There’s something about building something from nothing that’s incredibly satisfying for Taylor Wakulich. That’s what drew him to enroll at Niagara College and learn more about carpentry.
These days, he’s lending that passion and the skills he’s developed to a local renovation company. We catch up with him to learn more about his love of carpentry.
Taylor Wakulich
Hometown: St. Catharines
Age: 25
Academic Achievement: Dean’s Award, School of Trades, Carpentry and Renovation Technician (92%).
How do you feel about receiving the Dean’s Award, achieving the highest GPA in your program?
It was honestly a nice surprise. I hadn’t even considered myself in the running for it and it feels good to see all the hard work put in over the past two years pay off.
To what factors do you attribute your academic success? What motivates you to succeed?
I really enjoy learning and absorbing knowledge whenever I can, so when I finally found something I was passionate about, it really just took off in terms of wanting to learn and succeed in the topic.
What led you to study at NC and to your program specifically?
I was working in a job that offered no room for progression. The chance to attend Niagara College allowed me to learn about things I enjoyed and offered me a new future.
Carpentry interested me because I enjoyed being able to create something from nothing, then stand back and appreciate what you’ve just built. Being able to build or modify something for someone and the joy that they experience from that really drives me day to day.
List any other postsecondary credentials (diplomas, degrees) you have achieved as well, institution you graduated from and graduation year:
Diploma of Broadcast Television and Videography from Humber College (2015)
Why are you passionate about your field of study?
While in school, I found a real love of furniture-making and cabinetry. I enjoyed how precise and accurate you have to be when creating and assembling these works. That’s going to be more of a hobby for me in my spare time. I’ve also been drawn into home renovation where I enjoy that it’s a whole different project every day. It’ll allow me to explore a lot of different parts of carpentry and grow in those areas.
Do you have a specific career goal in mind?
My career goal would be to obtain my Red Seal certification. This is a longer-term goal, but I feel like the program has set me up to achieve this in my future.
How did you find your program experience?
During my time in the program, we’ve been working on a modular home and came close to completing it this semester. Having this project was great because we were able to learn about a topic and then go apply it to an actual project, which was great for retaining information personally. The professors were also always super helpful and had answers to every and any question I may have asked. They were also great when dealing with online learning as it was a big learning curve for all of us, but we got through it.
Did you work a placement or co-op as part of your program?
I worked at a modular building company in Grimsby. While working there, it allowed me to gain knowledge about the field of construction and what the overall working environment is like. They also kept me on after my co-op was finished and I was able to work on the days that I didn’t have school, which was nice because I could compare what I was learning in school to the things I experienced at work.
What is it like to graduate at this time during the COVID-19 pandemic?
It’s different for sure. It was a weird change at first when we switched to online learning as everyone was trying to work out the kinks. Luckily, we were able to get back to in-person classes for our second year while also mixing that with online courses. I enjoyed that because it let you pace your workload and didn’t make you feel overloaded at times.
What does graduating mean to you personally?
It means I can begin my career in carpentry. It’s the start of the future, which is an exciting thing to think about.
What have you been doing since completing your studies?
I was lucky enough to get a job with a renovation company and have been working there ever since. Right now, I’m trying to absorb as much information as I can, and learn more and more about the different aspects of carpentry and how they can be applied in my work. We’ve been touching on a little bit of everything, which is exactly what I’m looking for to become the best I can be in my trade.
