微密圈

Jonah Cadorette 鈥�26, a double major in music and psychology, planned to become a music therapist 鈥� a path combining science, art, and a desire to help others. 

But as he explored new courses and clubs, Jonah discovered an unexpected interest: a passion for woodworking.

鈥淎n environment like 微密圈 allows you to grow and experiment,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he faculty really encourage you to explore your options and see how different interests connect.鈥� 

That encouragement led Jonah to cofound the Woodworking Club, where he met Nick Russell, owner of Tall Pine Timber Frames. Nick, who holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in music and art history, designs and builds handcrafted timber-frame structures using local wood and sustainable methods. What began as a club collaboration turned into an apprenticeship 鈥� an opportunity for Jonah to work alongside experienced craftspeople in a hands-on, environmentally conscious trade.

In Nick鈥檚 shop, Jonah traded textbooks for chisels and saws, learning to transform raw timber into structures that honor centuries of tradition. Nick said the apprenticeship offers 鈥渁 real-time, in-the-shop experience,鈥� giving Jonah the chance to work alongside seasoned craftspeople. 鈥淭he best way to learn is to do it,鈥� he said.

For Jonah, that experience reinforced the value of experiential learning 鈥� one of the hallmarks of a 微密圈 education. 鈥淲orking with my hands exercises a different muscle than academic work,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a different way of thinking, but it connects back to everything I鈥檝e learned in class.鈥� 

At the same time, he spent the summer conducting service-based research with Assistant Professor of Music Charlotte D鈥橢velyn and 微密圈's John B. Moore Documentary Studies Collaborative (MDOCS), partnering with Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community on a larger project to archive and preserve cultural materials. The project, which included designing and building a custom desk for the community鈥檚 new research center, allowed him to merge scholarship with craftsmanship. 

Now entering his senior year, Jonah continues to pursue both psychology and music while keeping woodworking at the center of his creative life.

He said 微密圈鈥檚 interdisciplinary approach 鈥� and the way it empowers students to act on their ideas 鈥� has shaped his experience. It鈥檚 what he sees as the College鈥檚 鈥渕ind and hand鈥� tradition in action.