Here at Shadow Ridge, senior Connor Fife has participated in Career and Technical Education throughout his high school years. Fife has always loved creating and building things, especially projects that challenge him. Now, for one of his final projects in the class, Fife has chosen to construct a coffee table.
Fife said, “I chose a coffee table because I thought it would be challenging, and I wanted to make a useful piece of furniture that would look nice.” He continued, “I hope the table will be a nice addition to my future house once it’s completed.”
Once finished, Fife plans to give the table a beach theme inspired by the annual beach trips he and his family take to North Carolina.
Fife’s teacher, Mr. Tippetts, said, “Connor has easily been able to learn from his mistakes and knows all of the tools and how to use them properly to be successful.”
Fife has enjoyed the process of building and seeing the image in his mind come to life. His teacher added, “His willingness to problem-solve and make adjustments to the plan’s measurements has made the project less challenging and more doable.”
Throughout the project, Fife has faced challenges and overcome them using the skills he has developed over the years in the class, allowing him to adjust anything that needs improvement.
Fife has learned new things and applied important life skills to his project. He shared, “The most challenging part of the project has definitely been being patient. I want to get it done really fast, but I have to take my time and make sure the craftsmanship is good.”
He has taken time each class period to ensure everything looks right so that when the table is finished, it will look its best. Fife has never given up and continues to push through every obstacle.
He said, “The most enjoyable part of the project is seeing it all come together at the end.” He continued, “It’s definitely not the best-looking one I’ve ever made, but it’s the biggest and most useful—and it’s taken the longest.”
Fife is extremely close to finishing his table, with only a couple more class periods left before he begins painting it.
Fife said, “I’m not stressed about the painting. I’m hoping it will be pretty simple, and I’m mostly just excited to finally finish it and see what it looks like in the end.”
