TodaysBeauty

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A couple years ago, Mikala Sposito applied for a work ethic scholarship from my foundation. She asked for $2,700.00 to help realize her dream of becoming a welder. (Actually, her first dream was to become an Olympian. As a kid, she excelled at horseback riding, dance, soccer, and track, but not quite at the Olympic level. So, Mikala adjusted her dream and focused on something within her reach. Precisely the kind of commonsense approach to making a living we try to encourage.) Toward that end, Mikala filled out the application, jumped through all the necessary hoops, and signed the S.W.E.A.T. Pledge, as all applicants must. According to our internal ranking system, which is inherently subjective and relative to each batch of new applicants, Mikala scored a 94, and was awarded $2,100.00, or roughly 80% of what she asked for. This is typical of the average percentage awarded to an excellent applicant. As a rule, we almost never award the entire amount requested. We want our recipients to have some skin in the game, and we encourage all applicants to apply for additional scholarship funds elsewhere, which Mikala did. But in this case, if I had it to do over again, I think I’d have awarded Mikala the full $2,700.00. Why? Because this woman is precisely why I award work ethic scholarships in the first place, as recent headlines prove. Headlines all over the country that identify Mikala Sposito as the sole welder to represent Team USA in the upcoming @WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai. This is a very big deal. The World Skills competition is often referred to as the Olympics of the skilled trades, so it looks like Mikala’s dream is coming true after all. And it seems to me her journey is worth a brief encapsulation. Before she applied for a scholarship from mikeroweWORKS, Mikala demonstrated an affinity for welding in SkillsUSA. As a senior at Dexter High School, she won 1st Place at the SkillsUSA Michigan high school competition and went on to place 14th nationally. Then, as a freshman at Washtenaw Community College, she repeated her success by taking 1st Place in the Michigan college division. She then advanced to nationals, where she finished 8th in the country. That earned her an invitation to the Team USA pre-trials, which whittled the nation's top 16 young welders down to three. At the final USA Weld Trials at the Robotics Technology Park in Huntsville, Alabama, each competitor was evaluated on precision, safety, technical execution, craftsmanship, and multi-process capabilities under extreme time constraints. Mikala Sposito took the Gold, officially becoming the first woman to represent the United States in welding at WorldSkills. Next week, she’ll face off against the absolute best of the best from all over the world. I should point out that Mikala would prefer it if the press didn’t make a big deal of her gender, and I completely understand. (She’s a welder – not a “weld-her.”) But today, the industry is in desperate need of proof that women can and do excel in the trades. Nationally, just 4.3% of tradespeople are female. At mikeroweWORKS, our female applicants are closer to 20%, but I assure you that percentage could be much higher. Companies are anxious to recruit talented welders of any gender, and women need to understand and believe the opportunities are real. Mikala prove that in spades, and I want to offer her my sincere congratulations, and invite all of you to do the same. Because Mikala Sposito is exactly what our country needs a lot more of. People who understand that talent is never enough to compensate for laziness. In her application, she wrote, “Hard work beats talent any day of the week, and nobody is going to outwork me. Period.” She also connected with every point of the S.W.E.A.T. Pledge but said the final tenet resonated with her the most. “Some people choose to be lazy. Some people choose to sleep in. I choose to work my butt off.” My favorite quote, however, is Mikala’s response to seasoned professionals who see her wield a torch and call her a “natural.” “I’m not a natural,” she says. Far from it. And none of this came easy. I worked and trained 60-80 hours a week for two years to get here.” Regardless of what happens in Shanghai, the job offers are already piling up, including the most recent from SpaceX. She hasn’t graduated yet, but the future looks bright, and I for one would not bet against her. PS. I never do this, but since my name is in the title of the foundation, I suppose I can. Mikala – please accept the additional $600 you requested from mikeroweWORKS two years ago. Shanghai is expensive, and since you’re representing all of us, we’d like to provide you with a little walking around money. The check is in the mail. Now…go get the gold!

Today, among thousands of people crossing the Mackinac Bridge, I watched two firefighters in full gear running that bridge carrying flags.✨🇺🇸✨ And something about it hit me differently. Carrying the weight of their gear, carrying those flags and carrying something much bigger than either. A reminder, there are people who willingly carry heavy things so the rest of us don't have to. It honestly did something to my heart. We get so caught up in arguing, complaining, judging, and worrying about things that won't matter someday.

Gathered near their long-time cabin near Warsaw, IN and Big Barbee Lake, to remember and honor Mary Harreld. Mother, Spouse, Christian, Educator, Aunt, Grandmother, she impacted hundreds by illustrating that a woman can do anything! #RIP Mom-in-law…

It’s really nice to see Americans smiling!❤️❤️

Very few times have I EVER heard the Star Spangled Banner sang this impressively. Bravo chads 🥃

“The Fast and the Furriest” 😂♥️🐾

One of the great honors of my career…, a guest of the Honorable Ben Sasse on his podcast, “Not Dead Yet…” Thank you Senator @BenSasse!! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas…

This is the most powerful picture taken at the Kentucky derby Two brothers Moments after crossing the finish line Irad Ortiz Jr., who finished 2nd, grabs his brother’s arm, Jose Ortiz, to celebrate his 1st place win This is what matters. Not trophies—family

From another galaxy to CHI... your Supernovas mascot has arrived!🛸💫

This is the beauty of the WBC: A 29-year-old bearded electrician from Ostrava, Czechia who has played baseball his whole life in a country where very few play the sport helps Czechia qualify for its first-ever WBC, strikes out Shohei Ohtani on a pitch he says came out of his hand wrong, and becomes one of the faces of the Classic. Ondřej Satoria, who is retiring from the national team after this tournament, will leave Japan where he gets stopped for autographs and photos and receives standing ovations, and fly back to Ostrava where he’s a normal guy with a simple life. And while no one back home is stopping him in the streets for autographs, imagine the stories he’ll have for his 2-year-old son when he grows up. “The most important thing is that the baseball community from around the world now knows that Czechia plays baseball.” - @OndrejSatoria in @michaelsclair’s book “We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball” 🇨🇿

“People always asked "Why do you pay so much money for your kid to do sports”? Well I have a confession to make; I don't pay for my kid to “to do sports” Personally, I couldn't care less about what sport she does So, if I am not paying for sports what am I paying for? - I pay for those moments when my kid becomes so tired she wants to quit but doesn’t - I pay for those days when my kid comes home from school and is “too tired" to go to her training but she goes anyway. - I pay for my kid to learn to be disciplined, focused and dedicated - I pay for my kid to learn to take care of her body and learn how to correctly fuel her body for success. - I pay for my kid to learn to work with others and to be a good team mate, gracious in defeat and humble in success - I pay for my kid to learn to deal with disappointment, when they don’t get that placing or title they'd hoped for, but still they go back week after week giving it their best shot. - I pay for my kid to learn to make and accomplish goals - I pay for my kid to respect, not only themselves, but others, officials, judges and coaches - I pay for my kid to learn that it takes hours and hours, years and years of hard work and practice to create a champion and that success does not happen overnight - I pay for my kid to be proud of small achievements, and to work towards long term goals - I pay for the opportunity my child has and will have to make life-long friendships, create lifelong memories, to be as proud of her achievements as I am - I pay so that my child can be in the gym instead of in front of a screen - I pay for those rides home where we make precious memories talking about practice, both good and bad -I pay so that my child can learn the importance of time management and balancing what is important like school and keeping grades up I could go on but, to be short, I don't pay for sports I pay for the opportunities that sports provides my kid with to develop attributes that will serve her well throughout her life and give her the opportunity to bless the lives of others. From what I have seen I think it is a great investment!” - Softball Parent Need Help? Just ask @SRUSA_Official

This is going to stick with me forever

When a dude with an accordion rolls up on a lawnmower, you know it’s about to get real. Steve’n’Seagulls turn “Thunderstruck” into a hoedown and I am here for it.

As a flashback to what we’ve lost, and what we can strive to be again, here is my favorite Kennedy Center Honors performance—from 2012. Heart and Jason Bonham absolutely crushing Stairway to Heaven to honor Led Zeppelin—who watched in tears. It’s worth every second.