Standards remain high at Cerritos College with the acceptance of the Master Woodworker’s Award by faculty member and chair of the Woodworking Manutfacturing Technology Department, Carl Stammerjohn.

An honor bestowed to him at this year’s San Diego Country Fair.

The winning piece, a hall table crafted with local walnut wood from multiple sources, bought from different students that had materials to spare.

It is a three-piece table created with modern shapes, a tapered obelisk as it’s base met by a cresent-moon-shaped piece that finally cradles the smoothe thinly tapered table top.

This prestegius award is not Stammerjohn’s first. He also had won an honorable mention and Finishing Award at the San Diego Country fair in 2004. He has also received several awards at the Orange County Fair.

Woodworking was more of a hobby to Stammerjohn, who left his career as an aerospace engineer to persue a brief career in teaching mathematics, before teaching woodworking.

“I realized after teaching math at the middle school level for a year, it wasn’t my thing. I have always been doing woodwork ever since I was a kid. I took some classes and started manufacturing custom furniture. Then I started teaching part-time then moved into full-time here at Cerritos College.”

Unfortunately, Stammerjohn doesn’t have the time to create such pieces for the general public.

This award-winning piece and other masterful creations can be seen on his Web site.