SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Woodwork Institute’s C.E. Bernhauer Jr. Scholarship Foundation awarded scholarships to these three outstanding students. Each of the scholarship recipients plans to attend college programs that would prepare them for careers in the architectural woodworking industry.

The three winners include:

Christian Herman

Christian Herman is a student from Paola, Kansas. Who will attend Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, to pursue a degree in Wood Product Manufacturing. He has been a member of the National Honor Society from 2022-2024 as well as a member of SkillsUSA and the FFA. Herman started a company in 2020 that creates woodworking projects, laser engraving and welding. In the last year, he has balanced these endeavors while adding employment at a local ranch. Herman plans to expand his company into a larger woodworking shop while he completes his college degree.

Elliott Naura

Elliott Natura is a student from Park Ridge, Illinois, who will begin pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor this year. He plans to focus on sustainability within the practice of residential architecture, after a career introduction program through UC Berkeley.  Natura has taken leadership positions within high school clubs while being actively involved on the tennis team and as a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo.  He has been successful in his educational and personal pursuits while taking employment positions whenever possible.

Linnea Carlson

Linnea Carlson is a student from Houston attending the American College of the Building Arts in Charleston, South Carolina.  She is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in architectural carpentry and plans to work in historic preservation. Carlson completed an internship through the Manassas National Battlefield under the Traditional Trades Apprenticeship Program where she focused on historic preservation projects in historic homes.  She has also completed an apprenticeship with the Black Creek Workshop in Toano, Virginia, in historic preservation and with the Architects of the Capitol, in Washington DC, which preserves and maintains the historic buildings, monuments, art and gardens on the Capitol campus.

Woodwork Institute C.E. Bernhauer Jr. Scholarships are open to individuals interested in pursuing or furthering a career in the architectural millwork industry. Application may be made by students entering or continuing enrollment in a university, state or private college, community college, or trade school, or from individuals already working in the industry.

To qualify applicants must:

• Be in their senior year of high school, or
• Be employed and maintain employment during the educational period, or
• Be currently enrolled in a state college/university, private or community college, or a trade school.

The deadline of submitting applications for the 2025 scholarship awards is May 1, 2025.

Learn more.