Ever since I can remember my parents have taken me to church. It has been a huge part of my life that has helped me to overcome many obstacles. One way that God has helped me is with finding my purpose in life. Without God, life would be pointless. If I didn’t have faith I would never be able to feel content. But since I have faith I have learned that the purpose of my life is to serve God to the best of my abilities every day in order to spread his kingdom. This has helped me to do the best in my schoolwork which has paid off as I have a GPA around 3.9. Another way God has helped me is with my diabetes. During the fall of my sophomore year I was diagnosed with type one diabetes. It was a scary time, but I knew that through it all God was with me. It raised a lot of questions like why would God let this happen to me and will I ever get cured of this disease. But with faith I know how to answer these questions. I am not sure why God has let this happen to me but I know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. It has helped me to be more passionate about living each day like it is my last. This means doing my best to help others and enjoying what God has given me and who he has put in my life. For the second question I am hopeful but unsure. Diabetes is a very common disease so there is a lot of research and funding when it comes to trying to find a cure. This makes me hopeful that they will find the answer but I also know that there is still a lot of work to be done. But at the end of the day I will put my trust in God because I know that my eternal home is in heaven. I think my faith will help me greatly when it comes to college and life after school. College presents a lot of challenges and opportunities, but I know that God will be with me through everything. This is a great comfort to me. After school my faith will still help me to strive to do my best and live a God-fearing life.

I am very passionate about mechanical engineering because I love to problem solve. I love the feeling of accomplishment and achievement. I also love the team aspect that engineering can have. I was first introduced to engineering when I started taking Project Lead The Way (PLTW) courses my freshman year of high school. Now I have taken those courses for four years and have enjoyed it. I have also made quite a few good friends through this program. My love for engineering has also influenced the classes I am taking during my senior year. I am currently taking Advanced Placement Calculus and Statistics. They are a lot of work but definitely worth it. These are some of the reasons why I am passionate about engineering. My upbringing and life experiences have greatly influenced who I am today. I grew up in the country which meant a lot of hard work but also a lot of fun. The saying “work hard, play hard” is very true when it comes to my life. My parents taught me how to work hard and take responsibility for my actions. They taught me that having integrity is one of the most important attributes to have as a person. Along with hard work, growing up in the country has allowed me to have a lot of fun. I love to go hunting and fishing with my family and friends. In the winter, me and my friends also love to go skiing. I was also brought up in the Christian faith which has impacted me and how I look at life. I know that my purpose in life is to serve God to the best of my abilities. This has made me passionate about working hard and doing quality work. It has also changed my outlook on life to be very positive and that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. One life event that changed who I am occurred during my sophomore year in high school. I was diagnosed with type one diabetes. It was not an easy journey, but it taught me a lot of things about who I am and what I can accomplish. The main thing it has taught me is perseverance. Diabetes is not easy to control and can take a while to get accustomed to it. It has taught me to be patient and be thankful for what I have. It has also taught me that life won’t always go the way I want, but that I should do my best every day.

One of the places where I have helped out volunteering a lot is my church. The main job I do there is ushering. When ushering I light candles, take an attendance count, and help with communion. I have also helped out with the maintenance of the church grounds. The church is blessed with a very nice piece of woodland, but it is infested with buck thorn. Thus, about once or twice a year a cleanup day is held where we work to clear it out. One skill I learned from my dad is how to run a chainsaw which comes in very handy on these outings. I have also been a leader in Lutheran Boy Pioneers. This is a program that helps to teach boys skills to survive in the wilderness. I have been very blessed to be able to lead because it has taught me a lot about myself. Being a leader forces you to take a closer look at who you are and your skill sets, and helps you develop your skills further to be able to teach others. This scholarship would help me financially quite a bit. I am currently planning to attend Madison Area Technical College to get an Associate degree in Liberal Arts Transfer - Engineering. Then I will transfer to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville for mechanical engineering. This money would help me to stay out of debt and give me a chance to get my life off to a good start without being choked by debt for years. When I graduate from UW-Platteville, I am looking forward to getting a job as a mechanical engineer. Some of the companies I would like to work for include Caterpillar, Milwaukee, or John Deere. I grew up in the country so I am very familiar with a lot of their products and believe it would give me an edge in the field. I have also been working very hard in school in pursuit of becoming an engineer. After six semesters I have a cumulative GPA of 3.913. I have also been taking the Project Lead The Way engineering program for four years now. Finally, I have chosen a more challenging senior year as I am currently taking three Advanced Placement classes: Calculus, Literature and Composition, and Statistics. I also have quite a few hobbies that continue to challenge me and help me refine my skills. One of these is the math club at my high school. This pushes me to continue expanding my knowledge in math. I also play disc golf competitively. Playing disc golf takes a lot of dedication and patience to be able to learn new techniques and compete at a higher level. I also enjoy fishing. This allows me to detach from the hustle and bustle of life and relax. At the same time, it helps me recognize patterns and make educated decisions as I look for the best time and place to fish.

I was diagnosed with diabetes the fall of my sophomore year of high school. It was a time of a lot of stress as my life was being permanently changed and I had no control over it. It would sound strange for me to say that diabetes actually changed some things in my life for the better but it did. Don’t get me wrong there are many challenges with it but there are some benefits. I am a firm believer in Jesus so I know that there will be struggles in this life but that he is with me and I have heaven after my life is over. Diabetes has sharpened my skill to plan ahead. I run a very busy schedule so I need to be able to plan ahead to have snacks with me in case of a low blood sugar. It also has made me very thankful for the things I do have. I have learned from diabetes that things can change in an instant so you should not take anything for granted.

Being passionate about my career means a lot to me. For starters being passionate means being willing to do extra work to help meet deadlines and improve ideas. There is a saying that if you love what you do you will never work a day in your life. This is basically the essence of what it means to be passionate about your career. I want to become a mechanical engineer because I have a passion for it. This means that I’m willing to go the extra mile to do whatever it takes to get the job done. A way I am showing my passion for this career is by working hard at my studies at school. I know that being a mechanical engineer takes a lot of dedication which I am doing my best to display. I am currently in three Advanced Placement classes, two of which are math classes, Calculus and Statistics. After six semesters in high school my cumulative GPA is 3.913. With this passion, I am hoping to make the world a better place by bringing new ideas to the table to advance the world of engineering.

I was diagnosed with diabetes the fall of my sophomore year of high school. It was a time of a lot of stress as my life was being permanently changed and I had no control over it. It would sound strange for me to say that diabetes actually changed some things in my life for the better but it did. Don’t get me wrong there are many challenges with it but there are some benefits. I am a firm believer in Jesus so I know that there will be struggles in this life but that he is with me and I have heaven after my life is over. Diabetes has sharpened my skill to plan ahead. I run a very busy schedule so I need to be able to plan ahead to have snacks with me in case of a low blood sugar. It also has made me very thankful for the things I do have. I have learned from diabetes that things can change in an instant so you should not take anything for granted. I definitely think that diabetes will have a huge impact on my future. I hope and pray that a cure is found but I know that I must make the best of what I have right now. I am always trying to control my blood sugar. Over the last year I have gotten my A1C under 6.5. I know this is a great accomplishment but I also know that there is always room for improvement. I am also hoping that once I get the Dexcom G7 that it helps to control my blood sugar even more. Diabetes is definitely involved in the career path I chose. I know that a very physical job might not be the best for me. It would not be impossible but it would definitely make it harder to avoid low blood sugars. This is why the career that I am pursuing is mechanical engineering. At my high school I have taken the Project Lead The Way program for four years and developed an interest in engineering. I am also a very hard worker and capable student. After six semesters of high school I am in the top ten percent of my class and have an average GPA of 3.913. I have also chosen a difficult class schedule for my senior year. I am taking three Advanced Placement classes: Statistics, Calculus, and literature and composition. So I’m working very hard to set myself up for success. I know that diabetes will always have its struggles, but through hard work and determination it can be managed and controlled.