Carpentry student nails a win

The honor student helps work on houses through his church.
& lt;a href=mailto:denise_dick@vindy.com & gt;By DENISE DICK & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
CHAMPION -- A Trumbull Career and Technical Center senior is carving out his future in wood.
A 6-foot-high grandfather clock Ryan Kuchta built from poplar using blueprints he downloaded from the Internet earned first place in woodworking earlier this month at a state competition in Columbus.
"The blueprints were just for the dimensions," said Bill Eliser, the carpentry instructor at TCTC.
The competition was for the Beta Club, a service organization through LaBrae High School, Ryan's home school.
Last year, Ryan built a treasure chest which also captured him a first place at the competition. That was a project he put his blood and sweat into -- literally. He sliced off his left thumb on one of the table saws, but it was reattached.
"I had to finish the project with a bandage on my thumb," Ryan said.
That didn't deter him from returning to the tools this year.
The grandfather clock, which sits in the living room of Ryan's home, took about three weeks to complete.
With its raised paneling and decorative trim, it wasn't easy, Eliser said.
"It's not a plain piece by any means," the instructor said.
The carpentry class works on skills required for building projects such as houses more than the pieces Ryan created for the competitions.
Accomplished student
Ryan has worked on a lot of houses, both through school and through his volunteer work with Braceville United Methodist Church, but he's reluctant to talk about his good works.
"He's hedging with you a little bit," Eliser said. "He does a lot of work with this church and he's very, very involved in the school. That's the type of young man he is. He can't tell you that because it would be embarrassing for him."
A blush and shy smile cross Ryan's face and he eyes the floor.
He's a member of National Honor Society, works with the Trumbull New Theater, plays tuba in the school band and dabbles in soccer.
Ryan plans to study computer technology at Kent State University's Trumbull Campus next year but doesn't plan to abandon his love of working with wood.
"In the future, I hope to get back into the field," he said.
denise_ & lt;a href=mailto:denise_dick@vindy.com & gt;denise_dick@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;