Sherman High School senior Tucker Khader describes himself as “extra,” meaning he always does a little more than what’s expected.

He works at a local restaurant while balancing school. He builds and refurbishes discarded furniture and sells them at flea markets. He designed a daybed swing that won Best in Show against 1,200 other carpentry projects at the state competition for SkillsUSA, an education association dedicated to preparing students for technical, trade and skilled service careers. 

Just a little extra, Khader said.

“People from all around Texas took pictures of it and wanted to build it themselves,” he said about the day he showed the project. “We could have just dropped off the project and left, but I’m not like that. I like to talk about what I worked on because I take pride in everything I build.”

This is Khader’s second year in SkillsUSA, and in his first year, he and a team created an oak dining table with specially designed benches. However, inclement weather prevented the project from being judged at competition, and it was eventually sold. This year was poised to be a big one.

“I wanted to do something this big because I like to go all out for everything,” Khader said. “I didn’t want to do an ordinary swing. I wanted to do something bigger, something you don’t see as much.”

Since he started high school, Khader estimates he’s built or refurbished over 100 different projects, most to be sold at local markets, and most recently, Khader sold out at Jake’s Place Flea Market in Denison. He has a creative spark and keeps an eye peeled for discarded furniture on the curb to refurbish.

“For the swing’s cushions, I took an old couch off the curb and took the stuffing out,” Khader said. “I bought the fabric and upholstery for it, and I bought the pillows as well. The school supplied the wood.”

However, with the size of the swing, Khader couldn’t tackle it alone. Construction technology teacher and SkillsUSA sponsor Robert Jewell said fellow classmates noticed Khader’s self-starter mindset and eagerness and joined in.

Senior Javier Ortiz is one of those students. He helped attach parts to the swing and stain the wood, which took three days of applying, waiting and applying again.

“I really liked how it turned out for Tucker,” Ortiz said. “I saw him working on it one day and decided to help. I think I was the second one to help him out.”

In the midst of constructing the project, Khader had to keep track of everything inside a process notebook required by SkillsUSA. He had to write down his original design, everything from the measurements to the materials to the tools he used.

“I think keeping the notebook was harder than actually building it,” Khader said. “You had to be sure of what to write, how to write it and that the judges would like it.”

Khader credits Jewell for refining his carpentry skills, and the life lessons Jewell has imparted have been invaluable to Khader’s motivation.

“Hard work does pay off,” Khader said. “If you put the work in, you’re going to get the reward for it. If you don’t, you’re not going to gain anything.”

Jewell wants all his students to keep that work ethic during their life after graduation, and his classes focus on not only the hard skills of construction technology but on the soft skills applicable in any field.

“We use some of the most advanced technology in the CNC routers here, but the truth is that you have to be able to communicate,” Jewell said. “I want my students to walk out of here with a skill that will make them a living.”

Even now, Khader feels like the Best in Show swing isn’t complete. He wants to add planter boxes to the sides and more crossbeams on top to protect loungers from the sweltering summer sun.

“I have that feeling with all my projects,” Khader said. “There’s always more I want to do even if it’s not really needed.”