Scholarship Winners

College Winner - Jessica Trepton

Influence of Union and Family

My father has been an employee of General Motors for over forty-five years; all of those years have been spent as a member of the U.A.W. Local 909. He has worked for the union, and the union has worked for him.

To be brutally honest, the union is the only reason I have been able to attend a four-year university. Because of programs such as the, UAW-GM Scholarship Programs for Dependent Children, college has been made a more affordable and obtainable goal. I know for certain that without the previously mentioned program I would not have the option of attending college, and would in no way be able to afford tuition of a four-year university, much less room and board costs.

Growing up I was always told how important the union was; to the financial well being of my family, as well as its powerful voice for the working mans rights. Due to the union's support and endless efforts to stand behind and defend its members, people like my father have been able to keep jobs based on their true skill, not their age, creed, sex, or degree.

The union taught me at a very young age that there is a big difference between having a piece of paper that says you are qualified to do something, and having actual experience. Experiences that allow for successfully acquiring and using necessary work skills to get things done properly and satisfactorily.

I knew long ago that I wanted job security, appreciation, and respect within whatever career path I chose to follow. I knew I wanted to be part of a union.

It took many years of research and water testing to decide on the road I would follow. My decision became clear during my high school years, when I witnessed several strikes of local machine shop unions, and not to mention the continuous growing Knowledge of the Detroit News Paper Strike that began when I was in grade school. I became both enthralled and respectful of the media's support of the union workers, and the issues that they were fighting to both get heard and resolved. The media provided a powerful outlet to get the word out, to acknowledge on a wide scale; informing viewers and listeners of the problems that were brewing in their own neighborhoods, and how unjustly the working men/women were treated. This made me want to help people get their views and opinions heard. To support the men and women of my neighborhood with their work struggles. I feel not only want, but the need, to receive my bachelors in broadcasting, and do everything I can to assist the working class.

Receiving my degree in broadcasting will not only grant me knowledge, but also the opportunity to be heard and use my voice to help others. It is also incredibly important to me to know that the United Broadcasters Guild is one of the largest, and most powerful unions in standing. A powerful union that is vital for both the success and enjoyment of my career, as well as security for my future, and my future family.

College Winner - Jamie Lee Culp

How the Union & My Family Have Influenced my Career Choice

My career choice is to become a teacher. Teachers help people acquire the knowledge they need to become responsible citizens and live rewarding lives. Teaching also helps people learn things that they may not learn for themselves in everyday life. I think that teaching will be a very rewarding career, because I can make a difference in someone's life.

My family has always given me lots of encouragement in my choice to become a teacher. They have been there to support me throughout my entire academic career. Their praise and positive reinforcement has pushed me to continue in to college and be extremely successful. I have a strong union family. Both of my parents are UAW members. My grandfather also was a union member with the auto workers union.

I have heard my family reminisce about how much things have changed at their work place over the years. The working conditions have changed from poor ventilation and unsafe jobs to better machines and tools to an altogether cleaner and safer place to work. These changes may not have come about, if not for the workers having a strong and respected union. The union has also organized a lot of different programs and committees to make the work place more fun such as union picnics, parties, education programs, and even things like this scholarship contest.

For me to fully understand how the union has influenced my career choice, I thought I needed to understand what a union is and does. Before there were unions, individual laborers had almost no voice in determining their wages or working conditions. In the 1930's, there was a labor movement. This is when workers as a group try to improve their economic position. Then laws were passed that required employers to bargain with unions. Today organized labor is a powerful economic force. I have also learned that there are so many different unions today. Construction workers, manufacturing, industrial and textile unions are just a few. The teamsters are one of the largest unions. There are also non-profit unions like the consumers union that test and rates products and services, or the civil liberties union that defends rights and freedom of people.

I am happy to say that my career choice is also union represented. The American Federation of Teachers, is a national union. The AFT works to improve teachers salaries, working conditions, and to increase student achievement.

Although my family has influenced my decision to become a teacher in many ways, I now realize that being part of a union is also an important influence.

High School Winner - Emily Beski

UAW Local 909 Danny Bush & Carl Eden, Jr. Scholarship Fund Essay

Emily Beski

Throughout my entire life, there has always been an influential coach, teacher, parent, family member or friend there for me. They were there to teach me some of the essential things I will need to know for life. They have inspired me to be the best that I can be, no matter who or what stands in my way. My intended major is teaching. I want to be able to affect other people in the same positive way that I have been influenced.

I want others to be able to look up to me. I want to be the person that anyone can come to when they have a question or problem. I have already started to take on this role in school and on my volleyball team. I know that I have a long way to go if I want to be looked up to as I look up to the significant people in my life.

I have set many goals for myself. There are certain qualities that I want to possess when I get older, some of these qualities are honesty, helpfulness and compassion. I also want to be successful. Success can be measured in many ways; I will measure it by the people in my life that I have helped and those who have helped me. I want to work hard towards achieving a great job, which I will love to go to. I want to start everyday thanking God for everything he gave me. I also want to have a loving family.

My family means the world to me. I come from a strong union family. My dad belonged to a union since he was my age (seventeen), Retail Clerks Union, Local 876. He has been a member of the UAW, Local 909 since 1978. Both of my grandfathers were also in a union (Teamsters and Local 2-C Printers Union). I have other aunts and uncles in various unions too, Ironworkers Local 25 and the UAW, Local 594. They have all taught me the values of hard work and loyalty. One of my earliest memories of the union is being able to help my dad and other union members picketing for better working conditions, I was allowed to help hold up a sign to show our support. It showed me from early on that if you believe in something you have to stand up for your rights. It also showed me that you have to stand up for the rights of other people. To this day, we do not buy the Detroit News/Free Press and I will not cross a picket line.

The Union has benefited my family in many ways. We can take wonderful family vacations and we have first-rate medical benefits. I know my family members are safe, because of the job security that the union provides. The union has always been there for my family, and I know that it will be there for me when I enter the workforce.

High School Winner - Lindsay Pew

The UAW and my family have played a major role in my future. First of all, the UAW has played a part in my decision to attend college. For years, the UAW has fought for a strong, organized workforce in the United States. This means that when I graduate from college, there will be a job that I can start. Labor unions like the UAW have kept work in the United States so that future generations will have a place of employment. They resist the idea of sending business overseas and to Mexico just because a bigger profit can be made. Not only will I be able to get a job, I will be able to secure a job that has good benefits, decent wages, and a healthy and safe work environment. The UAW has made all this possible. For as long as my dad has worked at General Motors the UAW has provided for my family. That's almost twenty-six years! The UAW fights for good wages and benefits. Dental and health care services are services that every family needs, and the union has fought for them successfully. With these benefits, my family has been able to save money for my education. Due to the fact that the union has fought for these things, I will be able to continue my education after high school. The union has helped give me a bright future by fighting for scholarship money. They have helped to ensure my dream of a college education. The union stresses wages and benefits, but they are concerned with more than that. They ensure a safe working environment that brings my dad home in one piece every day. When my father tells me about the safety training that he receives, it makes me more aware of the importance of a safe workplace. It is wonderful how the union has made this a priority. The UAW also gives its members the opportunity to express their concerns. People have good ideas and the UAW gives them a chance to share them. All in all, the UAW has been a perfect example of protecting rights. When I start a business of my own, I will be able to look back at the UAW's policies and model my own after them. This way all my employees can be treated fairly and have a safe workplace. I want to be able to provide a great environment for all my employees, the same way that the UAW has provided a great workplace for my dad