I hope to pursue welding in some form, I'm interested because I've had a lot of fun with the trade already, knowing that welding is needed in the outside world heavily. Understanding and performing this trade makes me feel like I have a home where I can relax and accomplish something for the world. When something fails, someone relies on me, while I can rely on something I love, enjoy, and that keeps me nice and warm (sometimes a little too warm). I am yet to figure out where to apply for, I know it has to be trade-related. Throughout my high school life, I've been able to indulge myself with different opportunities, with Robotics, NJROTC, TAing, and helping other students. I have had a few teachers tell me that I would make a good teacher (I don't really want that to be my career, but that proves leadership skills). I think that NJROTC helped jumpstart a foundation of how to put yourself out respectfully and professionally, a hindsight on how to begin leadership. I was able to help out at events at the elementary school and figure out how to those of all maturity backgrounds. Children are emotional, I wouldn't have the experience if a mother or father, I was a child myself at the time. Then I joined robotics, which opened up so many more opportunities. I learned mechanical skills along with the ability to send professional emails (a skill I struggled with). With the competitions, I learned how to converse with those with different experiences and backgrounds, learning so much along the way. Then came my welding class, I only took one part of this class, being I jumped in when everyone already knew what to do, with that I was able to take home a welder and learn FCAW from home for a SkillsUSA completion, which lead me to an opportunity to lead a group to make a giant marine worm, something I'm doing now.

1 - I aspire to pursue welding because it brings me joy and a sense of safety, offering the hope of financial stability. Welding reassures me that I can build a life filled with happiness and create a true home, a space for artistic expression, and a fulfilling career. As a high schooler, I’ve explored MIG welding and learned the basics of metalworking through classes like Metal Fab, Welding/Manufacturing, Metal Design I & II, Advanced Robotics, and SkillsUSA. These experiences inspire me and ignite my passion for a creative and meaningful life in the world of welding. 2 - After completing my education, I see myself exploring various paths, whether in commercial diving, oil rigs, or pipe fitting. While acknowledging that my final choice will come with experience. Alongside my career, I envision engaging in side projects, perhaps creating sculptures or building personal projects at home. The satisfaction I find in crafting sculptures is profound, and I believe it could evolve into a rewarding side gig, full of joy and creativity, even if I struggle to part with my creations 3 - A time in my life, when I was little I grew up homeless in Seattle with my mother, father, and later my younger sister until I was around 5 or 6. This create a giant impact on who I am as I a person and who I could have grown up to be. I remember popping home to home, on busses off busses every day, I remember watching random movies at strangers' homes. New people popping in and out. Then one day my sister and I were left to stay at my grandma's house, she was warm and inviting baked cookies, and watched a Strawberry Shortcake movie, and then I had to go back to my mother's. She never came, later in life I was told that she promised to come pick her children up, but more than 3 times and she never came. Inadvertently I was taken by the state (I am currently unsure if I went through the foster care system, but if I was it was for a short period <6 months) then adopted by my grandpa and grandma. Being only a young child couldn't comprehend why mom would be back, and why I was here. I did what any scared child would have done...fought back, I recall running away, trashing the house, and honestly just not being able to sleep, crying for my mom. Over time I worked through this with a therapist and time, so much time, now being 18, I still think about my mother, I would never hate her for this, I miss her. This honestly motivates me to find a sustaining career, that wouldn't force me to be homeless, and that when/if I were to ever have a family, my children would need to experience this sort of separation. If something were to happen I would have a good fail-safe, I would have the equity to provide and sustain a family. But also given my parent did suffer from mental illness, I would never hold this against them.

Why would I want to go to a trade school? The answer is simple: hands-on experience. Learning a trade in this way is not just indulging; it's exhilarating, especially for those of us who thrive on working with our hands. From a young age, I've been recognized for my skill with my hands, and as I grew, I fully embraced hands-on activities, whether it was creating art projects, assembling LEGO sets, or diving into metalworking. Working with my hands is my passion, and I KNOW I can turn this passion into a lifelong career. Recently, I crafted a small squid sculpture from steel, which inspired me to explore and hone my metalworking skills. I meticulously welded over 250 nuts together to form a cool 3D tentacle look. Then, using a blowtorch and some cement blocks, I expertly domed and annealed a head for my squid at home. In class, I learned various welding processes, including MIG, FCAW, and stick welding, and learned to cut materials with an oxy-fuel torch. My AP 3D art class further helped my metalworking experience, allowing me to create projects like my mantis, which combined clay and wire into a silly creation. This class also allowed me to produce my first metal piece, a brass ring featuring a beautifully soldered flower mounted onto a band. I take pride in that ring and the enjoyment I found in creating it, even experimenting with lost wax and cuttlefish bone casting was fun. I am determined to find the right trade school and become a welder because welding is truly AWESOME. It not only keeps me warm; it also demands skill and creativity which suits me in every way, this engaging trade. This field offers me the opportunity to pursue something I am truly passionate about, providing the peace of mind that I can enjoy my work for years to come. I plan to apply to UTI, even if it’s on the higher side of tuition; it sets a goal, even if I don't end up going to UTI, I can apply to somewhere local. Why UTI? They caught my attention for several reasons: the 6-hour classes dedicated solely to welding without interruptions for subjects like math or English, which allows total immersion in MIG, TIG, and stick welding. Additionally, the 9-month program will equip me with the skills I need to excel. UTI will be my stepping stone to dive deep into the world of welding, and my ultimate goal is to become a commercial diver. It may seem ambitious, but I’m focused on building and honing my skills to reach this point. I know I will get there.

The start of life wasn't so good, I started my first 5 years of life homeless in Seattle, along with my sister. I recall some of my earliest memories, jumping from house to house to sleep (so many free toys). Sleeping in motels, or with my grandma sometimes, who later became my permanent resident. Flash forward 3 years, I was adopted by my grandma, my sister I don't know what happened with her ( I assume my other grandma adopted her, I haven't seen her in 10+ years). That transition was extremely hard for me, a child of 6 years, who wouldn't be able to comprehend why I was taken away from my mother and father. I know I lashed out, and made huge scenes, I remember running away a few times in attempts to go back home, but just made trouble for those who were kind enough tp adopt me, I didn't know better I was just a child who wanted her mom and dad back. I was a child who couldn't comprehend that my mom and dad where unfit to care for me, that mom and dad both were diagnosed with schizophrania and honestly couldn't take care of me, I don't even know if they could take on a job. Life when on, and I grew and matured, which everyone will at some point. But now I have an objective, not to make the same mistakes my parents did, instead, I would have a plan and a career. The career I enjoy but also can manage a sustainable life: welding. I love welding, it's a indulging hands-on career that I love and enjoy, something I can picture myself doing years from now, whether working on a car or creating my little side projects. It's a job that can fulfill my personal artistic needs at home, while at the same time hopefully a full-time job, that I can build a foundation of life on. A root to home, where I can have kids (maybe adopt, having a kid sounds like it hurts) and those kids can have a place where they can feel safe and not have to bounce home to home, or worry about being fed. I can build a place for my family and feel like I have a role within my life. My future can't start how life start, instead I can do better then how I was brought about. Why do I enjoy welding, I enjoy it because I find it as a safe place (and toasty), I can fire up my MIG welder and just zap away, create projects I enjoy and create structures people can use in everyday lives. I want to build something I see everyday, just to look at it and say; Hey! I made that! To watch people life there everyday lives taking use of what I fix, create or build. So far I don't know what exact job I want to be as a welder, I just know I want to weld. But to do so, I need experience, no one wants a welder that can't fully weld, which brings me to the point of where I hope to acquire these skill sets, after creating some sculptures and taking a few classes for welding feeling so proud of myself. I hope to get into a trade school. Perferbale UTI, but even a local trade school is sufficient. Anything to help jumpstart the career I wish to follow for my future and wellbeing, who want to be suck with a job they hate anyways!

I hope to pursue welding in some form, I'm interested because I've had a lot of fun with the trade already, knowing that welding is needed in the outside world heavily. Understanding and performing this trade makes me feel like I have a home where I can relax and accomplish something for the world. That when something fails someone relies on me, while I can rely on something I love, enjoy and keeps me nice and warm (sometimes a little too warm). Throughout my high school years, I've gained experience in art classes, metal shop, and woodworking; also noted afterschool clubs being on the Robotics Team and SkillsUSA, providing me with new skills such as CADD, CNC, and other basic machinery, while SkillsUSA giving me a whole introduction into the world of welding starting on a small sculpture. This sculpture allowed me to explore and learn metalworking and experiment with it. My sculpture is a squid I welded over 250 nuts together to create a 3D tentacle look, then took advantage of a blowtorch and some cement blocks to dome and aneal out a head for the squid at my home. In my class time, I learned processes with MIG, FCAW, and stick welding, cutting items out with an oxy-fuel torch. Also provided I am in an AP 3D art class, for much more metal work and resources, creating little projects such as my mantis, using a mixture of clay and wire to create a silly guy, also this class allowed me to create my first ever metal piece, a ring. The ring being brass to create a flower soldered together and mounted onto a band to create a ring, which I found myself very proud of and honestly had a lot of fun with, later trying out lost wax casting and cuttlefish bone casting (ew). The plan is to hopefully get to UTI, or at least a smaller trade school nearby. The idea is to get as many scholarships as possible. Recently I went to Everett Community College ( I dislike the stingers) for a completion, letting myself check out the place and lay down a few beads. To contact any adult in my life, they would say I enjoy what I do, I have fun, and is good at working with my hands, problem-solving, and resourceful. That I can bring out the dumbest little ideas from the smallest little thing.