2020 Fall Foundations graduate Dakota Hankin talks about her experience.

PTSW: Hi Dakota! Tell us about your woodworking history before you attended the three month Foundations of Woodworking intensive, and what made you decide that the Port Townsend School of Woodworking was the right fit for you.

DH: My dad was a construction worker and ran shop classes in high school. He and my mom started building furniture, and I was interested, but growing up, I rarely took advantage of my dad's instruction.

DH: I was considering a year long woodworking program at another school, but I was a little nervous because I hadn't done a lot of woodworking. It was a large commitment, and the cost was significant as well. I wasn’t sure. My neighbor is a great woodworker, and she had attended the Foundations of Woodworking intensive. She showed me the book and some of the things she made, and talked to me about the school. I started researching the Port Townsend School of Woodworking and realized it was a neat alternative to jumping into a year-long program; it would give me a better idea of what I wanted to do and what was possible before I invested more time and money.

PTSW: What were you most worried about when class began?

DH: I was most worried about having no real knowledge of hand tools. There was a lot of ebb and flow in all of our progress during Foundations. Some students started with a lot of confidence. They were saying things to the instructor... half of us had no idea what they were talking about. And then a couple of weeks in, they were the ones asking more questions and not relying on previous knowledge; they were open to learning new methods. Other students who came with no experience would excel at specific skills so much that everyone in class would go to them for help. Everyone was challenged in one way or another.

PTSW: How did you feel about pursuing a craft and trade historically dominated by men?

DH: The school does a great job of making everyone feel welcome. I had been nervous about the possibility of being one of the only women in class. I got there and there were four women and five guys. The instructors taught to everyone's abilities. It didn't matter if you were male or female, or what you identified as; it was more about your knowledge, previous experience, or lack thereof. It feels good to now be able to have a conversation with anybody about woodworking. None of it is as intimidating as it was before. I feel empowered.

DH: Friends and family are impressed that I took this course. They don't know a lot of people that have gone to woodworking school. I tell them it was more challenging than I expected, but at the same time, really rewarding. When they ask me if I would do it again, I say "100% yes." I wish I was taking more courses right now.

PTSW: How do you envision your involvement in woodworking in the future?

DH: I want to get my shop set up, take some more classes, and stay updated on the progress of my former classmates. It's neat to see what they are doing; some of them are going to start businesses. Specifically I want to learn more carving, turning and furniture making.

DH: My career centers around consulting organizations that run violence against women and girls prevention programming in places such as Bangladesh, South Sudan and Ethiopia. So I have done a lot of women and girls programming, and I'm hoping that I can take the skills I learned in Foundations and apply it to my current work, to empower women and girls in these places.