Adam Junkins

‘Knowing someone believes in me makes me try harder to succeed.’ 

Adam Junkins’ path to higher education was a somewhat winding road. Adam, now 28, was born in Connecticut, but his parents moved to Michigan when he was young. After his high school graduation and parents’ divorce, he and his Mom, Pam, moved back to Connecticut.  

Adam enrolled in Bristol Technical Education Center, taking a one-year course in welding while working part-time at an auto dealership parts department. After completing his welding certification, he began working at Global Scenic Service, using his skills in the metal shop to help craft theatrical sets for traveling productions of shows like “Phantom of the Opera” and “Annie.” That work ended when the pandemic began, so Adam began reassessing his future.  

“I was always interested in machinery,” he recalls. “As a child, I wanted to be an inventor.” In high school, he joined both the Robotics and Photography clubs. Looking at the pictures he took back then, he realizes most were of things that fascinated him, especially “broken-down” machines.  

He enrolled in Gateway, first taking some general education classes. He ultimately decided to major in Engineering Technology. He expects to graduate in December with both an associate degree in Engineering Science and Certificates in Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Quality Control. He plans to attend a four-year college and become a robotics engineer.  

In the meantime, the Branford resident says, “I’m a bit of an entrepreneur.” Besides occasional welding jobs, he supports himself with some unique enterprises that pay his bills and still allow him to delve into the broken-down machinery his younger self loved. He visits a local transfer station, picking through discarded electronics and refurbishing them to sell online.  

“This (GCCF) scholarship means a lot,” he explains. “It shows me someone has faith in me, and that I am worthy of their support.”  

To view Adam Junkins’ scholarship video, CLICK HERE.