I don't even know where to start. Every day, my family is impacted by mental illness by way of my brother, age 15. He has struggled with a myriad of mental health diagnoses for as long as I can remember, and our lives revolve around his needs. My mom and dad often ask how I feel about it, and I usually respond by saying "angry." I wonder what life would be like if he was "typical" or if he was in another family. I have no idea what a "typical" or "healthy" family is like. We do not eat dinner as a family, we do not travel as a family, and we can barely even drive more than 30 minutes together in a car to go somewhere, let alone a vacation via plane. There are no game nights, no movie nights, no reading books together- nothing. It is almost like we each individually float around in survival mode day to day, walking on eggshells around him, feeling as if we are living in a fight or flight moment on a daily basis. I have seen my brother threaten suicide, I have seen him be taken away in an ambulance multiple times, I have seen the police attempting to help him when he becomes violent and enraged, I have had to say goodbye to him when he was residentially placed for 2 months (while at the same time being able to FINALLY BREATHE although feeling guilty about that part), and I witness daily how emotionally hateful he can be to my younger brother and to my parents. I could sit back and dwell on all of the pain and negativity that comes from his struggles. I could also get angry and upset about feeling invisible at times because his needs are so pressing, but instead I try to garner all of my strength and perseverance to focus on what this experience has done for me. It has brought me insight into my strengths- independence, perspective, patience, and at times humor. I know that I am able to work with all types of people, I am flexible and understanding, and I truly am grateful for the mental health that I have in order to be able to navigate such challenges that life brings. My experience with my brother and my family's struggles have shaped me in a way that I know is still unfolding. My goals include the WHOLE person success, in that I believe success to be one where I would be financially secure, healthy in my mind and soul, and a life full of connections. Mental illness can be extremely isolating, and connection is key. My relationships are now centered around an understanding of acceptance, perspective, kindness, and patience. The world can be quite a judgmental place, and I will say it over and over again... that we never know what someone else is going through. We have no place to judge or assume, but we do have a responsibility to create an environment of empathy and kindness.

I used to think I would be an astronaut. I was so focused on this goal that I applied three times for a local scholarship to attend Space Camp in Alabama. The first time, I was "honorable mention" aka not a winner, the second time, I was "back up crew" aka not a winner again, and the third time, I was part of the crew and won a full scholarship to attend. Am I going to pursue space travel? No, but that tenacity and perseverence that I had at age 15 has only continued to grow within me. Now, though, I apply it to what I know I want to do with my career. For the duration of my senior year this year, I have been attending CTE electrician classes in the morning, and I have developed a passion for the field. I decided to pursue the trade of electrician because it fascinates me. I love to work with my hands, I enjoy how each day presents a new challenge, and I feel the satisfaction of a finished product. Further, I know that the trades are in demand and will continue to be so throughout the near future and beyond. I am very career and responsibility-driven, in that I want to be able to not only enjoy my line of work, but also be secure with the knowledge that I will be able to provide for my family. Often people, including close family members, ask why I am not going to college. First and foremost, I do not want to walk out of 4 or more years of schooling with a pool of debt, which would happen because my family cannot afford the cost of tuition at 4-year colleges. Becoming an electrician is my goal, and trade school is the direction I want and need to take. Down the road, I may pursue business classes as well, as my ultimate professional goal is to run my own electrician company and I know that I need the education in order to succeed in that. As far as personality goes, mine is such that I am fortunate to be able to have the comfortable ability to get along with anyone. I had had the tendency to default to shyness prior to senior year, but after taking a risk and enrolling in a public speaking class, I will say that I have surpassed that challenge and am now very comfortable in that area. I know this will benefit me when I engage with many different personalities within the trades community. Another reason I would like to pursue becoming an electrician is because I consider myself to be very independent. My great-uncle is a master electrician, and he has told me how helpful it is to be able to not only have the background experience and training to assist his family when an issue arises in the home, but the pride he feels when he can help others in need who do not have the trade skills that he has learned through the years. That feeling of independence and satisfaction, especially knowing that I would be helping others, is another reason for my drive to succeed in this trade. To me, a successful life is one where I can provide for my family, feel joy and fulfillment in my work, and be able to learn and grow every day. I feel like with all of the successes and hardships I have experienced in my life, I have developed the ability to navigate much of what may come my way, personally and professionally.

I began my electrical trade journey this past school year (my senior year), and I know with absolute certainty that this is the career for me. Throughout middle school and high school, I had ideas in my mind where I would want to pursue acting, space travel (even having won a scholarship to the Space Center in Alabama), and more, but none of these plans came to fruition as goals until I discovered my CTE school where I take my electrical study class each morning for the duration of my senior year. I love to work with my hands, I enjoy how each day presents a new challenge, and I feel the satisfaction of a finished product. Further, I know that the trades are in demand and will continue to be throughout the near future and beyond. I am very career and responsibility-driven, in that I want to be able to not only enjoy my line of work, but also be secure with the knowledge that I will be able to provide for my family. Often people, including close family members, ask why I am not going to college. First and foremost, I do not want to walk out of 4 or more years of schooling with a pool of debt, which would happen because my family cannot afford the cost of tuition at 4-year colleges. Becoming an electrician is my goal, and trade school is the direction I want and need to take. Down the road, I may pursue business classes as well, as my ultimate professional goal is to run my own electrician company and I know that I need the education in order to succeed at that. Another reason I would like to pursue becoming an electrician is because I consider myself to be very independent. My great-uncle is a master electrician, and he has told me how helpful it is to be able to not only have the background experience and training to assist his family when an issue arises in the home, but the pride he feels when he can help others in need who do not have the trade skills that he has learned through the years. That feeling of independence and satisfaction, especially knowing that I would be helping others, is another reason for my drive to succeed in this trade. This scholarship will allow me to achieve my future goals because it will provide the helpful starting point in assisting me in being able to afford the required years of trade school. It will also assist me in being able to work as an apprentice while attending trade school, as I will be able to direct the majority of my focus on my educational responsibilities rather than the added component of affording my tuition. As I mentioned above, although both of my parents are educators and are employed, they themselves had college loans to pay off and we do not have the disposable income to afford schooling without additional aid.

I decided to pursue the trade of electrician because it fascinates me. I love to work with my hands, I enjoy how each day presents a new challenge, and I feel the satisfaction of a finished product. Further, I know that the trades are in demand and will continue to be throughout the near future and beyond. I am very career and responsibility-driven, in that I want to be able to not only enjoy my line of work, but also be secure with the knowledge that I will be able to provide for my family. Often people, including close family members, ask why I am not going to college. First and foremost, I do not want to walk out of 4 or more years of schooling with a pool of debt, which would happen because my family cannot afford the cost of tuition at 4-year colleges. Becoming an electrician is my goal, and trade school is the direction I want and need to take. Down the road, I may pursue business classes as well, as my ultimate professional goal is to run my own electrician company and I know that I need the education in order to succeed at that. Another reason I would like to pursue becoming an electrician is because I consider myself to be very independent. My great-uncle is a master electrician, and he has told me how helpful it is to be able to not only have the background experience and training to assist his family when an issue arises in the home, but the pride he feels when he can help others in need who do not have the trade skills that he has learned through the years. That feeling of independence and satisfaction, especially knowing that I would be helping others, is another reason for my drive to succeed in this trade. As far as upbringing and life events impacting who I am today, I have two very important experiences to share, both of which have taught me not only about myself and others, but have allowed me to gather strengths I didn't know I even had. The first and most challenging experience is regarding my middle brother. My parents sometimes ask me if I feel like I have been left out because my brother demands so much of their time and resources, but I tell them that it has made me more independent and secure with myself being able to navigate life's challenges. I also feel thankful that I do not have the challenges that my brother has. I do not feel like anyone would understand how difficult life is for my other brother and myself until they actually could live it. I could easily sit back and focus on the negative aspect of our family situation, but I choose instead to focus on what our family has rather than what we do not have, and that is resilience, perspective, patience, love, and a great deal of persistence to continue to push on. The other part of life is also personal. I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease over two years ago, and I have gone through invasive surgeries, procedures, met with many medical professionals, and am on infusions that sustain my quality of life. Having this medical diagnosis has taught me to be thankful for the things that I can control, because there is so much that can happen that is beyond our control. As my mother often reminds me, I cannot control what happens TO me, but I can try to control how I respond to these challenging situations.

I decided to pursue the trade of electrician because it fascinates me. I love to work with my hands, I enjoy how each day presents a new challenge, and I feel the satisfaction of a finished product. Further, I know that the trades are in demand and will continue to be so throughout the near future and beyond. I am very career and responsibility-driven, in that I want to be able to not only enjoy my line of work, but also be secure with the knowledge that I will be able to provide for my family. Often people, including close family members, ask why I am not going to college. First and foremost, I do not want to walk out of 4 or more years of schooling with a pool of debt, which would happen because my family cannot afford the cost of tuition at 4-year colleges. Becoming an electrician is my goal, and trade school is the direction I want and need to take. Down the road, I may pursue business classes as well, as my ultimate professional goal is to run my own electrician company and I know that I need the education in order to succeed in that. As far as personality goes, mine is such that I am fortunate to be able to have the comfortable ability to get along with anyone. I had had the tendency to default to shyness prior to senior year, but after taking a risk and enrolling in a public speaking class, I will say that I have surpassed that challenge and am now very comfortable in that area. Another reason I would like to pursue becoming an electrician is because I consider myself to be very independent. My great-uncle is a master electrician, and he has told me how helpful it is to be able to not only have the background experience and training to assist his family when an issue arises in the home, but the pride he feels when he can help others in need who do not have the trade skills that he has learned through the years. That feeling of independence and satisfaction, especially knowing that I would be helping others, is another reason for my drive to succeed in this trade. This scholarship will allow me to achieve my future goals because it will provide the helpful starting point in assisting me in being able to afford the required years of trade school. It will also assist me in being able to work as an apprentice while attending trade school, as I will be able to direct the majority of my focus on my educational responsibilities rather than the added component of affording my tuition. As I mentioned above, although both of my parents are educators and are employed, they themselves had college loans to pay off and we do not have the disposable income to afford schooling without additional aid. Thank you for your time and consideration! I appreciate it.