At Yestermorrow, we believe in investing in our people. We first met Cassidy Delisle as a student in our weekend Intro to the Woodshop course, and just a couple years later she was already teaching that same course for us. We interviewed Cassidy to learn more about her journey from beginner to mentor in the woodshop, as well as her current career goals and new role as a working mother. 

YM: How/why did you come to Yestermorrow?

CD: I heard about Yestermorrow from my stepdad, who had taken a course there on residential design and construction in Spring 2019. I had always been interested in building and making (Legos, K'Nex, Metal Earth kits, etc.) and he mentioned that there were woodworking courses at the school. I had a grandfather and a great grandfather that were both hobby woodworkers, and I think because of them I had always had a slight interest in the craft. I wasn't in love with my current job (starting at a computer all day isn't really my bag) so I looked into it a little more and decided to take a weekend course (Intro to Woodshop) in Fall 2019. I went back to my day job because...well...bills are a thing, but I couldn't stop thinking about how much fun I had that weekend. So, I took the Woodworking Certificate in February 2021 and haven't looked back.

YM: Why did you make a change from what you were doing before?

CD: I have two degrees in Music Theory and Music Business so out of college I got a job working for a couple music magazines. This was your typical desk job, and I realized that sitting behind a computer all day just wasn't for me. I wanted to create something, use my hands, get up and moving. After taking the weekend Intro to Woodshop course I couldn't stop thinking about it as I bounced on my exercise ball while staring at that computer. I decided it was time to take a leap and chase my newfound dream of being a woodworker, so I did. In October 2020, amid a global pandemic, my now husband and I moved to Vermont in anticipation of me taking the Woodworking Certificate program the upcoming February and I fell in love with being in the woodshop all day.

YM: What about our programs turned you toward your new career?

CD: The courses are so much fun. I really liked having Lindley as my instructor for that initial weekend course because the trades tend to be male-dominant. So, seeing a female in that role really inspired me. She also has a similar story to mine (leaving her current job to pursue a passion of woodworking) and that showed me even more that this was possible. From the course side, I just learned so much about the shop, safety, and all the possibilities that are out there for someone wanting to pursue this as a career. The certificate was particularly exciting because we had the opportunity to use hand tools, power tools, and draft our own designs - all things that I think are important to know when looking to be a woodworker full time. I also had a lot of anxiety around power tools before taking either course, and being able to leave the shop after the first weekend and then the three month intensive feeling confident and knowledgeable was really helpful. But, ultimately, circling back to what I said at the beginning, it was FUN. 

YM: When did you know you were hooked on what you learned here (before, during the certificate, or after - when you put it to practice - all of the above?) Was there one particular thing that you loved more than anything else? (such as a design process, a certain material, technique or detail, tool or step of the process)...

CD: I knew I was hooked when I went back to that desk job after my first weekend course and didn't stop thinking about the shop for a year and a half. I just wanted to come back and create something. My personal favorite part of the certificate program, and the weekend course for that matter, was being able to incorporate my own designs, and the design process itself. Coming up with the cutout for the legs on my bench was so much fun, and working on the plywood project and then our final project during the certificate was such a blast. There is something so inspiring about seeing a sheet of plywood or some rough-sawn lumber and knowing you can make it into something. I still look at my tractor that I made as my final project and think, "Wow, I made that." I just feel so fulfilled when I finished up a project in a way I've never felt in any other career before.

YM: Are there any other anecdotes you'd like to share about how you used what you learned here to get you where you are now? Tell me more about what you are doing now (in addition to teaching with us).

CD: Immediately after finishing the Woodworking Certificate I got a job working for Vermont Furniture Designs in Winooski, VT. I used numerous skills I had learned at school to help me during my time there from power tool knowledge to confidence in the shop to woodworking techniques. I stayed there for about a year and a half and then decided that the production side of woodworking wasn't really for me. I wanted to have my hands on the product from start to finish. Coincidentally, I found out I was pregnant during my final week there, and now am a full-time stay at home mom with our son who was born at the end of June. Currently, I help teach a couple different courses at Yestermorrow (as you mentioned) but I hope to one day start my own business making and selling old-fashioned wooden toys like my grandfather and great-grandfather used to make. I think it's sort of a lost art and I would really like to bring it back. Plus, having a little one of my own, I have the perfect test subject to make sure they are actually fun to play with!

You can make an impact for more people like Cassidy by supporting Yestermorrow’s mission during our year-end appeal. Now through the end of March, your donations will help us invest in more talented people who are ready to make a real difference in their lives and their community. Make your gift today!