Community is more than simply living in the same town as other people. To me, a strong community is created when people are willing to use their time, knowledge, skills, and resources to help someone who needs it. Throughout my adult life, I have worked primarily with my hands in construction, remodeling, maintenance, and automotive repair. These skills have allowed me to support my family, but they have also given me opportunities to help others. During working years in construction and remodeling, I encountered elderly people who needed repairs to their homes but were living on limited incomes. There were times when I reduced what I charged because helping someone safely maintain their home was more important than making the maximum amount from the job. I have always believed that if you have the ability to help someone, you should. I have carried that philosophy into mechanical work. I have shared my knowledge and experience with people who needed help with vehicles or mechanical problems but could not afford the full cost of professional assistance. In Montana, reliable transportation is essential for getting to work, school, medical appointments, and caring for a family. A repair that may seem routine to me can make a significant difference in someone else's life. One of my most meaningful experiences was working with the nonprofit Nomad Steppin In, which gave children an opportunity to learn how to work on bikes and develop hands-on skills. I was able to share my mechanical experience with younger people. Teaching someone to use tools, diagnose a problem, and complete a repair gives them more than mechanical knowledge. It develops confidence, patience, problem-solving skills, and a sense of accomplishment. At 50 years old, I decided to return to school and enroll in the Automotive Technology program at Highlands College. My goal is to complete my degree, expand the knowledge I have gained through years of hands-on experience, and work toward earning ASE certifications. I know the knowledge I gain will not stop with me. I intend to continue helping people who cannot always afford repairs and sharing my skills with younger people interested in learning a trade. My experiences have taught me that community service does not require recognition or money. Sometimes it simply means recognizing that you have a skill someone else needs and choosing to share it. As I continue my education, I intend to keep using what I learn to help the people around me and strengthen my community.

At 50 years old, after raising five daughters, building successful businesses, and undergoing two surgeries caused by years of physical labor, I am walking back into a college classroom to finally build a career around something I have always loved—turning wrenches. My path to college has not been traditional. I grew up in Ohio (Go Bucks!) and left high school when I had a child on the way and needed to support my family. After working several warehouse jobs, I discovered construction, where hard work and determination allowed me to build a good life for my family. Eventually, I started my own successful general contracting business. Education, however, always felt like unfinished business. In 2008, after being out of school for 13 years, I was given the opportunity to earn my GED. I jumped at the chance and scored in the top 75th percentile in Ohio. That accomplishment showed me that being older or taking a different path does not mean you are finished learning or achieving new goals. After 20 years of marriage, five daughters, and a move to Montana, I continued working in construction and later in the lumber industry. Unfortunately, decades of physical labor eventually caught up with me. I tore tendons in my arm that required reattachment surgery and later tore tendons in my foot, requiring another surgery. During my recovery, I realized it was time to stop choosing jobs simply because I could do them and start building a career around something I genuinely enjoy. I have always been mechanically inclined and enjoy repairing motorcycles and vehicles. I have the hands-on experience, but I need the formal education and professional certifications to turn those skills into a lasting career. That realization led me to the A.A.S. Automotive Technology program at Montana Tech–Highlands College. Returning to school at 50 presents challenges that are very different from those faced by a traditional college student. I commute approximately 80 miles round trip from my home in Deer Lodge to school in Butte, attend classes full-time, and have only two days each week available to work and help cover our regular living expenses. I am also learning how to be a student again after decades outside the classroom and adjusting to classes with students who may be more than 30 years younger than me. Even returning to math class after all these years is a challenge I am determined to overcome. Receiving this scholarship would help relieve the financial pressure associated with fuel, tools, tuition-related costs, and other educational expenses. More importantly, it would allow me to devote more of my time and energy to learning the skills that will determine my future instead of worrying about how many additional hours I need to work. My goal is not simply to earn a degree. I intend to perform at the top of my class, graduate with my A.A.S. in Automotive Technology, begin earning my ASE certifications by graduation, and continue working toward achieving all levels of ASE certification available to me. Ultimately, I want to combine my education, certifications, mechanical ability, and years of experience as a business owner to build an automotive business of my own. I know returning to school at 50 will not always be easy, but I also know the value of hard work, perseverance, and finishing what I start. At 50, I am not starting over—I am taking everything I have learned from decades of supporting my family, running businesses, overcoming injuries, and working with my hands and using it to build a future doing something I truly enjoy.

At 50 years old, after raising five daughters, building successful businesses, and undergoing two surgeries caused by years of physical labor, I am walking back into a college classroom to finally build a career around something I have always loved—turning wrenches. My path to college has not been traditional. I grew up in Ohio (Go Bucks!) and left high school when I had a child on the way and needed to support my family. After working several warehouse jobs, I discovered construction, where hard work and determination allowed me to build a good life for my family. Eventually, I started my own successful general contracting business. Education, however, always felt like unfinished business. In 2008, after being out of school for 13 years, I was given the opportunity to earn my GED. I jumped at the chance and scored in the top 75th percentile in Ohio. That accomplishment showed me that being older or taking a different path does not mean you are finished learning or achieving new goals. After 20 years of marriage, five daughters, and a move to Montana, I continued working in construction and later in the lumber industry. Unfortunately, decades of physical labor eventually caught up with me. I tore tendons in my arm that required reattachment surgery and later tore tendons in my foot, requiring another surgery. During my recovery, I realized it was time to stop choosing jobs simply because I could do them and start building a career around something I genuinely enjoy. I have always been mechanically inclined and enjoy repairing motorcycles and vehicles. I have the hands-on experience, but I need the formal education and professional certifications to turn those skills into a lasting career. That realization led me to the A.A.S. Automotive Technology program at Montana Tech–Highlands College. Returning to school at 50 presents challenges that are very different from those faced by a traditional college student. I commute approximately 80 miles round trip from my home in Deer Lodge to school in Butte, attend classes full-time, and have only two days each week available to work and help cover our regular living expenses. I am also learning how to be a student again after decades outside the classroom and adjusting to classes with students who may be more than 30 years younger than me. Even returning to math class after all these years is a challenge I am determined to overcome. Receiving this scholarship would help relieve the financial pressure associated with fuel, tools, tuition-related costs, and other educational expenses. More importantly, it would allow me to devote more of my time and energy to learning the skills that will determine my future instead of worrying about how many additional hours I need to work. My goal is not simply to earn a degree. I intend to perform at the top of my class, graduate with my A.A.S. in Automotive Technology, begin earning my ASE certifications by graduation, and continue working toward achieving all levels of ASE certification available to me. Ultimately, I want to combine my education, certifications, mechanical ability, and years of experience as a business owner to build an automotive business of my own. I know returning to school at 50 will not always be easy, but I also know the value of hard work, perseverance, and finishing what I start. At 50, I am not starting over—I am taking everything I have learned from decades of supporting my family, running businesses, overcoming injuries, and working with my hands and using it to build a future doing something I truly enjoy.

At 50 years old, after raising five daughters, building businesses, and undergoing two surgeries caused by years of physical labor, I am walking into a college classroom to finally build a career around something I have always loved—turning wrenches. My path to automotive school has been anything but traditional. I grew up in Ohio (Go Bucks!) and left high school when I had a child on the way. At the time, providing for my family was more important than sitting in a classroom. I worked warehouse jobs before discovering construction, where hard work could provide a good living. Eventually, I started my own successful general contracting business. Education, however, was unfinished business. In 2008, after being out of school for 13 years, I was given the opportunity to earn my GED. I jumped at it and scored in the top 75th percentile in Ohio. That experience taught me something I still believe today: being older does not mean you are finished learning. After 20 years of marriage, five daughters, and a move to Montana, I continued working in construction. Eventually, the years of physical labor caught up with me. I tore tendons in my arm that required reattachment surgery. I hung up my ladder and went to work in the lumber industry, only to later tear tendons in my foot and require another surgery. While recovering, I had time to seriously consider what I wanted the next chapter of my life to look like. I didn't want another job just to collect a paycheck. I wanted a career I enjoyed, could physically sustain, and could eventually turn into a business of my own. I have always enjoyed working on motorcycles and vehicles and am comfortable turning wrenches. What I lack is the formal education and certifications necessary to take those skills to a professional level. That realization led me to the A.A.S. Automotive Technology program at Montana Tech–Highlands College. Returning to school at 50 presents some unique obstacles. I commute approximately 80 miles round trip from Deer Lodge to Butte, attend school full-time, and can work only two days each week. I am also relearning how to be a student alongside classmates who may be 30 years younger than me—and I will admit that returning to math class after all these years is intimidating. Receiving the Autel Awarding Excellence Scholarship would help reduce the financial burden of fuel, tools, and other educational expenses. More importantly, it would give me additional time to focus on learning instead of worrying about how many hours I need to work to cover those costs. My goal is not simply to graduate. I intend to excel in the program, earn my A.A.S. in Automotive Technology, obtain my first ASE certifications by graduation, and continue until I achieve all levels available to me. Ultimately, I want to use my education, hands-on experience, and certifications to build a business of my own. At 50, I am not starting over. I am taking everything I have learned from decades of hard work and using it to build the career I should have pursued years ago.