Hello and welcome to the first Saturday of November here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is November 6th.
Senior 2.0 banged out college applications like nobody's business in time for the November 1st early action deadline this week. There's nothing like a good deadline to force a body to get down to brass tacks, quit dawdling on possible topics for the personal statement, and just write.
This kid has been nothing short of amazing this fall and that's not just the mama pride talking. Last Tuesday, we attended a breakfast for the winners of an essay competition hosted by the Northwestern Minnesota Manufacturers Association. Four essay winners were selected, one from Badger, Roseau, Warroad, and Baudette respectively. Senior 2.0 was one of the lucky Wannaksaland winners.
Here's a nice summary from The Honker newspaper by Kaydell Super that explains the purpose of the essay contest: "Each year the Northwestern Minnesota Manufacturers Association sponsors an essay contest for area seniors. The mission of the group is to support local manufacturing and to also promote manufacturing as an exciting, fulfilling career opportunity for future generations. They believe manufacturing has such a strong presence in our area, and it truly is the backbone of our local communities. The Northwestern Minnesota Manufacturers Association is made up of members Polaris Industries, Roseau; Border State Bank, Roseau/Badger/ Greenbush, Baudette, International Falls; Wabanica Inc, Baudette; Karl Manufacturing Solutions, Roseau; Marvin Windows & Doors, Warroad; Security State Bank, Warroad; Central Boiler, Inc./Altoz, Greenbush. They challenged local seniors to share their insights on concerns and possible rectifications of the future of manufacturing in our local area." (Source)
After the Belgian waffles, bacon, sausage, and fruit cup, each essayist read their submission aloud. While I considered posting our son's essay in its entirety here without asking him (the 'ole "do now, get in trouble later" strategy), my writerly principles compelled me to do otherwise. As predicted, he said no.
But what I can do is share a few thoughts he expressed in his essay.
Without a doubt, his two summers working production at Marvin Windows & Doors informed his opinion on manufacturing and its contribution to our economy and communities. While he appreciated seeing the dots get connected in the process of transforming raw materials into a final product, his greatest takeaway was the invaluable contribution of human capital and teamwork. "Teamwork is essential in getting things done efficiently."
He acknowledged that manufacturing gets a bad rap as "seemingly dull, boring, and repetitive," but assured readers that his experience said otherwise. "Things change from day to day and even hour to hour. Workers in manufacturing have to be able to react accordingly and be open to trying and doing new things."
He underscored the value of community; how getting to know his co-workers fleshed out his appreciation for them as fellow humans as well as for the work they did. He suggested that "hearing directly from the employees about how their jobs have impacted their lives in a positive way will help the younger generation understand how rewarding a manufacturing career can be."
He liked his summer work experience well enough to stay on as a seasonal worker and to apply for a yearlong internship. He's two months into that internship and now looks at manufacturing as an industry of opportunity. He sees how his intended college major can dovetail with an evolving career path in manufacturing. "Knowing that things are always changing and that innovation is driving manufacturing careers forward is something that already compels me to want to learn more."
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| 2021 Northwestern Minnesota Manufacturers Association Essay Contest Winners (L-R): Jessica Acevedo (Baudette), Kayci Baumgartner (Roseau), Ashley Stainbrook (Badger), Luke Hruby (Warroad) |
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Congrats! and well done!
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