Woodworking is so relaxing. I don't know if it's the smell of the sawdust or the blaze of the saw blade. Knowing I can go to my garage, turn some music on, and enjoy cutting, sanding, and staining pieces does something to my soul. I don't have much machinery, but I own a mini table saw, compound saw, and a sander. I have made playing card holders for my grandparents. We like to play card and board games like gin, twenty-five hundred, and even rummy royal. It makes me smile knowing that what I make, I can gift as a show of my love. It's easy to see the effort and care put into the piece. I have also made a shaker table and step stool, which I have used to complete many math assignments. The stool works excellent as a chair for the table, and there is a drawer to hold whatever school supplies I need. Woodworking is an excellent skill, and I'm excited to see how I will improve in the coming years! I'm planning to attend Des Moines Area Community College after I graduate. I want to enroll in Building Trade and an Electrical course. In the Building Trade course, I will learn how to layout studs and assemble walls, and there will also be some experience with rafters and drafting. While working on those courses, I would like to work with a Carpenters Union or a local company to get on-the-job training while still getting an education. After I finish school, I want to continue working and try other fields like HVAC and CAD. While doing all this, I will still make time for woodworking to keep my head and stay happy! By the time I retire, I want to build my home and have a woodshop out back where I can spend the rest of my days crafting and having a good time.

I want to learn how to be a carpenter or an electrician. These are both fields I've been trying my hand in these past few years. I took a woodworking class and a Building Trades class, where I built a shed for a local man in my town. I learned how to layout studs for doors and windows and rafters for the shed. The other skilled trade I want to know about is the electrical field. This past summer, I got to work for a local technology company. I pulled cables for cameras and door scanners in local schools and businesses. These two fields are in high demand. They will give me exposure to the construction style working. I want to be Carpenter and an Electrician because they are both male-dominated fields; I genuinely believe I can work as hard as the men beside me, and I want to go to a job I love and can prove that every day. When I'm older, I want to be able to build my own house. From drafting the plans to HVAC, the only thing I've decided I will not do is the plumbing- it takes someone special to be a plumber, and I do not have the drive or desire to be one. I intend to complete a two-year program in Building Trade and electrical at Des Moines Community College, where I can work and get on-the-job experience while attending class and learning more in those specific fields. After I finish those two-year programs, I want to further my education in other areas and try to get an internship at a local company or a Trade Union.