2007 winners of the ConstructMyFuture.com Scholarship

When I started high school, my vision of life after graduation was vague to say the least. I knew I wanted to go to college, but talk of majors and career goals was overwhelming for a 14-year old girl. What I was good at was playing soccer, and while I knew that playing soccer wasn't a realistic career goal, it was good enough for now. But then, a serious knee injury and a class scheduling error changed my life forever – and I couldn't be more grateful.

Freshman year, my guidance counselor mistakenly placed me in a drafting class instead of a computer class. Since both were electives, my mother encouraged me to give drafting a try rather than disrupt my schedule. Within a month, drafting was my favorite class. I found it exhilarating that here was a class that required me to use my creativity and precision hand-skills for something other than athletics.

The next step in my progression in Construction/Tech was not to simply design, but to build. I'm fortunate that Salinas High School has an excellent vocational arts program, with the woodshop being one of the best. My woodshop teacher was extremely encouraging and didn't let the skewed gender ratio in the class stop him from pushing me as hard as the boys. The harder he pushed the more empowered I felt that I could develop skills that would serve as a foundation for a career. A first place award in Woodworking at the Salinas Valley Fair in 2005 only confirmed that belief.

As I worked my way through assigned projects in my sophomore and junior years, my woodshop teacher recognized my determination and enthusiasm and asked if I would be interested in joining an organization called SKILLS USA. In February 2006, I entered the SKILLS regional Mill Cabinet competition and won the gold medal. This allowed me to enter the California State Competition where I placed 5th out of approximately 25 contestants.

In addition to cabinetry, I was involved in the SKILLS USA Entrepreneurship competition where our team of five advanced to the national competition in Kansas City, Missouri. After an arduous but exhilarating week, we brought home a silver medal. Our achievement was recognized by both local business and civic leaders. I was awarded Student of the Month by the Salinas Valley Rotary Club and our team was recognized for special merit by the Board of Trustees of the Salinas Union High School District. Word of our achievement spread to Sacramento where we received a Certificate of Outstanding Accomplishment from U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer. Even Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger learned of our accomplishment and paid a special visit to Salinas High in August 2006 to recognize the school's Regional Occupational Program and personally meet us, which was a great honor indeed.

This year, I'm planning to again take part in the SKILLS USA cabinetry competition and hopefully the additional skills I've acquired at my after-school job at a cabinet shop will increase my skill level so that I can advance to the national competition.

Through various contacts and college guidance counselors, it became increasingly clear to me that the career path best suited to my interests and talents was Construction Management. To that end, I was fortunate enough to secure a summer intern position at Ausonio Construction, Inc., a design and build company located in Castroville, California that is responsible for many major development and construction projects in Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties. While there, I had the opportunity to see all facets of company operations from office paperwork to job site construction. On Fridays, I was allowed to shadow a Senior Project Manager. Seeing what he did only cemented my decision to pursue a career in construction management.

Academically, I have been in the top 25 students in my class of over 600 during all four years at Salinas High. I have taken honors and AP classes and have a 4.2 GPA. My grades and extracurricular activities were rewarded with early acceptance into the Department of Construction Management at California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo for fall 2007. At Cal Poly, I plan to minor in sustainable building. I believe that dwindling natural resources and demand for environmentally healthier living and work spaces will require the construction industry to adopt a "green" bias. I want to be at the forefront of that revolution – The "Green" Revolution.

If awarded this ConstructMyFuture.com scholarship, I will use the funds for my education at Cal Poly. Thank you for this opportunity to present myself to you.

Zachary S. Dennis's essay

My dream of becoming a Construction Engineer is soon to take shape. I will venture to Iowa State University in a few short months to meet new challenges and experiences. In reaching my goal of becoming an engineer, I will gain knowledge and expertise in the construction business. I am eager to enhance my critical thinking skills and challenge my listening, problem solving, and decision making abilities so that I can become an innovative and insightful leader in the construction industry.

I have been told that choosing a major would be one of the hardest decisions I would ever have to make. For me, choosing my major was easy. I have known that my future plans would involve construction since the summer of 2002 when my dad and I built our own four-car garage. We completed the entire project from start to finish with the exception of pouring the concrete. We designed the building, graded the site for the garage and a new driveway, dug the trenches for the foundation, built the walls, set the trusses, did the roofing and siding, installed the electrical components, insulated the building, and completed all the interior finishing work. I loved every step along the way. I learned something with each process, and the time spent working together with my dad was priceless. Knowing that I had created something of significance provided me with great satisfaction and seeing the structure take shape was so rewarding. Building our garage gave me more than just the knowledge of how to build something; it also gave me the love of construction and appreciation of true craftsmanship. I cannot imagine pursuing a career that I do not feel passionate about. My career choice in construction engineering combines my aptitude in math and science with my love for hands-on fabrication.

I am committed to continue my achievements and accomplishments in the academic world, but also determined to support my community. Volunteer activities have played an important role in my life and I enjoy giving a little of myself to help others. My academics, sports, co-curricular activities, and family take a large portion of my time, but my volunteer services have not been left behind. I have volunteered for two years at the United Cerebral Palsy Telethon, participated in the Alzheimer's Walk for Memory to help raise funds for research, and volunteered for our local community's Hurricane Katrina Relief fundraiser. Our community wide Veteran's Day Flag Rally and Schultz Community Park Volunteer Day are a few other activities that I have volunteered my hand. I have also been a youth activity assistant for three years at Memorial Hospital's Festival of Trees and have been a student volunteer at the Illinois State Fair for two years. I enjoy many activities outside of school and spending time with my family is a large part of my life. My father and I recently completed a three year long project of restoring a 1955 Ford F100 pickup. The truck required a great deal of body work and mechanical repairs. After three years and a lot of hard work, we entered the truck in our first car show and received the Mayor's Choice Award. We couldn't be more pleased with the finished product and my dad and I enjoy attending area car shows whenever we find the time. Even though the truck is in show condition, I proudly drive it as my means of transportation.

I have demonstrated throughout my high school years that I am a responsible, generous, highly motivated, and successful individual. It is with no doubt that I will carry these same values and principles throughout my college and adult life.

William Simmons's essay

Specifically state the use for the scholarship if you are selected.

If I get this scholarship, it will be used toward the cost of tuition, metal, and gear. The total cost for everything at Missouri Welding Institute is $9,900 for an 18 week, 720 hour course. This is one of the two scholarships that I have applied for. The reason for this is it is difficult to find a scholarship for an out of state technical school. Grants also have little influence on covering the cost for this school because the institute is not federally funded. I have looked for hours on the internet with little luck and your scholarship has appealed the most to me. I hope that you will be willing to help me pay for my school expenses.

Why are you the best candidate for this construction scholarship?

I am the best candidate for this scholarship because I have achieved awards in welding competitions and I am a hard worker. Last year I competed in Tennessee Skills USA regional and state welding competitions, where I placed second in both. Even though I did not win, I was well satisfied knowing that I am the second best high school welder in my home state. This year I am planning to go back and win them both. Being a hard worker is another thing that I am good at. Last year, I had a welding job less than a mile from school where I worked from 2:45pm to 10:00pm every night. Working and going to school every day really wore me down, but I never missed a day of either one. The reasons for my success are I never give up and I enjoy what I do. That is why I think that I am the number one choice for this scholarship.

Why do you want to pursue a construction related education and ultimately a career in construction?

I want to pursue a career in construction because I enjoy building things, I am good at it, and I pay attention to detail. The main reason why I want to pursue an education and a career in construction is I enjoy working with my hands. I am a hands-on kind of person, and I make sure everything I do is as close to perfect as possible. The career that I am considering is in the construction field, and I hope it does not hurt my chances at getting this scholarship. The career I am looking into is a welding instructor, where I hope to teach others all of what I know. If that is not what I do, I will definitely be involved with some kind of metal construction. I am looking forward to getting out of school and pursuing my dream.

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