A day in the life: Mackenzie

Category: Study at NSCC

Get to know Mackenzie, a Cabinetmaking and Woodworking Techniques student

Name: Mackenzie Joyce
Program: Cabinetmaking and Woodworking Techniques
Campus: Pictou Campus
Class: 2024

Cabinetmaking student, Mackenzie, uses a power drill to screw together a kitchen cabinet project.

Mackenzie works on a kitchen cabinet project in the Cabinetmaking shop at Pictou Campus.

Why did you choose your program?

I’m a graduate of the Carpentry program at Strait Area Campus. While I was in that program, I became really interested in finish carpentry and I wanted to learn more about that side of things. I really enjoy working on the finer details of things and the Cabinetmaking program was a great next step for me.

What's your favourite part of studying at NSCC?

My favourite part was getting to know and work with my instructors and my classmates. Everyone lends a helping hand and is so supportive - we’re a small class so this really adds to the student experience. It’s an awesome environment to be part of.

What does a typical day look like in your program?

Some days, we start the day in the classroom with our instructor and learn about some theories, techniques, safety aspects and have class discussions. Mostly, we’re in the cabinetmaking shop and it’s really hands on, we’re always working on projects. Sometimes it’s individual projects and sometimes we work together.

What types of tools do you use in cabinetmaking?

We use a lot of different tools in the program. Because cabinetmaking is really detailed, I use lots of hand tools including chisels, mallets, awls, and many different types of squares. We also use a lot of the machines in the shop like our planer, mitre saw, table saw, belt sander etc.

What’s your plan after you graduate?

I plan to combine the skills I learned in the Carpentry program with the new skills I’ve learned in the Cabinetmaking and Woodworking Techniques program. I think combining these skills will be useful in my next steps in carpentry.

Do you have any advice for someone who might be interested in taking this program?

It’s never too late to take the program and it’s something that is handy to have even if you’re not using your skills for a job!

Cabinetmaking instructor Steve and student Mackenzie inspect a cabinet project.

Faculty member Steve Jarvis and Mackenzie.

A day in the life

Morning

6:30 am - Time to start the day, I get up and make sure I have a good, healthy breakfast. I also make sure my dog has what he needs for the day, and I get lots of snuggles before I have to leave.

7:30 am - I begin my commute to Pictou Campus. This drive takes me about 40 minutes.

8:15 am - I arrive on campus, park my car and get ready to head to the Cabinetmaking and Woodworking techniques shop. It’s in the Dr. Hamm Trades and Innovation Centre wing of Pictou Campus. It’s a really big shop that’s actually split with the Carpentry program, they’re on one side and we’re on the other side. Sometimes, our two programs collaborate on projects.

8:30 am -11:30 am - For the next couple hours, I’m working in the shop on my projects. Our class is outfitting an actual kitchen with an external partner and we’re building cabinets that will be installed later. As part of the project, I’m working on what’s called a ‘blind corner’ cabinet – it's the kind of cabinet that has extra storage tucked inside the corner that you can’t see from the exterior. I’m building it from scratch.

Afternoon

12 pm - I head to the Pictou Campus cafeteria to grab a bite to eat. I really enjoy the Caesar salad they have, and the cafeteria workers are awesome people. My classmates and I almost always sit together during our lunch break, and sometimes we’re joined by our instructor, Steve. It’s really nice to sit together, chat and get to know everyone. My classmates are really awesome.

1 pm - After lunch, I head back into the shop and get right to work finalizing things on my cabinet, and also taking some time to work on some smaller details for my other projects. One of the things that’s different from the Carpentry program is there’s a painting booth, so I put on my respirator and spray paint or varnish my smaller projects.

3:30 pm - It's time to head home after a full day in the shop. I pack up my tools and head back to my car to commute back home.

Evening

5 pm - 8pm - I arrive back home and greet my dog who is super happy to see me and I give him lots of love. There’s sawdust from the shop on me, so I get cleaned up and I have something to eat. Then, I make a nice cup of tea and get to work on some assignments on my computer. I spend the rest of the evening resting and getting inspired for some creative side projects before thinking about the day ahead and getting ready to call it a night.