Mount Pleasant Student is a Whiz Kid with Wood Working

When Sam Shields was 13, he told his dad he wanted to start building things so his father, Van, drove him to Home Depot. They went home with a bunch of pine 2 x 4's, a saw and a power drill among other tools, and Sam got busy building a bench.

Van offered Sam $50 for the bench, and the next day Sam announced he was going to make a kitchen table set for the family.

"I was supposed to have built the table and chairs with my grandpa," Sam said. "But he had a stroke and we never got to it."

Sam's grandfather has since passed away and he left his wood working tools to his grandson. Sam's drive and dedication to learn and improve his skills hasn't wavered.

Whiz Kid's Name: Sam Shields

Whiz Kid's School: J.I. Case High School, sophomore

Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Sam is primarily self-taught, but he participates in an advanced wood working class at school and next year, as a junior, he will be a teacher's assistant for the beginning classes. During his senior year, Sam plans to find an internship or apprenticeship at a local business learning more real-world skills for a career.

Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: "He's constantly doing something," Van said. "He's evolving, using more sophisticated tools to turn wood into bowls."

Sam's work is on display and for sale at The Grind Cafe in Mount Pleasant. Recently he sold a cribbage board and a cutting board, and he submitted an application to show at a starving artist fair in Racine this summer. 

"Sam is a great kid," said Steve Novak, owner of The Grind. "He's really interested in making pieces that people can use."

And it's more than just pine 2 x 4's that Sam uses these days. Van said family friends recently dropped off a valuable supply of hardwoods that Sam is learning to use, experimenting with shapes and what he can do.

"Right now wood working is a hobby," Sam said. "I want to make it a career so I'm looking at a couple of different trade schools after I graduate."