On May 3, 2023, I got the opportunity, alongside Jerry Orr, trade and industry coordinator, Hawkeye Technical Community College, to team up with the Floor Covering Education Foundation (FCEF) to demonstrate seaming carpet at an annual career fair in Waterloo, Iowa. High school juniors and seniors within the Waterloo school district, who had been enrolled in tech classes throughout the year, were given the opportunity to attend the career fair.
We set up modules where the students could practice putting together a seam. Over 60 students accepted the challenge to construct a carpet seam. There was great participation between both male and female students. Students naturally became competitive with their peers on who could construct the best-looking seam.