Last year, Mr. Brown, the woodshop teacher known to generations of CHS graduates retired.
Taking up where Brown had left off, Mr. Andrews now runs the woodshop class after teaching 11 years in the Grossmont District and working over 30 years in the private sector.
“I am here to give them skills,” Andrews said. “I want them to have fun.”
When Andrews was in high school, he had a shop teacher who was a Guadalcanal hero and gave Andrews his passion for a different art: wood cutting and metal working. He graduated from SDSU in 1982, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in industrial arts and a teaching diploma, but he was forced to turn to the private sector when a proposition passed that cut the number of teachers in California.
“I’ve always wanted to teach; thats what I went to college for,” Andrews said.
Andrews had a rough start in business and had to sell his products to stores as unfinished goods just to get by. However, as people began to see his talents and potential, he began receiving larger and more expensive orders. He prides himself on his trophy display he created for the American Club, time he worked for the Krocs and the whole office he made for a man worth 30 million dollars.
“The faculty is amazing,” Andrews said. “The pool and the football field are really nice. We got CHSTV. Many things are first rate here.”
In 2003, a tragedy shook his life. The Cedar fire which engulfed the San Diego and Ramona counties destroyed his home. Many would have been devastated; however, Mr. Andrews was not one to accept defeat. Once he got the chance, he started building an even grander house in place of the destroyed house. This new “smart” house has a movie theater, an astronomy room, thermaltors and many more custom accessories.
“It was hard to start over,” Andrews said. “I only hired workers to put up the walls and plumbing, but I did all of the finishes myself. I made all the doors and windows, put all the electricity thought and made a mahogany staircase.”
Carlsbad was one of his first choices for a new teaching position, and he loves it here now.
“I really like how he teaches us to be safe and how to enjoy the class,” senior Karyn Sherline said.
Not only does Andrews enjoy teaching wood shop to young minds, but he also has a plethora of hobbies. These include collecting watches, radios and antiques (including a china table from the 1750s), falcon hunting, amateur astronomy, motorcycle riding, taking care of animals and many more.
“I want to teach my craft because it is dying out,” Andrews said. “We are losing these jobs.”
