Ha Nguyen Tran

Wooden furniture will forever be intertwined with my childhood. It wasn't until adulthood that I actually appreciated how much experience my father gained through this painstaking job. Wooden furniture has been a part of his family for decades now—and he wanted me to take over someday, yet somehow all the teaching seemed moot when college studies got heavier and heavier (plus being in need of money).

But then one day dad woke up to think more creatively about wooden furniture's appeal to the masses. After researching and learning extensively - he spent hours cutting, sanding, and staining; at last crafting something so beautiful. Suddenly people were turning their heads toward it again. I rekindled my love for wood that had dissipated while getting bogged down by schoolwork - recognizing how life changes yet happiness always remains within living things.