Three receive Krenov School scholarships

Three students at the Krenov School in Fort Bragg, Calif., have recently received scholarships from the Krenov Foundation, funded by Woodcraft Supply. The Foundation awards several substantial scholarships each year to students attending the school, founded in 1981 by the late James Krenov.

The recipients are Hayden Castagno of Rexburg, Idaho; Miles Gracey of Los Angeles, and Chris Secrest of La Crescenta, Calif.

“Woodcraft is proud to support this scholarship program that encourages participation and excellence in fine woodworking,” Woodcraft president and CEO Jack Bigger said in a statement. “The Krenov School and Foundation play an important role in preserving this centuries-old craft.”

Secrest, who learned woodworking and carpentry from his grandfather while growing up in San Antonio, pursued other creative fields before taking summer workshops at the school, which inspired him to go into woodworking full-time. Getting accepted was no easy feat.

“The Krenov School is a world-class woodworking school, so just being accepted is a great honor. Not everyone gets accepted, and not everyone gets accepted on their first attempt. I had attended both open-enrollment summer sessions in 2018 and I immediately applied for 2019 as a first-year student, but wasn’t accepted. I tried again for 2020 and made it but, because of Covid, I chose to wait one more year,” says Secrest.

A part of Mendocino College, the school offers an intensive fine woodworking and cabinetmaking program focused on teaching students to use hand tools, learn to design, and execute a project on their own. A second-year program and summer workshops are also offered.

“When I was awarded the Woodcraft scholarship at the beginning of my second term, I was surprised and elated and honored beyond all measure. All of my classmates were at a high level of craftsmanship, but to be chosen for the scholarship was amazing and a bit humbling,” says Secrest.

“Going forward, my plan is to orient my work/life balance around woodworking, especially commission work, as well as possibly teaching woodworking in the future.”

Before attending the Krenov School, Castagno made a living working with metals and Gracey explored music, design, and sculpture.  

This article was originally published in the August 2022 issue.