I should have been a teacher instead of a lawyer. Education is my first love. That’s why I got a plus-type tizzy from reading the KJ article on Feb. 15 evidencing ongoing success, delivered to students by Rockland’s Apprenticeshop. It’s fascinating mission-levels are 12-week, nine-month and two-year confidence-building options.

My intuition jump-started when the scholarship efforts of three young women from the Midcoast area lit the printed page. Chloe Carr, Tabitha Gish and Ellery Kemper-Chalmers, who enrolled as boat building apprentices in the fall of 2020, offered thankful words for achievements experienced.

Their reported remarks revealed the curriculum depth at which Apprenticeshop’s students toil —strengthening one’s inner means of support. Fathomless.

Because quality bests quantity, here are my favorite sentences:

Ellery: “Every day that I learned a new technique, skill or method, I gained more freedom to go after the things I want in other areas of my life.”

Tabitha: “The best part of my apprenticeship, so far, is that building a boat has given me more confidence in my ability to learn new skills and make things with my hands.”

Chloe: “I truly believe being here and getting to know the wonderful people is making me into a better person.”

Each one — in her own place and time — decided to give herself a chance to succeed. Here, new horizons opened, hands handled new challenges and moral growth was realized.

Apprenticeshop honors Woman’s History Month 2020 by its announcement of the Second Annual Mary Lucy Scholarship Raffle. Proceeds support the next group of scholarship participants.

Bouquets to Chloe, Ellery and Tabitha. Stick another feather in ‘Shop’s cap!

John Benoit

Manchester