2023 Scholarship RecipientsIn 2023, WMIA’s Educational Foundation awarded a total of $26,000 in scholarships to help 17 college students continue their education in the woodworking industry. See previous scholarship recipients Meet this year’s recipients:
Amy Rowland, Madison, WI Amy Rowland is a recent graduate of the Cabinetmaking and Millwork program at Madison Area Technical College in Madison, WI. Before earning her degree, she spent the last several years working in theatre. She has won awards for both acting and designing, but it was her true love of set design that brought her to the woodworking world. The design ideas she would dream up outpaced the building expertise she had at the time to construct them, so she decided she needed to go back to school to learn how to bring her artistic visions to life. Once starting the program, she immediately fell in love with woodworking and the freedom of creativity it granted her. Her patience and attention to detail, coupled with a natural eye for design, made it easy for her to excel in the craft. Woodworking has opened a whole new world of possibilities, and she is very eager to explore every one of them.
Andrew Nelson, Brooklyn Park, MN Andrew recently completed his first year in the cabinetry program at Hennepin Technical college. He learned basic woodworking skills from his dad growing up and has always had interest in it. After finishing his second year, he plans on finding a job in a local cabinetmaking shop and to hopefully one day start his own business selling custom furniture.
Brady Cook, Silver Lake, KS Throughout his high school career Brady took as many woodworking/cabinetry classes as he could. If it wasn’t for these classes, he wouldn’t have heard of the amazing program at Pitt State and wouldn’t be going to school to achieve his dreams of building cabinets and being a woodworker.
Claire Koetkker, Overland Park, KS Claire is originally from Overland Park, KS. Claire will be a senior at Pittsburg State University in August of 2023 and she is majoring in Wood product manufacturing. Outside of class, Claire is an active member of the Society of Architectural Woodworkers at PSU and is also the captain of the women’s rugby club at Pittsburg State. This summer Claire is working for Watson Mills and Design based out of Lafayette, Colorado. Claire is very excited about her future at PSU and looks forward to her career in this industry.
Ivan Rabinowitz, Boone, NC Ivan Rabinowitz is a Junior at Appalachian State University, where he is studying Furniture Design; a program that allows him to meticulously craft pieces of furniture while learning more about the theoretical side of design and aesthetics that drive his work. Ivan is excited about the future of woodwork, with modern processes such as CNC machining breaking down previous limitations that materials had imposed. He is devoted to staying on top of these processes while following his passion for hand craftsmanship. Ivan is excited to see how these technologies shape his future career in the industry.
Jacob Graff, Corpus Christi, TX Jacob is entering his junior year in the Wood Product Manufacturing Program at PSU. He has a passion for mastering woodworking skills from hand-tool joinery to CNC manufacturing to be able to tackle any project. Jacob is knowledgeable in the identification of hundreds of woods and continues to work to grow the laboratory's collection of the limitless worldwide wood species. Jacob has completed a term as an officer in the student organization "Society of Architectural Woodworkers" and has been recognized as a distinguished member each semester prior. Jacob has completed a manufacturing internship in Oklahoma City and will be spending his next summer learning high-end residential millwork at his internship in Colorado. Jacob expects to graduate early and is eager to enter into the Architectural Woodworking industry right out of college.
Jocelyne Giroux Jocelyne is from a small village in Estrie, Bury. In order to take on new challenges, in 2021, she left the teaching field and began a DEP in furniture finishing at the ENME. Her interest in this profession is constantly growing. She loves to discover techniques and develop projects that she would never have thought of making. Jocelyne always invests herself fully in what she does. After school, Jocelyne would like to offer furniture refinishing, restoration and reupholstering services.
Kylie Trappe, Mason City, IA Kylie recently graduated from Mason City High School. While there, she was involved in a variety of activities from band to multiple sports. Kylie has been Involved in woodworking all four years of high school as well as attaining her pre-apprenceship in Construction. After finding her passion in woodworking, she will attending Buena Vista University with a major in Business/ entrepreneurial business so that she can open her own custom furniture store after graduation.
Oona Mackesey-Green, Madison, WI After years working in nonprofit administration, community organizing and journalism, Oona enrolled in the Cabinetmaking and Millwork program at Madison College in Wisconsin hoping to learn a new skill for personal projects. Thanks to the support and encouragement of Madison College instructors, what began as a hobbyist curiosity grew into a deeper interest in the creativity, problem solving and hands-on aspects of woodworking. Oona is particularly passionate about exploring sustainable and traditional building methods and materials, mutual aid projects with neighbors and friends, and designs that involve curves and simple details. Oona recently started a job in architectural woodwork drafting/design and looks forward to seeing where it leads, while continuing to learn along the way.
Osianna Ward, Pittsburg, KS Osianna Ward is going into her second year at Pittsburgh State University. Growing up, her mom taught her about woodworking and construction. Osianna would spend her free time building things or renovating their house with her mom. So when she learned about Pitt State's wood product manufacturing program, she knew it was the right fit. She's still unsure what her future plans are, but she's hoping to figure out what she enjoys most and will look to find a job doing that.
Raphaël Bujold Raphaël discovered the world of woodworking 3 years ago by watching youtube videos. He started buying specialized equipment to allow him to take on different projects. After high school, he enrolled at ENME in Montréal. Raphaël recently finished his first year at the college. He enjoyed learning about different aspects of woodworking such as; conception, technical drawing, submission and fabrication. One day, he plans to have his own woodworking company. He plans on specializing in either hardwood furniture or kitchen building and designs. One thing is certain, he has found his passion and is proud to be a woodworker "en devenir".
Sam Uhlman, Towanda, KS Sam is a Circle High School Graduate who is now attending Pittsburgh Sate University where he is Majoring in Wood Product Manufacturing. This summer, he will be interning in Nashville, Tennessee, at a company called 1220. After College Sam plans to be a critical asset for any job that is available with the emphasis of wood related products.
Sang Cung, Lewisville, TX Sang is a soon to be sophomore at Pittsburg State University. As he’s learned about what he needs to expand his experience and knowledge on, he plans on continuing his career in the woodworking industry. He plans on becoming an architect as he’s always enjoyed designing and expressing his creativity through drawings. His freshman year has solidified his passion for woodworking through the guidance of the professors who are very enthusiastic about their work.
Sarah-Maude Couture Sarah-Maude Couture has always been passionate about manual work. This is what led her to the field of cabinetmaking. In 2022, she completed her first year at the National School of Furniture and cabinetmaking with success and several academic mentions. To gain more knowledge of the cabinetmaking industry, she completed an internship in this field during the summer.
Wilson Newman, Defiance, OH Wilson Newman will be a first year student at Hennepin Technical College studying Cabinetmaking and Wood Design. Wilson was born and raised in Defiance, OH. While in high school, he worked as a finisher for a local small business that sells Amish furniture. He has also made a few furniture projects on his own.
Zach Woolverton, Webb City, MO After graduating high school, Zach pursued a higher level of education at a local college. Once he graduated from Crowder College with an associates degree in teaching, he decided to continue his education and transfer to PSU. He is currently working towards a degree in Teaching in Technology with a possible minor in Wood Manufacturing. During his college time, he has been working at a cabinet shop in. He will be a senior next year and will be student teaching in the spring. He is very excited to continue working in the industry by teaching the fundamentals he has learned throughout his time in school.
*Not pictured: Jaczin Kelvington |
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