- Literal: Describe in detail your adventure in trying to find a mentor (the 10 hours). Please include specifics, such as the name of a place you contacted, the phone number, and people you talk to about ideas.
I had a very long adventure trying to find a mentor. There are still some people that still need to get back to me. I looked in the Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Duarte areas. Most of the stores where custom design carpentry, and i visited some of them. 1) I emailed (mike@eaton-designs.com) a gentleman named Mike who works at Eaton Design studio and called the place at (626)- 797-8774. I talk to an employee their and Mike is trying to do his best to talk to the owner's and employees of the store to allow me to shadow him there. 2) I then tried this place called French Furniture which is located on Villa street in Pasadena, i called them at their store number (626)-795-5160, but the employee couldn't get a hold of the manager because he was not their. They mainly do repairing furniture which was a place to start but they never got back to me because of the manager. 3) Ipekjian was the shop I as looking to do my hours at. It was run by Jim and 4) John Ipekjain a very small but prestige shop where they custom make their products for customers. Sadly though, when I emailed them (jim@ipekjain.com & john@ipekjain.com) they did not reply. A day later i called them at (626)-792-5025 and left them a message. The next day i got a reply saying that he could not allow me to shadow because they where having slow business and they had a contract that did not allow them to take any students or internships at their shop which was a big let down. 5) In Monrovia there is a place called Hile Studio, i emailed this place a couple of times (sales@hilestudio.com) but they never replied, I emailed them twice but I have not yet called them because i recently found out about them a couple of days ago so I will most defiantly be calling by this week. 6) Another gentleman I tried had a shop in Los Angeles called Sidecar Furniture and emailed David Johnson (david@sidecarfurniture.com) and he was not able to take me in because he also had a contract with another company for the Green & Green brothers, who are famous architectures. The contract didn't allow him to take in any students, so he said no. But he told me to try taking a class at Cerritos College. He said they would have classes their but I might have to pay in order to mentor so I haven't checked there. 7) I then tried a Home Depot in West Covina (626)-965-1013, 8) Baldwin Park (626-813-7131, and 9) Monrovia (626)-256-0580 . They did not ave any kind of carpentry there that I could shadow because all they did was cut the wood but not build it. 10) I tried Lowes in Covina (626)-756-3000 but they did not have anything of that sort either. 11) And today i emailed this place in Duarte called The Heirloom Artisans, they did not provide an email to email them at, but they do have a number that I called but was closed (626)-674-1723. 12) My last person I tried was William Ng who is located in Anaheim, i emailed him Sunday (WNWoodWorkingSchool@gmail.com) and he hasnt gotten back to me yet and called at (714)-993-4215 but he was not at the shop Sunday or Monday. So i guess im waiting on Mike who works at Eaton Designs, William Ng, and the Hile Studio.
- Interpretive: Why do you think we require mentorship as a part of the senior project? Be specific and use examples.
I think that the senior team required mentorship as part of the senior project so we can see with our own eyes what they do and be in the exact environment that they are in. It gives you a better feel for what they do. And teaches you what it takes emotionally and physically to do what ever job your shadowing. Theres a difference between knowing what they do educationally (which is what you read on the internet and hear) and being there in person next to them in the same environment as them. My last reason is because it shows you how to deal with unexpected problems that may come up and takes you "behind the scenes" as to what they do.
- Applied: What do you plan to do to find mentorship?
I plan to continue to look for places all this week, call, and email people to see if there is anyone who can take me in as a shadow. I'll also start looking for other furniture places and ask if they bought any of their furniture from a near by custom carpenter. If anything I'll take classes at Cerritos college.
