind turbine technology is perfect. I will be able to help others, exercise plenty, and travel the world. These are all things I'm looking for in a career, and I can't wait to start. It's only because of scholarships like this I can attend trade school to learn this trade and find a good career in it.

I love math for a few different reasons, with the biggest one being how it relates to the world around you. You often don't realize or think about how much math shapes the world around you, but it's everywhere. For example, the computer you're probably reading this application off of requires math to work. By using the right combination of 1's and 0's, whatever I'm typing gets displayed for you to read. Your brain then recognizes the patterns of text, which can be sharpened by being good at math, and is able to understand my essay. Another reason I love math is because of the sureness and confidence we can have in math. With many other subjects such as science or history we aren't 100% confident that all our facts are correct. Science cannot be proven, history records can be misleading or missing, English rules can be debated, but math is sure. I mean, when's the last time you got into an argument with someone over what 2+2 equals? Also with math, you can do it off the top of your head instead of having to look up answers online or in a textbook, depending on how difficult the equation is. Finally, I love math simply because it's satisfying. Looking back, there were a lot of times in high school when I struggled with math. Yet there weren't many feelings better than when I would figure an equation I had been struggling on for a while. One of my favorite subjects especially is solving for X, Y, and Z. Doing the multi-step equations, reaching the right answer, and checking it at the end was one of the best, most satisfying feelings in the world. In conclusion, I love math because of its application to the world around us, the confidence we can have in math, and the satisfaction you get from solving problems. Science can be changed and history can be proven false, but math will always remain the same it is.

I'm currently in trade school to study two different trades: wind turbine technology and industrial maintenance. My main focus is on the former because it's one of the fastest growing trades today, and a something about it just intrigues me. I never really thought about wind turbine technology as a career path for me till I toured a local trade school. I was originally planning on doing welding, but my mom was concerned about the risks of cancer and other lung issues as a welder. She urged me to check out a local trade school called MIAT, so we did a guided tour to see different trade options. We got to the wind turbine technology part of the tour and something about seeing the nacelle seemed interesting to me. I did some of my own research on this field at home and after much consideration decided on it. I enrolled to MIAT and am currently studying there. I am also learning industrial maintenance so that I can have more career options and be a jack-of-all-trades. I plan to work as a wind turbine technician not just because it interests me, but also so I can help others. I love to volunteer and work for the good of others, which is something I did plenty in high school. As a wind turbine technician, my work will be helping to provide cleaner, more sustainable energy to thousands. I will be working as the future of renewable power to help those with limited access to it and be helping our environment. Wind energy is proven to be safer and cleaner than alternative sources such as fossil fuels, so my work will help provide these benefits. I am sure that I will be successful in my trade because I've been successful every else in life. To me, success is mainly about achieving your goals. It's taken plenty of hard work and dedication, but I've accomplished almost every other goal in my life so far. For example, I worked hard to maintain the best GPA possible in high school, and as a result graduated with a 3.95 as class salutatorian. I know I can put in the hard work and effort to achieve my goal of becoming a wind turbine technician. I just need to apply to different companies and do my best at each interview. I also have help with this goal, as MIAT offers career assistance. By putting in the hard work and effort and utilizing the tools at my disposal, I know I will have success as a wind turbine technician and help others by providing renewable energy.

My junior year of high school was easily the worst year of my life. I was going through tough classes in school, I was stuck in a deadbeat job I hated, I faced eating disorders, and I was just overall depressed. I had just gone through a high point in my life and was back down to a low point. Yet I overcame every obstacle in my way and am now happier than ever as I pursue an education in the trades. As a junior, I didn't have much time in school to work on homework. I only had one study hall a day and almost every other period was a class I would get homework in. I was stuffed with assignment after assignment and plenty of projects. Not to mention, I had the SAT coming up and had to be prepared for that. It was challenging to handle my course load, but not entirely impossible. I pulled through and attained a 4.0 GPA my junior year. Yet this was the easiest of my challenges. I was also stuck in a job I absolutely hated. I'm not just talking about some boring office job where you dread going in. This was a job where I questioned my sanity and if I was putting myself in potential harm. I was a service clerk for a local grocery store, which was basically a cart pusher and a janitor. I would have to pull in all the carts from the parking lot by myself. I would have to do that in all different kinds of weather, whether is was scorching heat of summer or freezing cold, or also in rain and snow. it was physically demanding, and looking back I'm surprised I didn't get any leg or back injuries pushing carts so much. In this job I also had to do janitorial work. I would have to clean customer messes in the general store area and both gender bathrooms. It was often disgusting and tedious work, and it made me realize just how lazy and messy people can be. This job made me hate my life, and combining the stress from school and the hardship of work made my life living hell for months. I was very unhappy with life and because of this, my diet suffered. I wasn't eating right and started consuming less calories than I should've. I lost pounds and became noticeably skinnier to the point where my parents urged me to see a nutritionist. My BMI almost got too low, and I lost a lot of muscle I had built up by working out over the summer. This lasted for months, which seemed like forever in the eyes of a teenager like me. Yet I persevered. I pushed through my challenges and obstacles and came back stronger than ever. I finished out the school year and saw a nutritionist the following summer. I regained a lot of my muscle and weight and got stronger than before. I switched roles at my job, which took a lot of patience and waiting, but now I'm a stockboy for that same store and my job is much better and safer. Now I'm studying in trade school to be a wind turbine technician, and I'm the happiest I've ever been. I know that I'll never have to face challenges as tough as that again, as I finished high school.

Precision. Dedication. Sacrifice. Integrity. These are all things you need if you want to be a good student or athlete. To be both requires one other factor: balance. As a student athlete, it's often challenging to find balance, not just between school and sports, but also with work, relationships, a personal life, and more. I should know, as I was at one point a high school student serving as a JV captain all while pursuing weightlifting and working two jobs. Some of the biggest challenges student athletes face are mental heath, injuries, and eating problems, but these also help to teach life lessons. First of all, student athletes often struggle with mental health. There's a lot of pressure on student athletes to succeed both in the classroom and on the court. I can still remember countless late nights I stayed up after work or practice to finish homework due the next day, or even due that day. I also had the pressure of serving as a team captain and being a good example to my teammates. It was up to a few others and I to make sure our team tried its hardest and put the work into practice. Finding time to balance everything I had going on was very hard. I didn't get much downtime to relax and was always either at school, in the gym, or at work. It was mentally difficult, but I pulled through, and I'm glad I did. That experience taught me how to manage my time better and balance everything in life. Two other common challenges student athletes face are injuries and eating problems. These issues aren't just physical, but also a mental thing. Athletes can get injured on the court, even if they think they're being careful and wearing the right gear. I got my shoulder dislocated playing basketball just by tripping over an opponent's foot. I also lost my front right top tooth to a lacrosse stick hitting me in the face in PE. The latter injury was easier to recover from, but dislocating my shoulder put me out for a while, and my doctor had me wear a sling for a couple days. A similar issue to the previous is that student athletes can struggle with eating disorders and problems. High schoolers often lack a good education on healthy eating, as it isn't taught very well in schools. Student athletes often don't have enough time to cook a healthy and nutritious meal, rather turning to quicker options such as fast food or junk food. I had just the opposite problem; I was eating "too healthy" and not eating enough calories to support my weight. Because of this, I almost got too skinny and had a very low BMI. Thankfully I recovered before I was too lost, and this experience taught me a lot more about nutrition and how to really eat healthy. In conclusion, being a student athlete can bring about challenges such as maintaining good mental health, recovering from injury, and eating a clean, sustaining diet. Being a student athlete is hard work, but the results and lessons learned from the experience are worth it. You come back stronger from these experiences, both mentally and physically.

My biggest goals right now are to graduate trade school and then attain a career in the field of wind turbine technology. After working a long, hard career in the trades I plan to retire in style. I already have a solid plan for all three goals and am currently executing my plan to graduate trade school. I am studying two trades: wind turbine technology and industrial maintenance. The plan for this is to study hard, show up every day I can, and keep putting in the hard work and effort. The resources I need are a computer, books, basic school supplies, and a vehicle to get me to and from school every day. The budget for this is $40K, as that's how much it's costing me to attend trade school. As for timing, I'm set to graduate my first course on February 18, 2025 and my second course on April 22, that same year. Once I graduate with both certificates, I plan to get a career as a wind turbine technician. However, that doesn't mean I have to wait to put that plan in motion. I am already researching different wind energy companies to apply for and potentially work at. There isn't really a budget for this goal as it doesn't cost me much to apply to jobs and get a career. In fact, it's quite the opposite. As for the timeline of this plan, I don't have a set date to have this done by, but the sooner the better. The trade school I'm attending offers help finding a career in your industry with resources such as resume help, career fairs, and more. My furthest goal at the moment is to retire. I plan to be retired by 65 and enjoy my retirement as much as possible. I want to live somewhere nice and warm during my retirement, such as California or Florida. The budget and resources for this are a lot vaster, and will depend on a variety of factors such as when I actually retire, how the economy's doing when I'm older, and many others. My projected budget for this is two have around one to two million, but that number will likely be way higher by the time I finally do retire. I'm currently taking action to save up for retirement by utilizing a Roth IRA account. Every month I set aside a small chunk of money into an investment account, and in just a few short decades I'll have a whole lot more money to use towards retirement.

Never in a million years did I expect to be studying wind turbine technology, but that's what I'm doing right now. I decided to learn this trade because it's one of the largest growing trades right now with all hype around renewable energies. Not only that, but something about it just seems interesting. In this trade, I'll be able to work hands-on, 300 feet in the air, working with heavy machinery and neat tools. I am also learning industrial maintenance so that I am more competent and knowledgeable in different trades and fields. My goal for the future also happens to be what my plan after graduation is. I am currently attending UTI in Canton, MI, and I expect to graduate from wind turbine technology in February and industrial maintenance in April. After that, I hope to find myself a good, promising career as a wind turbine technician. I want to be able to travel to different states to work on wind farms. I even want to travel to different countries in this career. I hope that I can work hands-on and face new obstacles everyday. Then I hope to overcome those obstacles and challenge myself to always be improving. The next goal I have for myself is to be a genius in the field of wind turbine technology. I still know very little about wind turbines and have zero experience with them. However, I want that to change. I want to learn so much about wind turbines and study them till I know them exactly in and out. One of my teachers keeps talking about how he can troubleshoot a generator just by listening to it; I hope to be able to do the same with wind turbines. Someday, I might even be daring enough to buy and manage my own wind farm. Another one of my goals is to eventually settle down and retire from work. As excited as I am to become a wind turbine technician, I don't think I'll want to keep doing it for years on end. I hope that I can save up enough to eventually retire, hopefully by 60 with all my savings and investments. Even then, I don't know if I'll work on wind turbines my entire work life. That's part of why I'm learning industrial maintenance, so that if I so choose, I can work in a different trade and try out something new and refreshing.

It's not every day you go to work in an office 300+ feet in the air. At least, not with most jobs. For me, however, that will be a typical day in my future career in wind turbine technology. Throughout most of high school, my plan was to go to college and get my bachelor's degree in business. However, about a quarter through my senior year, I decided I wanted to pursue the trades instead. Something about the trades and being able to work hands-on seemed interesting to me, so I thought I wanted to do welding. However, my mom urged me to check out a local trade school, MIAT, to learn more about it first, so I did. On the tour, I learned about different trades the school offered. For some reason, wind turbine technology just stuck out to me the most. I got to see the inside of a wind turbine nacelle and learned a bit about careers in this field. I gave it some thought, and eventually I decided I wanted to become a wind turbine technician. I enrolled to MIAT and am now studying wind turbine technology, as well as industrial maintenance. I want to be a wind turbine technician because I want to work hands-on on different machinery, but also because I want to help. I want to help provide power to millions by harnessing the wind. Wind energy has many benefits, with one of the biggest being that it helps our environment and reduces CO2 usage. Wind energy is also more accessible, meaning my work will help provide power to those with limited access to it. I hope I can bring all these benefits and more through my work. Another reason I want to work in this career field is simply because I love exercise. Working on wind turbines will allow me to get plenty of exercise, from climbing up the ladder inside to lifting heavy equipment. In conclusion, I chose to pursue wind turbine technology because I want to work hands-on and get exercise at work. I hope that through my work, I can create a cleaner, greener world and provide sustainable energy to millions of people across the globe. It's not everyday you get to do that, at least, not with most jobs. For me, that will be a typical day as a wind turbine technician.

Up until my senior year of high school, I thought I wanted to go to college. When I finally became a senior, I changed my mind. Something about me just decided I didn't want to go to college. I didn't want to work towards a degree and get a regular nine to five office job. I wanted a career where I could work hands-on. That's when I decided to pursue the trades. At first, I decided on welding because it was the only trade I knew at the time. I didn't even know much about welding besides that it seemed fun. My mom urged me to check out a local trade school called MIAT, so I did. We took a tour of the school and got to learn about what trades they taught, which is when I decided which trade I wanted to pursue: wind turbine technology. Something about this trade just seemed so interesting to me, so I enrolled and am currently studying to become a wind turbine technician. I want to work in this trade so I can work hands-on to fix wind turbines and help provide energy to millions. Not only that, but I also want to travel for work. These are all things I enjoy doing, which is why I want to pursue wind turbine technology. As different as trade school and college are, they both share the fact that they're expensive. It's only possible through scholarships such as this that I can attend trade school to learn wind turbine technology. I'm also studying to learn industrial maintenance because MIAT offers a 9 month program to learn these two trades together. It's nice that I can learn two, but it also means more money out of my pocket. In conclusion, my career goal is to become a wind turbine technician so I can provide power to people across the globe while also traveling it. It's thanks to scholarships like this one that my dream can be powered, which is why I ask for your consideration.

I plan to make a positive not just on my community, but on the world through my future career in wind turbine technology. I am currently attending trade school to learn this field and I plan to become a wind turbine technician after I graduate. In this career, I hope to provide cleaner, more sustainable energy to places around the globe. Wind energy is proven to be cheaper, more efficient, and better for our environment compared to other energy sources, especially fossil fuels. By working as a wind turbine technician, I hope that my efforts will help contribute to the energy industry and provide more wind power, thus bringing the benefits I mentioned earlier to so many different people. My work will be helping our environment and also allowing more people to afford energy. This will also help provide power to those with limited access to it, as wind energy is more accessible. I hope my work can especially help my community as I am from the Metro Detroit area. Detroit is ranked in the top 20 most polluted cities in the US, and a huge factor of this is all the industrial facilities. There is also a lot of suburban land surrounding Detroit, with plenty of forests, lakes, and other natural habitats. I would hate to see these be ruined by pollution and smog, and I hope to help Detroit recover from its pollution problems. Through my work in the wind energy field, I hope to provide cleaner energy especially to my home state of Michigan in areas such as where I live to combat the pollutants that can come from forms of energy such as nuclear and natural gases. I am not against the use of these power sources, but wind energy has more benefits than these, which is why I want to work with it. I hope that my work will affect many people including those in my community. However, I also hope to still help my community on a personal level through volunteer work. I love to volunteer, and all throughout high school till now I have done many different volunteering projects in my school, city, and church communities. Many of these projects would be things such as running school dances, ushering for church, helping set up city festivals, and more. I hope I can still find time to help with these projects even when I start working full time, as it's something I enjoy doing. In conclusion, I hope to have a positive impact on the world, especially my community, through my future career as a wind turbine technician, and also through volunteer efforts. My community has done so much for me and helped define who I am today, and I hope that through my efforts I can make a positive change to give back to it.

There are thousands of different ways to show kindness to others. From small things such as holding the door for a stranger to bigger things such as donating old clothes or planting trees, you can be kind. The best part is, many of these acts of kindness are free to do. I have adopted and displayed my own pattern of kindness by volunteering. Throughout high school, and even to this day I have volunteered and continue to volunteer for my communities, accumulating over 50 hours in just high school. I show kindness in my life by volunteering, and have volunteered for my church, school, and city communities. I first started volunteering in my church in 2020, right after I graduated middle school. I became an usher at my church, following in my dad's and brother's footsteps as they were a deacon and an usher, respectively. As deacons and ushers, we help our church by doing tasks such as lighting candles, passing out bulletins, ushering people up for communion, and more. They may seem like insignificant tasks, but it really helps service run a lot smoother. Our work also helps now more than ever as our church doesn't have a permanent pastor at the moment. We've had to rely on guest pastors for over two years now, but our work helps these pastors and gets them up to speed on how our church works, since each one is unique. Even after graduating high school, I still serve at my church as an usher, and I plan to do so as long as I possibly can. Next, I have also done plenty of volunteering in my school community. During my high school years, I helped with many events such as auctions or sports concession. I also served in both student council and National Honor Society, which brought even more volunteer opportunities. I helped with events such as school dances, pep rallies, spirit weeks, and many more. All these events really helped my school by raising money and school spirit. These student activities helped forge lasting friendships and create unforgettable memories. Finally, I have helped my city community through my volunteering. My mom and I once helped out with our city's Irish Festival by setting up tents, chairs, tables, and anything else of that sort. We also do this other event we like to call the "Biomed Brass". We, and some other people who play music, take our instruments and learn some Christmas music. Then around Christmas, we go to our city hospital and play Christmas music for anyone to hear. We do this simply because we enjoy to play music and want to spread Christmas cheer, especially for those shut in on Christmas. We've done this for a couple years now and plan to continue doing this year after year. In conclusion, I have displayed my own pattern of kindness through my volunteering in my church, school, and city. Even as I go to college and eventually find a career, I hope to continue volunteering simply because it feels good to help others. What started as a simple habit of kindness has turned into a lifestyle of kindness.

Adversity comes in many different forms, and for me, it was a job I absolutely despised. Almost two years ago now, I got a job at a local grocery store as a service clerk. Since the first week, I hated the job and wanted to change. I couldn't quit because I needed a source of income to save for my future, and I put in a request to change positions, but it took months for me to finally switch. The job was basically a cart pusher mixed with a janitor, and let me tell you, it wasn't fun. I would have to push carts in any weather, whether scorching heat or freezing cold, rain or shine, thunder or hail, or whatever else. Then I would also have to clean both gender's bathrooms, any customer messes, and pretty much the entire general store area. It was both physically and mentally exhausting, and overall disgusting. I dreaded that job so much I even had a couple of nightmares about working it. I started hating my life because of that job. I was getting less sleep since I worked so many closing shifts and would come home late. My grades started slipping in school, and I just became so unhappy with life. As I mentioned above, I put in a request to switch work positions. Yet it took months to switch because my boss used the excuse that there weren't enough people in my position, so if I switched, they'd be understaffed. It took months to get enough service clerks, but we finally did. I switched positions, and now I'm a stockboy for that same store. I'm much happier with my job and in life, and I never want a job like that ever again. I am passionate about pursuing a degree in STEM because of my desire to help others. I plan to learn and obtain a career in wind turbine technology. In that job, I will be traveling across the country to work on wind turbines. I will be helping the world by providing cheaper, cleaner, more sustainable energy to millions of people. Not to mention, I will also be providing it to places with limited access to energy, since wind is more accessible than fossil fuels. I've always loved helping others in need, and this job will allow me to do just that. My current financial circumstances are pretty well off and blessed, but not enough. Even after working two jobs since I was 14 years old, I only have about half the money covered for my tuition. Yet I know that as I keep working and applying for scholarships, I will be able to afford my educational costs. This scholarship will help me achieve my goals by covering part of my tuition, but also relieving some of my stress as a student. Students already have many things to worry about, from home to deadlines and lectures, and so much more. On top of all that, they probably have thousands of dollars to pay off, like I do. This scholarship would help relieve some of that stress from paying off tuition, allowing me to focus more on my studies. In conclusion, I've faced adversity through the form of a despisable job, but I overcame it and now plan to become a wind turbine technician. This scholarship is about more than just money; it's about fueling the dreams of someone who wants to help the world and make a difference in the renewable energy field. By awarding me this scholarship, you will be helping me pursue my passion to help others.

As a kid with social anxiety, I've often struggled to make friends. From my infancy all the way to 8th grade, I've been great at making friends and been very social. However, once the pandemic started and I went to high school, that all changed. I became more introverted and afraid of social situations. Even to this day, I still struggle in different social settings. Having social anxiety has made it hard to make friends throughout high school. Even in a small school, I didn't fit in very well. I only talked to about two or three people in my same class. During my freshmen year, I would sit alone at lunch, not talking to anyone else. I did eventually get a few more friends throughout high school, mostly in the grade below mine. However, I only hung out with them in school. I did have some friends outside of school from grade school, but I rarely saw them during high school. Even when I did see them, I was awkward around them. I was always looking for the right thing to say at the right time, afraid of saying anything that would embarrass me in the slightest. Social anxiety has also affected me at work. In all my jobs, I've found it hard to make friends and talk to people. This did help in some ways, as I was more efficient and didn't waste much time talking to others. However, I did often experience feelings of loneliness. I still struggle with social anxiety to this day, but I came to realize that it doesn't matter. I've been on my own for so long that I realized I don't need friends, whether it's in school or work or wherever. I've don't even need my family, I just need God. I've been doing so much on my own for so long that I'm used to it and even enjoy it. I don't need anyone's approval or advice to do anything. I can do what I want whenever I want, and I've never been happier. Pursuing a college degree is important to me because it gives me more purpose in life. By obtaining the knowledge and skills necessary for my desired career field, I'll have something to keep me busy and happy. Having friends and family will help along the way, but I don't need them. It's also important that I get a degree so that I can get a real job and move out on my own. It's hard to get a good job without a degree, which is why college is essential. In conclusion, my struggle with social anxiety was problematic at first, but has helped me to better myself, and I am pursuing college is important so that I can get a good job and live on my own. I don't need friends or family, but just God, and He has helped me use something bad like social anxiety to bring me happiness in life.

As a kid, I always struggled deciding what I wanted to be when I grew up. A few different job ideas kept circulating in my head, and they all seemed interesting at one point, but boring the next day. It wasn't until my senior year of high school I decided on the trades. However, I finally figured out what I aspire to be. My personal goals and aspirations in the trades are to receive two trade certificates and then become a wind turbine technician, which can be made possible in part due to this scholarship. As I mentioned above, it wasn't until my last year of high school that I decided to go to trade school instead of traditional college. At first, I wanted to do welding because that was really the only trade I knew at the time. However, my mom pressured me into taking a tour of a local trade school, so I did. I learned about different trades they offered, and one in specific stood out to me: wind turbine technology. I'd never even heard of it before, but something about it just seemed so interesting to me, so I decided on that. I enrolled into the school, and now I'm a freshman there. Once I receive my first certificate in wind turbine technology, I plan to re-enroll to learn industrial maintenance. That way, I have more possible career opportunities and can do more in life. Once I graduate with both certificates, I hope to join the workforce as a wind turbine technician. There are a few reasons why I want to become one, but some of the biggest are the ability to travel and the fact that I can help the world in this job. As a wind turbine technician, I'll get the chance to travel to different to wind farms across the country, or maybe even in foreign countries. I love to travel, so this is the perfect opportunity for me. I also just want to help the world, and I can do just that in this job. By working as a wind turbine technician, I'll be helping to provide cleaner, more sustainable energy to the world. I'll be helping combat the dangerous effects of fossil fuels and their use. I'll also be providing cheaper energy to those who have limited access to power. Overall, I will be working towards the future of better energy for the world, and who wouldn't want an opportunity like that? I know that accomplishing all I want to in the trades, as fun as it sounds, won't be easy. It'll take a lot of effort to learn the trades, but also a lot of money. Trade school, like college, isn't cheap. However, scholarships such as this can help students like me to afford trade school and perform better in the trades. That's exactly what this scholarship will do; by providing me with this scholarship, you will be providing me with more means to pay for trade school. This will also help me to perform better in trade school because it will help relieve some of my stress as a student. I already have a lot to worry about, such as homework, lectures, tests, working to pay for school, and more, so it doesn't help that I have a huge chunk of tuition to pay. However, this scholarship will help to pay for part of my tuition, so I can focus more on the matter of my course and less on the money. In conclusion, my goals in the trades are to receive two different trade certificates and then become a wind turbine technician, which is possible partly thanks to scholarships such as this. The trades are becoming bigger and more important in today's day and age, so it's essential to have people like me who want to work in them.

For the longest time in my life, I didn't know what I wanted to be. I debated so many different jobs to myself, with a few main ones being a firefighter, a pastor, an actor, a businessman, and more. It wasn't until the beginning of my senior year of high school that I decided on the trades. I decided I didn't want to go to traditional college, and instead learn a trade, so that's just what I did. I'm looking to pursue both wind turbine technology and industrial maintenance, and I was inspired by the famous musician Kanye West. Around the beginning of my high school senior year, I decided I wanted to learn welding. I didn't know many other trades at the time, so that's why I picked that one. My parents urged me to take a tour of a local trade school to potentially enroll at, so I did. I went, with my mom, to the trade school for a campus tour, where I also learned about different trades they offered. They all seemed so interesting, but one in general stuck out to me: wind turbine technology. Something about it just seemed so interesting. I don't know if it was the thrill of being able to work so high up, or the fact that it's one of the largest growing industries, or what it was, but something got me interested enough to enroll into it. In just a couple of weeks, I will be starting trade school to learn that, as well as industrial maintenance since the school offers a program to learn both trades. My source of inspiration came from an unusual source. Personally, I'm a huge fan of Kanye West and his music. I know he's said and done some really controversial things, and I don't agree with them, but that doesn't make his music or his shoe brand any less better. I think he's a genius in many fields, mainly being music. I was inspired to pursue trade school instead of college because of his first studio album The College Dropout. There are a couple skits in the album that, while being satirical, actually do highlight some genuine flaws with college. Listening to them got me thinking, and I just decided that there has to be a better alternative to college. That's when I decided to pursue the trades instead. He also inspired me because Kanye advocates that you should do what makes you happy in life, and that if you're a fan of him, you're a fan of yourself. These kept me motivated even more to pursue trade school instead of college, and I'm glad I decided on that. There were plenty of other factors into my decision, but Kanye was a big influence. In conclusion, I'll be pursuing wind turbine technology and industrial maintenance, partly thanks to Kanye's influence. His positive words and messages have inspired me to pursue what makes me happy in life, and also pointed some flaws with college that trade school is better at.

My brother and I grew up on the Wii. We used to love playing different games on it when we were kids, such as various LEGO games, Mario Kart, Zelda, Super Mario, and more. Yet the game that stuck out with me the most was Wii Sports. Often my mom, dad, brother, and I would all play it together. We would play multiplayer games on it and compete, usually in teams of two. The most memorable moment from that game happened when my dad and I playing bowling. Wii Sports bowling has this special feature where, when you reach above 1000 experience points, you get a special bowling ball - one that's more sparkly. My dad was really good, so naturally he already had that ball. I wanted it so badly because young me wanted to be just like him. I was also pretty good and sat just below 1000 points. I was so close to getting that ball. My dad and I were playing one day, and that just happened to be the best game of Wii Bowling I ever played. It was my turn first, and I got a strike. Then my next turn, I got another won. After that, another. That was the first time I got a turkey in Wii Bowling. Yet it didn't stop there - I got another. And another. And finally, another. I ended up getting six strikes in a row, something that never happened to me before, nor ever happened again since. Because I did so well that game, I ended up getting enough points to get the special 1000 point ball. I was so happy with myself, and my dad was also surprised to see that I got it. Of course, I was young at the time, so I had to tell all my family about it. There have been many other memorable moments from playing Wii Sports, or even the Wii in general with my family, but to me, that was my favorite.

It's more important to focus on mental health today now more than ever. Social media has had such a big impact that younger generations feel more insecure, causing mental health to be on the rise. With this current problem, it's important to take note of your mental health and work on it. Mental health is important because it's all about you and up to you fixing it, and I do just that by going to the gym. Mental health can cause many problems in life, such as stress and anxiety, and can lead to unwanted consequences such as substance abuse, depression, or even suicide. It's important to take care of your mental health to avoid these things and live the happiest life you can. Besides, your mental health is all about you, which means you alone suffer when your mental health is lacking. If you're mental health is down, it's going to affect other areas in your life, such as work, school, relationships, and so on. By fixing your mental health, you can live a happier, more successful life. This in turn reinforces your mental health, so by fixing it in the first place, it will lead to more happiness down the road. It's important to focus on your mental health because you are the only one that can fix it. While having friends and family helps, they can only do so much to a certain extent. It ultimately falls on you to take action and fix your mental well-being to get the most out of life. By focusing on yourself, you can lead a happier life and avoid the pitfalls that come with bad mental health. Only you can fix yourself. Shortly over two years ago now, I was in a bad place in life. I had very little income since my job never scheduled me to work, school sucked and I had my hands full with homework, I couldn't get over my crush who I had not shot with, my physique wasn't all that good, I was just a huge crybaby, and my life sucked. My mental health was in a bad spot and I knew I needed to do something to fix it. I already tried going to friends and family for help, but it didn't do much. Finally, when summer came, I joined a gym; that was one of the best decisions of my life. Working out and doing weightlifting boosted my confidence and mood, giving me the drive to fix my life, so I did just that. I got a new job where I was actually scheduled, I got over my crush, I got a better physique, and my life just got so much better. It was all so simple, really. I just needed to take action, and for me, joining the gym was that action I needed to do. In conclusion, it's important to focus on your mental health so that you can live a happier, healthier life. Only you can fix it though, and for me, I fixed it by joining the gym. I fear what would've happened to me if I never did sign up for the gym, but fortunately I never have to face that as reality.

We live in an age where people rely heavily on fossil fuels. Because of this, we face many consequences such as high CO2 emissions, pollution, oil spills, deforestation, and even wars and conflicts. It's clear that if action isn't taken to fix this, we could lose the energy we so preciously rely on that comes from fossil fuels. Fortunately, there are alternative sources. I am making the intentional choice to learn and find a career in the wind energy industry to live more sustainably and help our environment. My whole life, I've always done a few of the basics to help the environment. I recycle, I try to limit my water use, I don't leave the lights on when I'm done with them, and more. I don't exactly go out of my way to do more, such as plant trees when I can or avoid using any and all plastic items. However, I will be helping out the environment in a way I never expected to. I am enrolled to soon learn wind turbine technology. After graduating from school with that education, I plan to join the workforce as a wind turbine technician. In this field, I'll be travelling the country to work on wind turbines, which will help provide cleaner, more sustainable energy than that provided by fossil fuels. The benefits from my work will be enormous. For starts, wind turbines have over 90% less carbon emission than fossil fuels, so I'll be helping reduce carbon footprints and making the environment better. Wind turbines also don't lead to oil spills, and they can be built almost anywhere, whereas oil rigs can only be placed in spots with oil. That also leads to less conflicts and fighting. There's been plenty of war for oil in the Middle East since it has so much, but wind turbines won't carry that problem. I won't just be helping fix the environment, I'll be helping save lives. I believe that it's important to try to reduce carbon footprint simply to preserve nature. People don't often stop enough to realize just how beautiful it is, yet nature is one of the prettiest things ever. It also provides so much for us, such as fruit and vegetables, or even flowers. These things are at risk with higher CO2 emissions from humanity in the modern day. In conclusion, I will lead a more sustainable life by working in the renewable energy industry as a wind turbine technician. My work will have many benefits such as helping reduce carbon footprint and leading to a cleaner environment, while also reducing conflict and saving lives. All this can be made possible by my continued education, so by investing this scholarship in me, you will be investing in a greener earth.

There are often too many book-to-film adaptations that leave a bad taste in the viewer's mouth. Whether it's because of budget restrictions, skewed perspectives on the book, or just bad artistic talent, film adaptations of books are generally not that good, and it's often better to just stick to reading the book. However, some film adaptations are pulled off so well that they seem better than the book. My favorite book-to-film adaptation, The Passion of the Christ, almost perfectly captured the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, helping me to realize just how much He suffered for the world. To be clear, I'm not one of those religious fanatics who shoves religion down everyone's throat and acts all pious. However, I am a Christian. I was born and raised that way by my parents, and I've learned and studied the Bible plenty both in and out of school. I've heard and studied many different major Bible stories, such as creation, David and Goliath, Paul's conversion, and more. The biggest story in the Bible is clearly Jesus' life, especially His death. I've heard it millions of times and know it pretty well. I've read it time and time again and gotten a clear picture of how I imagined it. Yet watching the Mel Gibson movie The Passion of the Christ put the whole story in a different perspective for me. Gibson did an amazing job on this movie. The setting, soundtrack, cinematography, and everything else of the movie was phenomenal. I didn't know much about the historical setting and style of the time, so this movie helped me out with that. Of course, there were some flaws, but it was overall solid. The biggest impact the movie had, though, was seeing how much Jesus suffered. I already knew Jesus went through a during the days before and of His death. He was beaten, flogged, forced to wear a crown of thorns, spit on, forced to drag His cross, crucified, and stabbed with a spear. But seeing this all in movie format really put into perspective how painful it look. For example, in the scene where Jesus gets flogged, you can see chunks of flesh being ripped off His back. Seeing all the gore and blood on screen made me realize how much Jesus was willing to suffer for you and me. It all went to show how much Jesus truly loves us, and motivates me to live a more Christian lifestyle. In conclusion, my favorite book-to-film adaptation is Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ because it helps set the tone and historical setting, and also puts into perspective how much Jesus suffered and cares for us. I will never forget how deep this movie was, and it stands as one of my favorites to this day.

Every person goes through their own difficulties in life. Each struggle a person faces is unique to them, which also means it's ultimately up to them to overcome it. It's not the difficulty that defines you, but how you overcome it. For me, the challenge that I faced and eventually overcame was working in a job I absolutely despised. This challenge showed me the power of patience and hard work, and that you can accomplish great things by sticking through adversity. About two years ago now, I got a job at a local grocery store as a service clerk. My job was basically being a cart pusher and janitor in one. Even from the very first week on the job, I hated it. I would have to clean up messes all around in the store, including both gender bathrooms, and also customer and employee messes or spills. I won't go too much into detail, but it was often disgusting. I also had to push carts in any weather, whether rain or shine, scorching hot or freezing cold, thunder or extreme wind, and so on. It was an exhausting job, both physically and mentally. I worked mostly closing shifts because I would go straight to work right after school. Because of this, I would come home later and not be able to get as much sleep. This reflected in my schoolwork too, and my grades started slipping. I started dreading days that I worked, and eventually even days before I worked. On a few occasions, I even had nightmares about working that job. I just started becoming unhappier with life and more stressed out, and my whole life was going downhill. Despite the fact that I hated working that job, I couldn't just quit. I needed some source of income, especially since I'd be attending college in just a few years. I applied to a bunch of places around me, but not many responded, and the ones that did were too late. I submitted a request to switch positions at the store, but that took months to finally happen. My boss claimed that we were short-staffed in that position, so I couldn't switch till we got more service clerks. I think part of this stemmed from the fact that he wanted to keep me in that position, because as much as I hated that job, I was one of the best workers. It took about four months, maybe even more, to get enough service clerks for me to switch. However, I finally did, and now I'm a stockboy for that same store. I spent almost a year working that job I absolutely detested, but I was patient and finally overcame that hardship. As much as I hated that job and all it did to me at the time, I'm glad I had it. Working in such a horrible job as this and facing this challenge taught me many things. For starters, it showed me the power of hard work and dedication. I kept showing up to all my shifts and putting in the work, and various managers of the store noticed my hard work. I didn't get any rewards for it, but it felt good hearing them tell me what a great worker I was. That's part of what motivated me to keep pushing through and working hard. This job also increased my patience and discipline. It was often annoying to have to clean up other's messes, but I never did show my anger or annoyance at having to clean their messes. I kept silent and just did what I had to, which made me more disciplined. I also know to never work as either a janitor or a cart pusher, or both, ever again. In conclusion, the challenge I faced was working a job I despised, but through hard work patience, and discipline I overcame it. I learned many unforgettable lessons and skills from that job, and now I'm in a much happier position in life. If I could go back and change anything about my experience there, I don't think I would, or else I wouldn't be where I am today.

Every person goes through their own struggles. Each hardship a person faces is unique to them, which also means it's ultimately up to them to overcome it. It's not the hardship that defines you, but how you overcome it. For me, the hardship I faced and eventually overcame was working in a job I absolutely despised. This hardship showed me the power of patience and sticking through adversity. About two years ago now, I got a job at a local grocery store as a service clerk. My job was basically being a cart pusher and janitor. Even from the very first week on the job, I hated it. I would have to clean up messes all around in the store, including both gender bathrooms, and also customer and employee messes or spills. I won't go too much into detail, but it was disgusting. I also had to push carts in any weather, whether rain or shine, scorching hot or freezing cold, thunder or extreme wind, and so on. It was an exhausting job, both physically and mentally. I worked mostly closing shifts because I would go straight to work right after school. Because of this, I would come home later and not be able to get as much sleep. This reflected in my schoolwork too, and my grades started slipping. My whole life was just going downhill because some job I abhorred. As much as I hated working that job, I couldn't just quit. I needed some source of income, especially since I'd be attending college in just a few years. I applied to a bunch of places around me, but not many responded, and the ones that did were too late. I submitted a request to switch positions at the store, but that took months to finally happen. My boss claimed that we were short-staffed in that position, so I couldn't switch till we got more service clerks. I think part of this stemmed from the fact that he wanted to keep me in that position, because as much as I hated that job, I was one of the best workers. It took about four months, maybe even more, to get enough service clerks for me to switch. However, I finally did, and now I'm a stockboy for that same store. I spent almost a year working that job I absolutely detested, but I was patient and finally overcame that hardship. My life is much better from that time, and I'm glad I waited. I embody Agape love by my volunteer work in my church. I serve as an usher, alongside my dad and brother, and we help the pastor run service. We do various tasks, such as hand out bulletins as people walk in, light candles by the altar, usher people up for communion, and more. Our work helps run service smoother, and it helps our church now more than ever because we currently have a pastor vacancy. We have been without a permanent pastor for over two years now, so we have to bring in guest pastors every week. My dad, brother, and I help bring these guest pastors up to speed on how our church operates, because each church has it's own unique way of doing things. In conclusion, I've faced the hardship of working a despisable job, but I overcame it by making change happen and staying patient when things weren't going my way. I currently embody Agape love and give back to my community by volunteering at my church to help out the guest pastors and congregation.

I was never really much of a reader till recently. It wasn't till high school that I found enjoyment in reading books. Yet I think that having to read quite a few different novels for English classes made me enjoy it more, and now I love to read. I've learned quite a few life lessons from various books, but the one that stands out the most is from my favorite book: The Bible. From reading this book, I learned the important lesson of living like Jesus, and this has shaped and changed my life in more ways than I thought possible. Growing up, I was never really one for reading, but I was raised as a Christian. My parents took me to church ever since I was a baby, and I've only ever attended parochial schools till now. It wasn't till high school that I started taking my faith more seriously, as well as started reading more. In all my high school English classes, we read many different books and novels. There were a few that stuck out to me, such as Romeo and Juliet, A Separate Peace, Pride and Prejudice, and more. It was these great classics, and many others, that made me realize how fun reading could be. If you just find the right books, you can have a good time. Throughout my life, I've heard and read many different Bible stories. Many of them were solidified into my brain throughout the years, and I know them by heart. Yet it wasn't till around the beginning of 2024 that I decided to do something I'd never done before; I started reading the Bible from cover to cover. I'm still working on it, and while my progress started slow, I picked it up more and more recently. I read it at home mostly, but I also take it into work so I can read it on my breaks. Reading the Bible has taught me so many different lessons already. I've learned things such as try your hardest for God, or always lean on God for help, and so many more. Yet I think all the lessons in the Bible can be summarized in this: live like Jesus. Jesus lived a perfect life for us. He always leaned and trusted in God, He was loving to others and cared for them, He spread God's message to so many different people, and more. To be clear, I'm not one of those people who's overly religious and shoves it down everyone's throat. Yet I am inspired by this lesson, and I want to carry that out. I want to try my best for God and show love to everyone, even my enemies. This lesson has inspired me throughout much of high school, and I tried to do my best in everything for God. Because of that, I won so many different awards and honors, served in student council and NHS, and even graduated as class salutatorian. I know that in my future too, both in school and eventually in my career, I will continue to try my hardest for God and love others like my neighbor. In conclusion, reading the Bible has taught me to live like Jesus, and that's exactly what I have and will continue to strive for. It's funny, if you think about it, how putting ink of a piece of paper in just the order and shape, it can change someone's life like that.

Adversity comes in many different forms, and for me, it was a job I absolutely despised. Almost two years ago now, I got a job at a local grocery store as a service clerk. Since the first week, I hated the job and wanted to change. I couldn't quit because I needed a source of income to save for my future, and I put in a request to change positions, but it took months for me to finally switch. The job was basically a cart pusher mixed with a janitor, and let me tell you, it wasn't fun. I would have to push carts in any weather, whether scorching heat or freezing cold, rain or shine, thunder or hail, or whatever else. Then I would also have to clean both gender's bathrooms, any customer messes, and pretty much the entire general store area. It was both physically and mentally exhausting, and overall disgusting. I dreaded that job so much I even had a couple of nightmares about working it. I started hating my life because of that job. I was getting less sleep since I worked so many closing shifts and would come home late. My grades started slipping in school, and I just became so unhappy with life. As I mentioned above, I put in a request to switch work positions. Yet it took months to switch because my boss used the excuse that there weren't enough people in my position, so if I switched, they'd be understaffed. It took months to get enough service clerks, but we finally did. I switched positions, and now I'm a stockboy for that same store. I'm much happier with my job and in life, and I never want a job like that ever again. I am passionate about pursuing a degree in STEM because of my desire to help others. I plan to learn and obtain a career in wind turbine technology. In that job, I will be traveling across the country to work on wind turbines. I will be helping the world by providing cheaper, cleaner, more sustainable energy to millions of people. Not to mention, I will also be providing it to places with limited access to energy, since wind is more accessible than fossil fuels. I've always loved helping others in need, and this job will allow me to do just that. My current financial circumstances are pretty well off and blessed, but not enough. Even after working two jobs since I was 14 years old, I only have about half the money covered for my tuition. Yet I know that as I keep working and applying for scholarships, I will be able to afford my educational costs. This scholarship will help me achieve my goals by covering part of my tuition, but also relieving some of my stress as a student. Students already have many things to worry about, from home to deadlines and lectures, and so much more. On top of all that, they probably have thousands of dollars to pay off, like I do. This scholarship would help relieve some of that stress from paying off tuition, allowing me to focus more on my studies. In conclusion, I've faced adversity through the form of a despisable job, but I overcame it and now plan to become a wind turbine technician. This scholarship is about more than just money; it's about fueling the dreams of someone who wants to help the world and make a difference in the renewable energy field. By awarding me this scholarship, you will be helping me pursue my passion to help others.

My entire life, I was always unsure of what I wanted to be. I must've changed my desired career a million times as a child. One day, I would want to be a firefighter, the next, an actor, the next, a lawn care provider, and so on. It wasn't till about a year ago I finally found what I want to pursue: wind turbine technology. Around the start of my high school senior year, I decided I wanted to get into the trades. I didn't know about many trades at the time, so I just decided on welding. Yet my parents urged me to take a tour of a local trade school to learn more about it first, so I did. I learned about many different trades and programs that the school offered, and that's when I picked wind turbine technology. I couldn't even tell you the first thing about it. Yet something about it seems so interesting. Maybe it's the thrill of being so high up in the air everyday. Or maybe it's the fact that it's one of the largest growing career paths right now. Either way, I picked it and enrolled in that trade school to learn it. I will be starting in late July 2024. The trades have many differences from the average 9-5 job people tend to think of. For starters, they often involve a lot more physical labor and working with your hands. The trades also require more specialized training and education in them. Thankfully, I have both those bases covered. I love going to the gym and doing weightlifting, so I'm already in good shape and have good athleticism. I'm also glad about the fact that this trade will allow me to get good exercise in while working. I'll have to climb over 300 just to get up one turbine, and I'll be doing that every day I work. Not to mention, I'll have to do that carrying all my equipment and wearing a bunch of safety gear. Since I'm in good shape though, I know that it won't be that hard, and I'll get in a good workout by climbing so much. Working in this field also aligns with my passion for helping others. I like doing volunteer events to help people in more need than me, and I've been doing them for a while. All throughout high school, and even after graduation, I've helped with school, church, and community events. I served on student council and NHS during high school, and I still help in my church as an usher. However, by working in wind turbine technology, I'll be helping more than just some small-knit communities. I'll be helping the world by providing cheaper, cleaner, more sustainable energy. I'll also be providing energy to places that have limited access, since wind is more accessible than fossil fuels. In conclusion, I am enrolled into trade school, to learn wind turbine technology, thereafter which I will get a career in that field since I can get exercise and help others by working. I'm very excited to start learning and working in this field soon, and I know that my work will have a positive impact.

My plans for the future are to attend trade school and obtain not one, but two trade certificates: one in wind turbine technology, and another in industrial maintenance. After that, I plan to join the workforce as a wind turbine technician, where I will travel across the country to work on wind turbines. While trade school and college have many differences, one thing they have in common is that they're both expensive. That's why this scholarship will help me. Growing up, I was always unsure of what I wanted to be. I must've changed my mind on the subject a million times. One day I'd want to be a firefighter, then the next a pastor, then the next an actor, and so on. I just couldn't seem to make up my mind, but going into college, I thought I had my plan solidified. I planned to attend college and obtain my business degree, then start my own lawncare business. That all changed about a year ago at the start of my senior year. I changed my mind again and decided on the trades. I didn't know many different trades at the time, so I just settled for welding. However, after doing a tour of a local trade school and learning about different programs they offer, I decided on wind turbine technology. Now I'm currently enrolled to attend that same trade school starting in late July 2024. After graduating with both certificates, I plan to become a wind turbine technician. In this field, I'll be traveling to different wind farms where I'll work on repairing wind turbines. This will help the world by providing cleaner, more sustainable energy, which is part of why I picked it. I've always loved helping others, and this trade allows me to do just that. I'm excited to start trade school soon, but also nervous. I'll have a lot on my plate, such as homework, deadlines, lectures, working after school, and more. Not to mention, I'll have quite a bit of money to pay for tuition. However, this scholarship would help cover part of that. That way, I can graduate with less student debt and have more for things such as a house and a car. It would also help relieve some of the stress I'll have as a student, allowing me to focus less on the cost and more on the curriculum. With this scholarship, I could finally reach my goal of becoming a wind turbine technician and have a bright future ahead. I could make my dreams a reality and help the world through my work in wind turbine technology. In conclusion, I plan to graduate trade school with two certificates, thereafter becoming a wind turbine technician, and learning this and my other trades will be made possible partly due to the Bright Lights scholarship. This scholarship is about more than just the money, it's helping fuel the dreams of those in the next generation so that they can help out the world.

Faith is something many people take for granted. They don't realize it, but faith is a miracle. Our sinful nature wants nothing to do with God; it wants to get as far from Him as possible. However, God in His great grace, brings people to faith in Him. I used to take my faith for granted and not take it seriously. However, after a distressing event in my life, I started being more serious about my faith, and it was one of the best things to ever happen to me. I was always raised as a Christian my whole life. My parents baptized me and started bringing me to church as soon as they could, and I've been going every single week I can ever since. I've only ever attended private, parochial schools, from preschool to my high school senior year. Most of my childhood, however, I didn't really pay much attention to my faith. It was as if I was only going through the motions. I only prayed at night before bed, and just went to church every Sunday. Around my seventh and eight grade years especially, I started living very sinfully. I picked up some very bad habits, and I just gave up on life. My plan became to go homeless after high school so I could just die an early death. However, a traumatic event happened during the summer between eight grade and freshman year. My parents almost got divorced after a big fight, bigger than any they've ever had. It was during that situation I had nowhere left to turn but God, so that's what I did. I prayed to Him harder than I ever had before. I prayed that he spare my parent's marriage. I must've repeated that prayer to Him a million times that night. I was so sure my parents would split, but they didn't. God answered my prayer to keep them together. Things were rough between them for a bit, but they soon restored their marriage to what it was before, all thanks to God. Ever since that incident, I've been trying to live a better life. I devised an actually good plan for after I graduate high school, not just giving up and going homeless. I tried quitting many of my sinful habits, but it wasn't so smooth. It took me years to break some, and I'm still struggling with a few of them today. Yet no matter how much I sin or let God down, He's always there to forgive me. He hasn't abandoned me so far, and I know He won't ever. God has blessed me with so much in life; so many possessions and accomplishments came from Him. It's mainly because my faith in God that I try so hard in life. I always try to do my best for Him, and because of that and His grace, I've accomplished plenty in high school. I received many awards and honors, I served on student council and NHS, and I graduated as class salutatorian. I gave high school my all for God. It's funny that He used something so terrible and traumatic to accomplish so much good. I know that my faith will keep me motivated to keep trying my hardest all through college and beyond. I want to do a good job for Him, not because I want to receive something from Him, but because I've already received so much from Him.

Music is more than just random sounds and noises put together in such a way that it sounds beautiful. Move can move people. It inspires people and brings them together. Concerts bring people together to have an unforgettable night, soundtracks add to the thrill and cinematography of movies, nursery rhymes are played to help babies learn, and so much more. Music is a much larger part of life than many people think. As a long-time musician and aspiring producer, I hope to have an impact on the world through my music. I've been into music for a while now. I started playing the trumpet at around 10 years old for school band. At first, I was horrible, so much so that my teacher required me to start taking lessons. I took trumpet lessons almost every week for about 6 years of my life, and now I'm amazing at trumpet. I was the best in my school band and received many different awards and honors for my playing. In both my sophomore and junior years of high school, I attended an event my synod hosts every year called WELS Band Festival. They take all the high schools within that synod, and about 100 of the best band members from each school is selected. Both years, I was one of two people selected from my school, and they were both interesting experiences. We were handed challenging music we'd never seen before and would travel to one school within the synod, spend two days practicing, then perform a concert on the third day to an audience of people from the synod. I also picked up guitar and bass guitar in recent years. I first started learning guitar in 2020 back when quarantine started. I had too much free-time, so I picked up my mom's old acoustic guitar and started playing. Later on, I bought a bass guitar so I could start a band with my brother, although I don't think that's going anywhere. I love to play music, but I love listening to it even more. Some of my favorite artists at the moment are Travis Scott, Tyler the Creator, Metro Boomin, and more, but all these people are part of what inspired me to start making my own music. Just a few months ago, I started producing some of my own beats and making lyrics for them. They aren't very good, but I'm just a beginner and I know I'll get better if I keep at it. I hope that I can finally release some singles, then eventually an album, and finally make a whole bunch of albums. I plan to make a positive impact on the world by making music that inspires people to take action and keeps them motivated. I've faced my fair share of struggles through life, but music helped me get through many of them. Listening to different inspiring songs kept me motivated to keep going and push through every obstacle. I hope that my music can have the same effect on others.

My name is Nicholas Tamer, and I am an incoming trade school freshman. I recently graduated high school in June 2024, and will be attending MIAT College of Technology starting the month after that. I hope to learn two different trades from trade school: wind turbine technology and industrial maintenance. After getting both these certificates, I plan to join the workforce as a wind turbine technician, and through that, have a positive impact on the world. Wind turbine technology is one of the fastest growing trades, and signs show that it will only get bigger from here. Because of that, there will is a lot of demand for workers in that field, and I plan to help fill a gap. However, that's not all there is to it. By my work in the wind turbine field, I will be having a positive impact on the world by providing cheaper, more sustainable energy. This will also help our environment as a whole, giving us a greener planet. Out of every energy source, both renewable and non-renewable, wind turbines are the cheapest. Not only that, but it's also the most accessible, alongside solar power. Unlike oil, you don't have to dig for wind, and it's all over most the world. That means more people can afford wind energy and have access to it. I will be helping to provide people with that cheaper, more accessible energy, which will have a really positive impact on the world. As many people know, renewable energy is cleaner and reduces carbon emissions. But many people don't know how much it reduces carbon emissions by. According to studies, the use of wind turbines over fossil fuels reduces CO2 emissions by over 90%. That's a pretty big difference, which means it'll have a pretty big difference in the environment. With wind turbines, you also don't face problems such as oil spills, deforestation, or even conflict and fighting over oil. This saves parts of the environment, and also many lives. By working in wind turbine technology, I will be helping save the environment and even people. In conclusion, I hope to have a positive impact on the world through my work in wind turbine technology by providing cheaper energy to even those with limited access, and also helping protect the environment and reduce oil mining. I've always loved helping others, so I'm glad I am pursuing a trade that allows me to do just that.

My name is Nicholas Tamer. I was born and raised in the Metro Detroit area of Michigan, and I recently graduated from Hope Christian Academy. I will be attending MIAT College of Technology starting on July 24, 2024. I helped others plenty through high school, and I plan to keep helping others through my future work in wind turbine technology. While still in high school, I served in student council and NHS. These both presented me with plenty of volunteer opportunities that I took advantage of, such as school dances, pep rallies spirit weeks, bake sales, and more. All these events helped to create a stronger sense of community, and overall made the student body happier. I also did plenty of volunteer events outside of these organizations. I've helped with annual events we do, like our auction or our winter craft vendor fair. All in all, I accumulated over 50 volunteer hours. I also served others outside of my school. I serve at my church as an usher, alongside my dad and brother. We help service run smoother by doing tasks such as lighting the candles, handing out bulletins, ushering people up for communion, and so on. This helps our congregation now more than ever because we've had a pastor vacancy for over two years now. We have guest pastors come in for service every week, so our work has an impact on helping him with service. We keep them up to speed on what's going on in the church and how we operate, because each church runs uniquely. Even though I've graduated high school, I still plan to help others. I plan to learn two different trades: wind turbine technology and industrial maintenance. This will help because the trades are in huge demand right now, so I will be helping fill a much-needed gap. Through my desired career, wind turbine technology, I will be helping the whole world. I will be helping to provide cleaner, more sustainable energy for a cheaper price too. I will also be helping provide energy to areas that don't have it as readily accessible. My work will be helping millions, possibly even billions of people who I don't even know. It will also be helping out our environment. In conclusion, I've helped others plenty through my volunteering in high school and at church, and I plan to keep helping others through my work in wind turbine technology. I love to help and serve others in life, and I hope that's what I can do through the education I will receive at trade school.

Mental health can serve as a huge barrier in a person's life. It can cause them to feel sad and not want to carry on in life. It can also take a toll on other aspects of their well-being, such as their physical health. For me, I struggled with mental health that also took a toll on my physically. However, I worked through my struggle and used that as a learning point in life. From there, I recovered and made my life better than it ever had been before. About two years ago, I was in a bad place in life. I had a job but they never scheduled me to come in, so I wasn't making much money. I was hung up on my crush, who was with someone else at the time, I was in bad physical shape, and I was just overall sad with my life. I had no meaning or direction and I was a big crybaby. Then summer came, and I cleaned up my life. I joined a gym, got in better shape, got a new job, got over my crush, and stopped being such a crybaby. I made my life so much better, and that was one of the best summers ever. Flash forward to winter of that year and my life starts falling apart again. All that hard work I put in was starting to be undone. I got a different job a few months prior, thinking it would be better, but it wasn't I hated that job because it was disgusting and mentally challenging. My job was basically being a janitor and cart pusher for a grocery store. I won't go into the details too much, but I had to clean both men and women's bathrooms, clean up any store messes, and also push carts in any weather, whether rain or shine, scorching hot or freezing cold, hail or thunder, whatever. I hated that job, and it took a toll on my mental health. I was getting less sleep because I was coming home late from working closing shifts after school. I dreaded days that I had work, and even days before days I worked. I even had nightmares about working at that job. This started taking a toll on my physical health, too. I wasn't eating right, so I started losing weight. I lost about 20 pounds in 4 months, which is especially unhealthy for a growing teen such as myself. I was unhappy with life and I knew I needed to do something. I put in a request to work a different position in that same store. I didn't want to quit because I needed a job to provide for my future, and everywhere else I applied never responded, at least, not in time. It took over 3 months to switch positions, but I finally did. I'm now a stockboy for that same store, and I'm much happier in life. My experiences with mental health struggles has given me a new outlook on life. I now know that in order to fix your life, you have to make that change. You can rely on others for help, but only you can take the initiative to make that switch. Without effort, your life won't get better. However, you must also be patient. Sometimes it just takes time for change to happen, even with your effort. By being patient and working towards it, you can make that change in your life; you can make your own happiness.

My experience as the child of an Air Force veteran is different than many others. Many veteran children don't see their parent since they're off serving in the military. However, I was blessed enough to not experience that. My dad served before I was even born, so I never had to worry about not seeing him. However, his service still affects me, because it gives me a deeper respect for the man, and he also shares plenty of stories from his time in the military. My father served in the Air Force when he was much younger. He served for about 10 years and eventually left because he got to the point where they couldn't pay him any more. He was very skilled with firearms and had very good aim. He was fortunate enough to never see any real combat. Rather, because of his skill and good aim, he was a weapons instructor. He taught others how to shoot better and improve their aim. Even to this day, however, he is still very good with weapons and has a nice aim. I already love my dad and respect him for who he is. However, I have a deeper level of respect for him thanks to his service. He was willing to sacrifice everything to not only provide for his family, but also his country. Without people like him, the US that I live in today wouldn't be a thing. We wouldn't have all the freedoms and rights we're blessed with. When my dad signed up, he knew the risks he was taking, possibly having to see combat and even die in service. Yet he also knew what he was fighting for, so he took a leap of faith. Without heroes like him, this country wouldn't be around, and I respect my dad so much more for that. Having a veteran dad has also provided me with plenty of stories. My dad will occasionally tell us tales from his service, yet it isn't in a sense of horror or PTSD. Many of the stories he tells us are actually humorous or witty. As I mentioned, my dad was an instructor instead of seeing combat, so he was often at a US military base. He's told us stories such as new recruit slip-ups, times that he used various weapons, and even stories about his downtime in the military. Either way, these stories are very entertaining, and it's always cool to hear parts of my dad's lore that I've never heard before.

Throughout all of my high school education, I've helped others by doing plenty of volunteer work. I served in both NHS and on student council, which both presented me with lots of different volunteer opportunities. I served and helped with many events such as school dances, pep rallies, spirit weeks, bake sales, and more. All in all, I accumulated over 50 volunteer hours. Even after graduating though, I don't plan on stopping my work of helping others. I currently serve at my church as an usher, alongside my dad and brother. We aren't always scheduled to work, only in one month increments every couple of months. When we do work, we do various tasks to help service run smoothly, such as light the candles, hand out bulletins, usher people up for communion, and more. This helps the pastor run service more efficiently. It helps now more than ever because our church is has a pastor vacancy, so we've been using guest pastors for the past two years. We help out the guest pastor by getting them up to speed on what's going on, as well as what we do at our church, since each one runs uniquely. I also plan to help more people than just my church through my future career. I plan to learn and work in wind turbine technology. That means I'll be working to help the world by providing cheaper, cleaner, more sustainable energy. I will also be helping provide energy to those who have limited access to it. I will be on the forefront of the future of renewable energy, which will help thousands, even millions of people.

Since the dawn of time, mankind has tried and tried to understand the universe. It only seems natural that we should try to understand everything and find out how we fit into the equation. It's important to work better to understand the universe because it helps us understand God more, it tells us our place in the universe, and it can help us learn new things in different fields. First, it's crucial to try to understand the universe because it gives us a better understanding of God. I'm not ashamed to say that I'm a Christian, and I don't believe in the big bang theory. Rather, I believe God created the earth, the stars, the sun and moon, and everything else. By working to better understand all these things He created, it shows us more and more about Him. It helps us understand just how much God really loves and cares for us. When you start to understand how all these things not only work, but work perfectly with each other, it lets us know that God is smart and made things to work towards us, which brings us to the next point. Next, it's important to try to better understand the universe because it shows us our place in it. Many people believe that humans are insignificant compared to the universe, and that we were just created for it. This is the complete opposite - the universe was created for humans. God, being the intelligent creator He is, designed the universe specifically with humans in mind. He made animals and plants to serve as food for humans, water for us to drink, air for us to breathe, and more. As you take a look at the universe and all of creation, you can see just how much is designed for us. It all points to God because it makes more sense that He created this with us in mind, rather than a big bang making all this work out for mankind. Finally, it's important to better understand our universe because it not only teaches us new things about God and ourselves, but also other subjects. Studying the universe, the stars, and all the heavenly bodies has taught people so much, especially in the field of science. However, it also helped us learn concepts in math too. For example, by studying the rotation of the sun and stars, Greek astronomer Eratosthenes was able to almost accurately figure out the earth's circumference. Studying the universe also gave us other concepts and ideas, such as using the sun for energy via solar panels, or even using the sun to track time itself. Studying the universe has had many benefits on mankind and researching related concepts, so it's important to keep digging to find out more. There are many different ways you can study the universe and it's many complex parts. For me, I'm doing through a source of energy: wind. I plan on learning and working in wind turbine technology in my future. In this career, I will be working with wind turbines, which serve as a source for clean, sustainable energy. Through my work in this career, I can hopefully learn more about the universe and contribute to the knowledge humans have of wind and renewable energy. God designed wind to work for the benefit of humans, and as we can learn in 1 Kings 19:11, God uses the wind to accomplish His purposes and can control it. In conclusion, it's important to the development and improvement of humanity to study the universe and its many concepts because it helps us understand God and ourselves better, as well as many other subjects and fields. I plan to learn more about the universe through my future education and work in the wind turbine industry.

Ever since my freshman year of high school, my post-graduation plan was to attend University of Michigan and get my business degree, then start my own business. That all changed the beginning of my senior year, when I decided I wanted to pursue the trades instead. I wasn't sure which trade, as I didn't know much about them at the time, so I was thinking about going into welding at first. Finally, after doing a tour of a local trade school, I decided on wind turbine technology. Something about it seems so interesting and fun to me, and I'm excited to start learning it soon. I will also be learning another trade, industrial maintenance, after getting my first certificate in wind turbine technology. The reason I chose the trades over starting a business was because I decided I want a more engaging, hands-on job. I want a job where I'll be out in the field, working with machines and tools, also while getting exercise from working. I decided that a regular 9-5 office job wasn't right for me; I want a career where everyday I'll face new challenges and overcome them. I chose wind turbine technology specifically because it's such a huge and growing field in today's day and age, so we'll need more and more workers in it. I hope to create an impact, not just in wind turbine technology, but also on the world. I hope that through my work in that trade, I can help create cleaner, cheaper, and more sustainable energy to the world. I hope I can provide power to places that originally had limited access to it. I've always been one for helping others, and through a career in this trade, I can do that every day.

During my time in high school, I took part in many volunteer opportunities that were provided. I served on student council and in NHS, and as part of this I helped with many school events, such as dances, pep rallies, spirit weeks, bake sales, and more. More than that, I also help out at my church by serving as an usher, alongside my dad and brother. I help service run smoothly and do tasks such as passing out bulletins, lighting candles, sending people up for communion and more. While all these are examples of selfless acts, they are on a small scale. There was one time in particular, however, they I helped someone in urgent need. It was my freshman year of high school, back in either late 2020 or early 2021. Covid-19 was still a huge concern at the time, and there was still a mask mandate going on. I was at home during winter break, playing video games when I got a call from my mom. She told me our elderly neighbor had fallen and needed help getting up. This was more or less of a common occurrence, and my mom would usually just go help her up herself. However, my mom wasn't home that day, so it was up to me to go help. I could feel a slight amount of adrenaline kick in as soon as my mom told me what happened. I grabbed our neighbor's spare key that she gave us and rushed over. I walked into her house and there she was, fallen on the step between her family room and dining room. I sped over to help her up, but when we tried, she said it was too much pain to get up. We tried and tried, but it was far too painful for her, and she said to call 911. I gave her a pillow to prop her up on, then I dialed for help. I explained to the first responder the situation, and she said help was on the way. We live right by a hospital, so the ambulance was there in less than 5 minutes. Two EMTs came in with a stretcher, and they were able to lift her up and get her out of the house. I called my mom and explained the whole situation to her as well. The EMTs got her into the ambulance and went off to the hospital, while I stayed behind. I left her house, making sure to lock the door. I went home and just took a second to think about what had happened. That was the last time I ever saw my neighbor. She passed away a few days later in the hospital. She was always such a sweet lady, almost like a grandma I never had. I'm just glad I was able to help her live at least a few days longer, and it pains me to think about what could've happened if I didn't go help her.

Many people tend to think that a leader is someone who gets to sit back and tell others what to do. The true meaning couldn't be any further from this. A true leader is someone who guides others on what to do, but also does that work themself. A leader should never have their subordinates do anything they wouldn't do themselves, or else they aren't fit for leadership. What makes me a leader is my ability to advise others, my accountability, and my work ethic. First, I am a leader because of my ability to give solid advice. Leaders should be able to think on their toes, and that's exactly what I do. I can come up with solutions others might not see, at least right away. I can also make decisions that others can't, even when it's a tough decision to make. Often, my peers come to me for different types of advice, such as relationship advice, help on homework, guidance in life, and more. As a leader, I help others with this and guide others towards making the right decisions. Next, I am a leader because of my accountability. We're all human, so we make mistakes sometimes. It's not the mistakes that define you though - it's how you react to those mistakes. I often use mistakes I make as a way of learning, so that way I don't make the same mistake twice. I also do take responsibility for mistakes I make, and then I clean up after them. I always try to minimize any damage from my mistakes, and I typically try to keep the consequences to just myself. A good leader should have that ability to take responsibility for any slip-ups they make. Finally, I'm a leader because of my work ethic. I've always been a very work-motivated person, and also a self-starter. This helps me to get work done, which is exactly what a leader should do. A leader should lead their people, but also serve them. As I mentioned in the intro, a leader should be willing to do whatever they have their workers do. I am always willing to do whatever task I have those under me do, and I try to help them however I can. My work ethic allows me to also do the work alongside anyone placed under me. In conclusion, I am a leader because of my good advice, sense of accountability, and work ethic. Any leader should embody these if they want to lead well. A leader should not just lead, but also serve.

To me, going to college isn't just about learning - it's experiencing. Your college years are some of the best and most interesting years of your life because you get to experience new things, make new friends, and become more and more independent. Personally, I'll be attending trade school soon, instead of traditional college. The course I'm taking is designed to simulate my desired trade, which is wind turbine technology. This is something completely new to me and I couldn't even tell you the first thing about it. However, that means I'll be getting new experiences out of college. I'll be taking a risk by trying something new and seeing if I actually like it or not, but I hope I will. College is all about trying new things, and that's exactly what I'll be doing. College also means making connections. College campuses are way bigger and more diverse than many high schools, so there's plenty of new faces around. It's the perfect opportunity to make new friends and connections. You can socialize with classmates, and even with some teachers. It's nice to make these connections, but it's also important because they can help you later in life. If you know the right people, they can help you later on in life if you're in a pinch or just need something in general. Finally, college is also about becoming more independent. In college, there isn't someone there to hold your hand and baby you through the entire process, unlike in every school you attend before it. You have to figure out things on your own, and often many students also move out of their houses once they reach their college years. You can always rely on friends though, which is why it's important to make good, solid relationships. Either way, you're on your own now in college, and you have much more responsibility and independence to take on. While in trade school, I hope to accomplish doing the things that college means to me. I hope to get a good education about my desired trade and gain some new experiences. I hope I can meet new people and make friends, as well as make connections with some of my teachers. I hope I can become my own person and do more things on my own, without my parents. In conclusion, I believe that college means trying new things, meeting new people, and becoming independent. A person's college years can be really stressful, but if you play your cards right and try hard enough, you can make them the best years of your life.

While movies serve as a great source of entertainment, they can also serve as inspiration or be life changing. Some movies are so well-made that they can change someone, for better or for worse. The movie that had the biggest impact on me was The Passion of The Christ. It's a very famous Mel Gibson movie about Jesus' death and resurrection, and it moved me because it showed me just how much Jesus truly suffered for everyone. My entire life, I've been a Lutheran Christian. My parents started bringing me to church as soon as they could, and I've been going every Sunday I possibly can. For preschool through my senior year of high school, I've attended only Lutheran schools. With all this education and learning I've had about Lutheranism, I definitely know the life of Jesus pretty well, including his death and resurrection. However, watching The Passion of the Christ gave me a whole new perspective on the story. I already knew a bunch of the details of the story, such as how Jesus was flogged, beat up, forced to wear a crown of thorns, and even crucified. I've read and heard the story millions of times, and I knew it must've been very painful, but this movie showed just how painful it really was. By the end of it, Jesus was covered in blood, missing chunks of flesh, and just looked like He should've already been dead. It looked beyond excruciating, and it showed me just how much Jesus endured for everyone. Jesus did all this to bring everyone forgiveness of sins. Watching this movie showed me how much Jesus truly suffered, which gave me more inspiration to live out a true Christian life. I want to do this not only as thanks to God for what He's done, but also so that Jesus' suffering wasn't in vain, and that more people can come to Him. Ever since watching this movie, I've been trying my best to live a more Christ-like life. Of course, I'm not one of those religious freaks who tries to be all perfect and shoves religion down everyone's throat. However, I strive to be like Jesus and care for others. In conclusion, The Passion of the Christ was the movie that moved me the most because it gave me a deeper understanding of Jesus' death and resurrection, and it inspired me to be more like Him. Sometimes movies like this are so well-made and detailed that they can change a person's entire life like this.

The trades simply aren't for everyone, or else more people would be working in them. However, I believe that I posses some skills and traits that will allow me to succeed and do well in my desired trades. I'm actually planning and enrolled to learn two different trades: wind turbine technology and industrial maintenance. The skills and traits I possess that will help me in the trades are problem-solving and time-management. First, to do well in the trades, you have to be able to solve problems. The trades require a certain attention to detail and ability to find solutions that not everyone has. If something isn't working right, tradesmen have to be able to fix that. Especially in my desired trade, wind turbine technology, it's all about fixing things when problems arise. Thankfully, I am a natural-born problem solver and can see solutions before other people do. Next, time-management will also be a huge help in allowing me to do well in the trades. Whenever I work and put my mind to something, I stay devoted to that task and get it done in a reasonably fast amount of time. I'm able to use my time effectively and get work done, which will allow me to work well in my desired trades. Specifically with wind turbine technology, I can stay productive while working on wind turbines so that I can fix as many turbines as possible in as little time as possible. There are a few reasons why I'm interested in wind turbine technology, but the main ones are simply because it seems interesting, and I want a career where I'll be working on something hands-on instead of a simple 9-5 office job. I want a job where I'll face and overcome new challenges everyday, allowing me to improve and hone my skills. Wind turbine technology itself also just seems very interesting. I'll be able to get in some exercise everyday by climbing turbines, which sounds fun to me, and I love the thrill of being so high in the air. I'll also be able to travel plenty in this position, possibly even to foreign countries. I am also interested in wind turbine technology because, by working in this field, I will be on the forefront of the future of renewable energy. I will be helping the entire world and providing cheaper, cleaner, more sustainable energy to so many people. I love to help others, and this career will allow me to do just that.

I am planning to pursue two different trades: wind turbine technology and industrial maintenance. I'm enrolled to attend MIAT College of Technology starting in July 2024, and I expect to graduate sometime in 2026. I'm passionate to pursue the trades because they seem fun, and I want a hands-on job instead of a regular 9-5 office job. I want a career where each day presents new challenges and opportunities for growth, and where I can get exercise while working. I picked wind turbine technology specifically because it seems interesting and thrilling to me. I would be able to help the world in this field by providing cleaner, more sustainable energy. It also just seems so exciting and thrilling being so high up in the air. I'm not afraid of heights, and I love exercise, so this job satisfies both wants. I am also planning to learn industrial maintenance because MIAT offers that alongside wind turbine technology as a double-program, and we need more people knowledgeable in the trades, so I can help with that. My post-graduation plan is to join the workforce as a wind turbine technician. MIAT helps students find careers in their desired trade, so that should help me find a suitable job. I plan to become a wind turbine technician and travel the country, maybe even to different countries, to work on wind turbines. I also hope I can move out of my parent's house into my own place, and also buy my first car. I hope that through my education and work in wind turbine technology, I can help the whole world and be on the forefront of the future of renewable energy. One time in my life that I overcame adversity is when my life was just a complete mess. It was about the end of my sophomore year of high school, and I just completely hated life. I had a job but wasn't scheduled to work, so I wasn't making money, my crush ended up with another man, I was in pretty unathletic shape, and overall I was unhappy with life and in a bad spot. I was a complete crybaby and was in a depressed state for several months. So what did I do? I just cleaned it up. Simple as that. The problem was that I lacked discipline and drive. To fix it, I started actually taking action and steps to clean up my life. I joined a gym and got big and strong, I got over my crush and focused on better things, I quit a lot of bad habits I had at the time, I found a new job, and I just worked to better myself however I could. This made me so much happier with life and gave me a whole new level of discipline. I'm still working to better myself everyday, but I'm a completely different person from who I was years ago, all because I quit complaining and starting working towards a better life.

Success comes in many shapes and sizes. For some, success is about becoming rich. For others, success is about attaining a position of high authority. For me, success is about finding happiness and security in life. I believe that as long as I can enjoy life and not have to worry about financial burdens, then I can look back at my life as a successful one. More specifically, I see success as reaching your personal goals, and mine are to find a secure, enjoyable career after graduating trade school, then retire in my 60s. My plan for life is to attend trade school, graduate, obtain a job in my desired trade, and work until I can retire. I am currently enrolled to attend MIAT starting in July 2024, where I will be obtaining two different trade certificates: one in wind turbine technology, and another in industrial maintenance. After graduating trade school, I plan to become a wind turbine technician, where I will get to travel across the country to work on wind turbines. This scholarship opportunity will help me achieve my idea of success in a few ways. First, it will help pay off part of my tuition towards trade school. College isn't cheap, and while trade school has many differences from college, it's similar in this manner. That's why it's important for me to acquire as much funding as I can towards trade school. Even after working since 14 years old, I lack all the necessary funds to pay off my tuition. However, I know that if I work hard enough and stay motivated, I can succeed in my educational goals. This scholarship will also help me achieve success because it will help relieve some of the stress of being a student. College students already have a lot on their plate, such as homework, deadlines, making it to classes on time, and more. On top of all this, they have to worry about paying for tuition, making it even harder to perform well in school. By receiving scholarships such as this, it can help relieve some stress that students have, allowing them to focus on school and succeed in it. That's exactly what this scholarship would help me with. Finally, this scholarship would help me achieve success by keeping me motivated. Sometimes it's just hard to carry on in life. It can seem like nobody's there to help you, and like you're all alone in the world. However, winning scholarships such as this are a good reminder that people are there for you and want to see you succeed. When you know that people are on your side, pushing for your success, that can motivate you to be successful. You want to prove yourself to those who believed in you, so you try your hardest to succeed. This scholarship would do just that for me. In conclusion, I see success as achieving my goals, and this scholarship would help me achieve success by funding my education to reach my goals, relieving some of my stress to help me focus on my goals, and reminding me that there are people rooting for me and that I should success to prove my believers right. Success isn't just about wanting to meet your goals, it's actually meeting them, and I know that's exactly what I will do.

While I was still in high school, I helped make a positive impact in my community. I served on student council and in NHS, helping with many different school events. I also help out at my church by serving as an usher alongside my dad and brother. It's safe to say that I've had a positive impact on my community, even if it wasn't that big. However, I want to help more than just my community; I want to help the world. I plan to do that through my desired education and future career: wind turbine technology. I recently graduated high school in June 2024 and am enrolled to attend trade school the following month. I plan to learn wind turbine technology, as well as industrial maintenance, but my focus is on the former. After graduating trade school with both certificates, I plan to join the workforce as a wind turbine technician. This entails me traveling around the country, possibly even to foreign countries, and working on wind turbines. This will positively impact the world in a few ways, mainly by creating cheaper, more efficient energy, lowering carbon emissions and use of fossil fuels, and providing more accessible energy to people. Wind turbines are proven to be a cheaper and more efficient source of energy than fossil fuels. Not to mention, unlike oil and gas, wind can't run out. Instead, it can be used on and on without running low, which creates plenty of energy. It's also much safer for the environment. Wind turbines don't require much, if any fuel, oil, gas, or anything to run and generate electricity. By using them more and leaning away from fossil fuels, this will reduce carbon emissions on earth. Wind turbines have the lowest carbon emission of any energy source on earth, even lower than solar panels. This will help with various other problems, such as pollution, deforestation, wildfires, and more. To add on to all this, wind energy is more accessible. Not everywhere in the world has access to fossil fuels or clean energy. However, wind turbines are easier to set up and keep running. This means more people will have access to the power created by wind turbines. This energy is cheaper and more efficient too, allowing more people to afford it. By working in this field, I will be bringing all these benefits, and more, to different places across the world. I will be on the forefront of bringing about the future of clean energy.

The thing that mainly inspires me to get involved in my community is my faith in God. My whole life, I've been raised as a Lutheran Christian, which inspires me to be more like Jesus. He wanted to help better His community and make a difference in the world, and I do too. I aspire to help out my community and make it better. I've worked for a better community in multiple ways, both in and out of high school. I recently graduated high school in June 2024, but while I was still attending, I served in both student council and NHS in my final two years. This presented me with many different volunteer opportunities, such as school dances, pep rallies, spirit weeks, bake sales, and more. I even got to DJ for a few school dances. Working these events had a really positive impact on our school community, as it helped bring people closer together, deepened friendships between students, and created lasting memories of high school. One event that I helped work in specific, the NHS Pink Out Bake Sale, had a bigger impact than just our community. All the baked goods we sold were donated to us, and we donated all proceeds towards breast cancer research. I also help out my community outside of school. For the past 4 years, I've served in my church as an usher, alongside my dad and brother. We do various tasks, such as light the candles before service, hand out bulletins as people walk in, dismiss people up for communion, and more. All this helps the service run smoother and helps the pastor out. This especially helps now more than ever because our church is currently without a pastor. Due to our lack of a permanent pastor, we host guest pastors every week. By my work, alongside my dad and brother, we help the guest pastor each week get familiar with the congregation and run service according to their various needs. Even though I've graduated high school and no longer in student council, I plan to still help out my community and volunteer when I can. In fact, I plan to help not just my community, but the world through my desired education and future career. I am currently enrolled to learn wind turbine technology, after which I plan to join the workforce as a wind turbine technician. This will help provide cleaner, more sustainable energy for the world, which has many benefits. This will provide cheaper, more efficient power to many people, reduce air pollution and smog in some places, reserve natural resources such as oil, and so much more. I will be helping millions, maybe even billions of different people through my future career. This will create such a huge change and positive impact in my community and many others like it.

My name is Nicholas Tamer. I was born and raised in the Metro Detroit area in Michigan. I am a recent high school salutatorian graduate and plan to attend a local trade school starting in July 2024. I currently work as a stockboy for a local grocery store, and I also do yard work on the side. In my free time, I have various hobbies I enjoy doing, such as weightlifting, playing music, gaming, and more. While I was still in high school, I served in both student council and NHS my last two years. This presented me with many different volunteer opportunities that I took advantage of. I helped with events such as school dances, Pink Out bake sales, sports game concessions, and many more. I even got to DJ for a few school dances. I also serve outside of school as a deacon for my church, alongside my brother and dad. Throughout my high school years, I accumulated over 50 volunteer hours. My educational goal is to attend MIAT College of Technology. There, I plan to learn and receive my certificates in two different trades: wind turbine technology and industrial maintenance. I am already enrolled to start in July 2024, and I'm very excited to start. It wasn't until my senior year of high school that I decided on trade school instead of traditional college. At first, I wanted to learn welding, but after learning more and MIAT and different trades, I decided on wind turbine technology and industrial maintenance. After graduating trade school, I plan to join the workforce as a wind turbine technician. This scholarship will help support my aforementioned educational goals by helping me pay for trade school. Despite being different in some ways from college, trade school is still expensive, especially considering that I plan to learn two trades instead of just one. This scholarship will help pay for part of my tuition, and it will also help relieve some of the stress of being a student. Students already have to worry about homework, deadlines, getting to different classes, and more. On top of all that, they usually have large amounts of debt to pay. However, through this scholarship paying off part of my tuition, it will help relieve some of my stress so that I can focus more on my education and learning.

My name is Nicholas Tamer, and I am an incoming trade school freshman. I was born and raised in the Metro Detroit area of Michigan. I recently graduated high school as class salutatorian from Hope Christian Academy, formerly Huron Valley Lutheran, in June 2024. I plan to attend trade school soon starting in July 2024. I currently work for a local grocery store near me as a stockboy, and I also do yard work on the side. I have a couple different hobbies, mainly being weightlifting and playing music. While attending high school, I served in my school's student council and NHS chapter. This presented me with many different volunteer opportunities, such as working school dances or organizing a Pink-Out bake sale to raise money towards breast cancer research. I even got the opportunity to DJ for a few school dances. Throughout my high school years, I accumulated over 50 volunteer hours through various school events. I also currently serve in my church as an usher, alongside my dad and brother. Even after graduating high school, I still plan to partake in volunteer events to help better my community. I am currently enrolled to attend MIAT College of Technology, where I will be learning two different trades: wind turbine technology and industrial maintenance. When I first started high school, I was originally planning to attend regular college and major in business. However, my senior year of high school, I decided to pursue the trades instead. I wanted a career where I would work hands-on and have fun working, instead of something such as a regular office job at a business. At first, I wanted to do welding, but after taking a tour of MIAT and learning a bit about different programs they offer, I set my heart on learning wind turbine technology. Something about it just seems fun and thrilling, and I can't wait to start learning it soon. I hope that through my education and future career in wind turbine technology, I can help the world and provide cleaner, more sustainable energy. This scholarship will be very helpful to me as it will help pay off tuition. Since I'm learning two trades instead of just one, I will have quite a bit of tuition to pay off. However, scholarship opportunities such as this are vital to help students graduate with little to no debt left over. This scholarship is also helpful because it is open to trade school students too, and not just college students. Trade school students don't get as many scholarship opportunities, which makes this scholarship even better.

My name is Nicholas Tamer, and I'm an incoming trade school freshman. I recently graduated from Hope Christian Academy, Westland MI in June 2024, and will be attending MIAT College of Technology, Canton MI in July 2024. I plan to obtain two trade certificates: one in wind turbine technology, and another in industrial maintenance. There are a few things I learned about mental health in high school, including that you need to take action to make it better, and you shouldn't be afraid to speak up when you need help. During my freshman and sophomore years of high school, especially the end of sophomore year, I wasn't in the best place mentally. I hated my life and my job, which I eventually lost in a way, I was getting sad constantly, I couldn't get over the fact my crush was dating someone, and I just wasn't happy with my life. Then during the summer after my sophomore year, I decided I was done with being sad and decided to fix my life, including my mental health. I joined a gym and started weightlifting, I quit a lot of my bad habits, I found a new job, and did so much more to make myself happy. I stopped being such a crybaby and made my life better. Doing all this worked, and I became so much happier over that summer, all because I took initiative to fix my life instead of just crying about it. Another thing I learned about mental health in high school is that you shouldn't be afraid to speak up when you need help. When I was in that bad place years ago, I kept my thoughts to myself and did my best to avoid showing how unhappy I was. However, it got to the point I didn't want to keep it bottled up anymore. I was afraid to show others how weak I was, but I had to. I remember one time I vented to one of my friends, and he actually gave me some really good advice. He told me to not worry too much about what was happening, because it was just high school and it didn't matter that much. That conversation with my friend made me feel better, and he was right. I was worrying so much about high school and my high school crush and everything instead of seeing the bigger picture. I should've focused more on my life as a whole, and that's part of what helped me clean up my life later. In conclusion, mental health is something more and more people are struggling with these days, but you can fix your own mental health by taking action and telling others you need help. Mental health isn't easy to deal with, but it's even harder to fix when you don't do anything about it.

I've only been to one real concert in my life, so it was definitely my favorite, but it was such and amazing experience. In December 2024, my friends and I were able to get some cheap nosebleed tickets to see rap icon Travis Scott on his Circus Maximus tour at Little Caesar's stadium in Detroit. At first, I wasn't sure if we would actually go see him or not because we couldn't make a solid plan, and we almost didn't end up going. However, we came up with something last minute and went to go see him. I remember we were there pretty early, so we had to wait outside in line a bit, but we were at the front of the line. We ended up waiting over an hour to get inside, which sucked because it was less than 20 degrees out. The security guards at the door didn't let people in at the time we were supposed to be let in, so some people started getting mad. One guard came out and told everyone there was a delay because Travis was "blessing the stage". Eventually we got inside and found our seats. Also the entire stadium smelled like weed. The opener for the concert was Teezo Touchdown, who was featured in Travis' album Utopia. He played a few songs I've never heard, then left the stage. There was a bit of a pause between that and Travis coming on stage, but he eventually did. He started the concert with his song 'HYAENA', which was a pretty good intro song. Then he played a few songs and eventually played one of his best songs ever, 'FE!N'. It's a really hype song and perfect for concerts. He does this thing where after each time he plays it, he'll ask the crowd how they're feeling, and based off their energy, he might play the song again. If he does decide to play it again, he'll yet out, "THEY'RE FEINING FOR MORE!!!" That's what he did for us, and he played it a total of 4 times. You could feel the ground shaking as it played each time. Later Travis did this thing where he took a few people from the crowd and let them ride on a "parasail", which was just a floating head. He also brought out a random guest during his song 'CIRCUS MAXIMUS', but it was just a dude in a gorilla suit. At first my friends and I thought it was Kanye West because of how fat the dude looked, but we don't know for sure. Eventually the concert ended sometime around 1 AM, with Travis walking out to his song 'TELEKINESIS'. I remember that night so well, and it was one of the best nights in my life. If I ever get the chance to see Travis Scott again, I would probably take it.

My name is Nicholas Tamer, and I am an incoming trade school freshman. My goals for the future range from hobby goals to career goals and goals for very late in my life. My biggest goals at the moment are to bench press 225, obtain my certificates in both wind turbine technology and industrial maintenance, and live out my retirement well. My first and probably closest goal is to bench press 225 pounds for at least one rep. I love going to the gym and doing weightlifting, and I've been doing it for over two years. A common milestone among weightlifters is to bench 225, which is two 45 pound plates on each side of the bar. My current max bench press is around 175 pounds, so I am close to achieving this goal. I know that with discipline and consistency, I can hit this goal in no time. I also want to hit higher squat and deadlift maxes, but I am more concerned about bench press since everyone knows it's the best gym exercise. My next goal is to attend trade school and receive my certificates in both wind turbine technology and industrial maintenance. I am already enrolled to attend MIAT College of Technology, a trade school near my house. I will be starting in July 2024 and graduating sometime in 2026. After trade school, I hope to join the trade workforce as a wind turbine technician, traveling the country to work on wind turbines. I hope to have fun on the job while also doing well in it. Finding a job in the trades should be fairly easy as trade workers are high in demand at the moment. I also have a goal of buying my own house and finally moving out from my parents' place. Once I get my own house and a good paying job, I hope to find and marry a good wife and have some kids. Finally, one of my biggest and latest goals in life is to live a good retirement. I hope to be retired by 70 and spend my days in retirement doing what I enjoy. I want to live a good retirement with my future wife and travel plenty, spend time with friends, do weightlifting, and more. This goal might be ambitious, as the retirement age keeps getting pushed back further and further, so I have no clue what it will be when I reach that age range. In conclusion, I have a few goals that I am working towards at the moment, with the biggest ones being to bench 225, graduate trade school and get a good career, and retire in style. I know that through hard work and effort, as well as plenty of patience, I will someday be able to make my goals, which seem big right now, seem like they were nothing at all.

My name is Nicholas Tamer, and I am an incoming trade school freshman. I am also a Lutheran Christian, and because of my beliefs in God and my efforts to follow Jesus' footsteps, I use that to make a positive impact in my community. I serve in my church by ushering for services, and I also served in my high school's student council and NHS chapter. All these areas provided me with plenty of volunteer opportunities to make a positive impact in my community. At church, my dad serves as a deacon, and my brother and I serve as ushers. Our duties include various tasks, mainly consisting of passing out bulletins, posting the hymn numbers by the altar, lighting candles, dismissing people for communion, and more. We do what we can to help the pastor and make service run smoothly. All this is volunteer work we do, and we do it for a month at a time whenever we are scheduled. There aren't many honors greater than being able to help worship the Lord like this, and I'm grateful for the opportunity. I have also made a positive impact in my community when I was still in high school. During my junior and senior years, I served on my school's student council board, as well as in our NHS chapter. In student council, I was often presented with opportunities to unite the student body and host school events. Our high school was really small, especially in my senior year, with less than 50 students. Because of this, we were able to help bring people together and make lasting memories among the student body. Our student council often arranged events such as pep rallies, dances, spirit weeks, and more. I helped with a lot of these events, and I even served as the DJ for multiple dances. These events helped bring our school closer and make good high school memories. Finally, I also served in my school's NHS chapter, which presented me with multiple volunteer opportunities. Both years of being in NHS, I helped run the annual Pink Out bake sale we host, which is a nonprofit bake sale designed to raise money for breast cancer research. I helped set it up, run concessions, and tear it down. This was a neat opportunity especially because it not only helped the community, but helped many more people by contributing to breast cancer research. I also helped with other NHS events, such as our Santa and Valentine Grahams, which were cards and pieces of candy students could give to each other during Christmas and Valentines Day, respectively. My senior year, I was the one who ran both and made the cards for both. In conclusion, I have made a positive impact in my community, both in and out of school. I have been able to help innumerable people and also create friendships and memories that would not be possible without my help. All this was through my loving acts of kindness and spirit of volunteerism.

I will be attending trade school instead of a traditional college, and I plan to learn two trades: wind turbine technology and industrial maintenance. After college, I intend to go out into the workforce as a wind turbine technician and also move out into my own house. This job will require me to travel across the country and work on wind turbines to repair them. To me, it sounds like a fun job because I get to travel so much, but also because it seems fun working on wind turbines hundreds of feet across the ground. I envision myself having fun on the job. So far, I haven't actually taken many steps to reach this goal of becoming a wind turbine technician. However, I already have my plan, and I know that it will take time to see it come to fruition, so I just need to be patient. I am already enrolled to attend MIAT College of Technology, a trade school near me, in July 2024. I will get my wind turbine technology certificate in just a few months, then re-enroll to get my industrial maintenance certificate. Trade school will teach me all the necessary skills to perform the trade, and the course is designed in a way to simulate being in that trade already. For wind turbine energy, for example, I will have to "clock in" each day, put on the safety gear and test it, and perform tasks that a typical wind turbine technician would. Part of the course for each trade is helping you find jobs in that specific trade. Thanks to that, I will be able to secure myself a good career as a wind turbine technician right out of trade school. This is probably the biggest part of my plan. Then once I have a secure career, I plan to search the house market to get my own home.

To me, personal development is one of the most important things in a person's life. Anyone who's taken an economics class has probably heard the phrase, "If you're not moving forward, you're moving backward." This is true in every aspect of life. If you aren't doing something to better your life or yourself, you're just going backwards. You should always be trying to achieve the best possible life for you because that way, you can enjoy it more. Humans find satisfaction in achieving more. By bettering and developing yourself, you are achieving more. That way, you can get more enjoyment out of life. Personally, I used to be wasting my life and just play video games whenever I could. I hated my life at that time and I wasn't doing much in terms of developing. Granted, I did have a part time job and I was doing well in high school and getting good grades. However, I wasn't doing much else. Yet when I started working on developing and bettering myself, I became much happier in life. I joined the gym, found a better job, fixed my diet, started hanging with friends more, played less video games, and did other things to develop myself. It was the happiest I had ever been at the time. Yet it only got better; I've been developing and working on myself for years now, and I've never been happier. I work to be the best version of myself by focusing on my goals. I still hit the gym almost daily, I'm pursuing a trade certificate, I eat healthy, I picked up a few instruments, and am still doing so much more. All this is important to me because it's making me feel happy now, but it will also help me later on in life. By working on these skills sooner rather than later, I know that future me will be much better than if I had waited to start these things. It will also help me do better in my career and in other areas of my life. That way, I can hopefully save up more money and retire sooner. One final reason development is important to me is simply because it makes you more appealing to other humans. If you focus and work on yourself, people will start to take notice and likely treat you better. Even if they don't, that's only their loss. Someone who is smart, productive, and fit will likely stand out more compared to someone who is ignorant, lazy, and in bad shape. People will like someone who is more developed better compared to someone who isn't as developed. In conclusion, development is important to me because it make you happier and more satisfied, it helps you achieve a higher position in life, and people will like you more if you are more developed. I don't ever plan on stopping my personal growth and development, because I know that if I try hard, I can always achieve a better version of myself.

My experience with mental health hasn't really done much in the way of affecting my goals, but it has affected my relationships and understanding of the world. For the past two or so years, I've struggled with eating disorders. At first it was a period of binge eating, then followed by a period of starvation because of gaining too much weight from binge eating. I'm mostly over my disorders now, as I had a nutritionist help me through get over my disorders, but I might still be slightly affected today. I'm fine with that though, because it's nowhere near what it used to be. Anyways, my disorder affected my relationships because these days I don't eat whatever I deem "unhealthy". This ranges from desserts to fatty foods and the like. That means at many social gatherings and parties, I'm looked at funny for not eating whatever dessert they have, or eating whatever main course is available. Even at my own birthday party I don't eat my cake. Most people just brush it off, but my parents are slightly annoyed by this. My eating disorder also affected my viewpoint of the world. After going through my nutritional therapy, I learned to view food as fuel, and not to fear it like I used to. I learned about all different aspects of nutrition that help me today, especially since I have done weightlifting for the past few years, and diet has a huge role in building muscle.

My name is Nick Tamer, and I was born and raised in Metro Detroit. I will be attending MIAT College of Technology to learn two different trades: wind turbine technology and industrial maintenance. I've gone to private school all the way from preschool to senior year of high school, and I just graduated earlier this month as of writing this. I've worked two jobs since I was 14 to provide for my future, and I would like to say that I'm pretty disciplined and self-motivated. In my free time, I love to do weightlifting, play video games, or play some instruments. There are many factors that motivate me to pursue the trades. The biggest ones are probably are my desire for a fun and secure career, as well as my discipline and character. It wasn't until about the beginning of my senior year that I decided to seek a career in the trades. It was that time in my life I was thinking heavily about what I wanted to do in the future, and where I wanted to go after high school. My original plan since freshman year was to go to college for a business degree and start my own business, but then I changed my mind senior year. I realized and decided I didn't want to be stuck in a 9-5 office job, which I have nothing against, but it just doesn't seem right to me. I want a job where I'll be out there having fun while also getting exercise. I want a job where every day is different and I'll face new challenges to help me learn and grow. That's when I realized I should work in the trades. Another reason why I want to work in the trade because they are high in demand right now. In today's day and age, more and more people are going to college or not pursuing post-secondary education. What we need now more than ever are people like me who are willing to go out into the workforce and start working in the skilled trades. I hope to help the world and fill a gap in the workforce. By working in my desired trade, wind turbine technology, I will also be working with the tools of the future. Wind turbine energy is on the rise right now, so we need people who are willing to work on wind turbines. I'm not afraid of heights, and the job seems fun and physically active, so that's part of my motivation to pursue it. I also know that because the demand for workers in that field, I am almost guaranteed a job right out of trade school, which will help me secure a good future for myself. In conclusion, I am motivated to pursue a job in the trades because I want a fun and active job, the trades are in high demand right now, and I will be able to secure a future for myself by working in the trades. I cannot wait to start trade school next month, and I know that I will do well as a wind turbine technician.

One significant personal struggle I've faced was when I was stuck in a job I hated, and it started taking a toll on my well-being. I've always worked a part-time job since summer 2021, and in October 2022, I got a job at a local grocery store as a service clerk. My job was basically being a janitor and cart pusher, as well as doing some other miscellaneous tasks. I would also often have to do closing shifts, as most my shifts were after school. I would have to push carts and clean up guest messes, which were often disgusting. This includes cleaning the men's and women's bathrooms too, and we all know how gross that can be. I would have to push carts in any weather, whether rain or shine, scorching heat or frigid cold. This job really sucked, and it soon started taking a toll on my mental and even physical health. I dreaded going into work, as many people do, because I hated that job. However, I hated it more than any job I've ever worked. I found it hard to enjoy days where I would have to go into work that same day, and even days when I had work the next day. Sometimes I was that happy on holidays because my mind would be stuck on how I had work the next day. I even had a couple of nightmares where I was working at that job. That job starting causing me stress and anxiety, and because of that, my diet started lacking. I would starve myself some days, and other days I would eat whatever junk I wanted. I also think pushing carts might've messed up part of one of my knees or legs but I can't say for sure. I was sick of the job and wanted to change, but I couldn't just quit as I needed some source of income to provide for my future. I applied to so many other places, but I was either too young for many of them or they didn't respond. My next move was to submit an application to switch departments within that store, so I did. However, the problem was there weren't enough workers in that same position, so my boss wanted to wait till there were more service clerks. Many people did apply and come work as service clerks, and I was the one who trained a lot of them because I was really good at that job despite hating it. However, many of the people who joined didn't last that long because the job sucks as I've hopefully made clear by now. It took three months to get enough people for me to finally switch departments, but I eventually did and now I work as a stockboy for that same store. I worked that job for a total of about nine months, which I know isn't that long, but when you're young paired with how sucky the job was, it seems like a long time. Working that job changed my view on those types of workers, such as janitors. I now try to be more clean in public places and stores, and I also never leave carts where they shouldn't be. I also think that job helped boost my discipline a lot, and that challenging part of my life helped me grow to be the person I am today. I also know to never work as a janitor or cart pusher ever again.