Dawson George is a friendly face often seen leaving the welding and woodworking shops. With a large part of his day spent building projects, it raises the question: what has he been creating lately?

Question: What have you been making [in wood shop]?

Dawson George’s Answer: This year, I’ve been working on a bunch of different things. I built a [metal] wood-burning stove probably a month ago, and I took it hunting and camping this year. Right now I’m working on a log bed frame. I harvested my own logs and now I’m building a queen-sized bed frame. It’s been really difficult.

In his junior year, Dawson built a reloading bench made from scrap wood like cedar and oak. Made from used two-by-fours and sheer determination, George is quite proud of his creation.

Question: What is the hardest part of your projects you have made or are working on this year?

Answer: The hardest part right now is that the logs are so round, it’s hard to keep everything square. And then the other projects, it’s just been a time crunch with only having one class.

Dawson’s current project is a log bed frame with logs that he harvested himself. As a result of using precut wood in all of his other projects, it is proving to be quite difficult.

Question: How do you think this will help your future?

Answer: I think just staying driven. Like all these things that I’ve built, I build them because I want to. That’s really satisfying for me, to start from scratch. I just have an Idea and I just start going at it until it gets done. 

When Dawson becomes an adult, he plans to build his own house using the techniques and experience he gained within the woodworking program offered at Powell High School.

Question: How do you feel the skills you’ve learned will help you in the future?

Answer: Obviously, I want to build my own house one day, and just taking on progressively harder projects allows you to have an open mindset going into any project. 

Question: What goal have you accomplished this year that you are most proud of?

Answer:  My biggest goal this year is getting ready for my [church] mission. I think I’m just finally at peace with it, like I’m ready to go. That’s been a huge blessing in my life because my entire life has been kinda of hard, but I’m going to go. I’m excited to go, and I can’t wait for it to come.

Dawson plans to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints right after graduating high school. For him, it’s been a lifelong goal that is almost reaching fruition. 

“The best way to learn is to get so far into it that there is no way out,” George said. “You just gotta figure out how to make it work.”