Wade Schneider, a sophomore at Montana State University Northern and a 2017 graduate of Chinook High School was recently awarded the prestigious Mike Rowe Work Ethic Scholarship.

According to the National Merit Scholarship website, "Applicants to the Mike Rowe Foundation Work Ethic Mike Rowe Scholarship must be:

• High School seniors, graduates or GED Equivalent who are enrolled or planning to enroll at an accredited two-year college, vocational, technical school or other approved technical institute in the United States.

• Enrolled or planning to enroll in an approved vocational or similar trade-related program.

• Planning to complete a trade-related program after December 1, 2018.

Schneider was one of 187 students in the nation to receive this award. Schneider said "I am very thankful for the generosity of the foundation in selecting me as a recipient of this scholarship. Without the strong work ethic that has grown upon me through my parents,neighbors, employers, and coaches through multiple experiences, I would not be where I am today. It doesn't matter what kind of job you are doing, give 100% at all times."

Those in the community that know Wade or that have watched him while he played basketball, ran Track and Field or competed in FFA events while attending Chinook High School can attest to his level of commitment and desire to always work hard and to get even just a little bit better if at all possible.

Wade has always been one to go get something and rather than waiting for opportunities to come to him, he has always sought them out.

"Mike Waldenberg, the owner of Central Plumbing and Heating out of Great Falls saw an opportunity for me to expand my knowledge in the plumbing trade and hired me as a summer laborer. He stated on the first day 'You will receive a full days wage for a full days work.' I believe I earned every penny of my paycheck, either by installing gas pipe through tight crawl spaces or cutting old insulation off pipes for a week," said Schneider.

More than a half million dollars was set aside this year and will be distributed out in varying ways to the 187 winners nationally. The amount of the scholarship varies among the needs of each applicant.

The Scholarship seeks out those individuals with a high work ethic and a desire to get the job done. "Work ethic is important in building character and showing people who you are and what you are made of," said Schneider.

Any form of higher education beyond high school is expensive. Be it a junior college a four year university or a trade school it's not cheap and scholarships are one of a number of ways for students to cover those expenses.

Schneider said the Mike Rowe Scholarship, along with the other scholarships he has received paid for his tuition for the year. Wade's room and board were covered through his RA position in the dorms. "One of the main focuses of the scholarship is to graduate in two years debt-free and start working in a trade that is in desperate need all over America," commented Schneider.

The application process is extensive and just applying will eliminate most people who don't quit meet the 'work ethic' requirement but of course Wade was successful with his application.

"There were about eight essays ranging between 200 and 400 words along with the main essay of 1,000 words max, where I had to introduce myself, tell him about what I have done with my life, and explain why I should receive the scholarship. Along with the application, letters of reference, and essays, I had to make a video further explaining why I should be considered for a scholarship, and answer the questions, How does work ethic and personal responsibility contribute to career success," said Schneider.

The criteria and application was extensive. The Mike Rowe Foundation encourages its recipients to utilize their scholarships for any tools or supplies they might need. Schneider worked with financial aid to purchase tools that he did not have this summer that would have made some jobs easier.

This crawl space at the Missouri River Medical Center in Fort Benton is one of the many tight spaces that Schneider had to navigate while working this summer for Central Plumbing and Heating as a summer laborer. Schneider was recently awarded the Mike Rowe Work Ethic Scholarship.

The Mike Rowe website describes him as "Mike Rowe is a TV host, writer, narrator, producer, actor and spokesman. His performing career began in 1984. Today, Mike runs the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, which awards scholarships to students pursuing a career in the skilled trades. He is closely associated with the Future Farmers of America, Skills USA, and the Boy Scouts of America, who honored him as a Distinguished Eagle Scout. For reasons he cannot explain, Forbes identified Mike as one of the country's 10 Most Trustworthy Celebrities in 2010, 2011 and 2012.