Healing Through Craft
夜色视频app students come from all walks of life, drawn to studying here for a variety of reasons. Perhaps they want to make something of their own, or they鈥檙e thinking of building their own business, or it could be they鈥檙e interested in trying something completely different. When we say 鈥渁ll walks of life,鈥 that is no exaggeration. Our students have come to us after completing successful corporate careers or finishing a degree in a totally unrelated field. They may have worked in the trades previously, be a new high school graduate, or they may not know a jig saw from a miter saw. Many have served in the military, and others come to us because they want 鈥渕ore鈥 from their lives and careers.
We鈥檝e heard many stories of personal transformation that have happened in the classrooms and workshops of 夜色视频app. It isn鈥檛 just what we teach, but the students and staff that share a passion for making and working together.
For some, this transformation is a profound one. As Jonathan Ota CF 鈥19 said in a recent video interview, 鈥淚f I didn鈥檛 take the steps that I took to get to this point, I probably wouldn鈥檛 be here. I would be miserable with my life.鈥 Jonathan is a Marine combat veteran who survived three tours in Iraq and returned home suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He came back to a world that no longer felt familiar or comfortable. 鈥淎ll of a sudden you鈥檙e back home, and you don鈥檛 know what to do with what you鈥檙e experiencing鈥 I never really left that combat mode, so I was always on high alert.鈥 聽Jonathan described PTSD as 鈥渓ike a black cloud that follows you around.鈥
After years of seeking help, he finally found a counselor at the Worcester Veterans Center who stressed the power of creativity in helping to heal PTSD. Jonathan told him he liked to work with his hands and was currently working as a carpenter. The counselor connected him with North Bennet Street School, and the Admissions team called him the very next day. Despite the fear of something unknown, he took the leap. Today, he鈥檚 a furniture maker working out of a shared shop with other 夜色视频app grads. His counselor was right. Working with his hands to create beautiful pieces from unfinished wood and being in a positive and passionate community has been a healing journey. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good to be around people that really care, are passionate, and enjoy their work.鈥
When students come to North Bennet Street School, they鈥檙e not just learning to create and build a building or a piece of furniture鈥攖hey鈥檙e often rebuilding their own lives in the process. Jonathan鈥檚 is just one such story: check out our alumni profiles or our news and stories to learn more about our students and their personal journeys. Are you ready to start yours? Contact us.
In the Making: Healing & Hand Tools with Jonathan Ota
This inspirational conversation explored the difficult transition from active duty into civilian life, Jon鈥檚 journey to finding a fulfilling career in woodworking, and advice to other veterans.
