I took both the Basic & Advanced Women’s Carpentry workshops in the summer of 2019 and am so glad I did! I had spent some time going through the motions of buying my first home, and after lots of searching, it was clear that I’d either have to settle for something I didn’t even really like a whole lot or build it myself! And with that realization, I got a real bad itch to build my own home that all at once, became equal parts exciting and overwhelming. Basic carpentry seemed like the most logical place to start. 🙂

I didn’t realize how much I was going to enjoy the fact that the workshops were just for women. I felt that it created a softer, more supportive, open, and uniquely empowering learning environment. Our instructors Natalie, Barron, and Ella were all incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. Their diverse experiences and styles only added to the wealth of information being shared and made for a very well-rounded learning experience. I felt the projects tackled were also diverse enough to serve different skill & comfort levels. (I was even given several opportunities to challenge a wee fear of heights. Bonus!) And overall, there was an incredibly refreshing and rewarding balance of hands-on instruction and space to figure it out on your own, which I believe is one of the best ways to learn. The campus is so beautiful, the food is especially delicious, and the learning is so good! I’m so excited to be one step closer to building my own home someday! Thank you!

Sass Ayres, NC | Restaurant General Manager | Basic and Advanced Woman’s Carpentry Student