Name: Jon Rapisura
Age: 17
School: Mililani High School
Pastimes: Going to movies
Future: Contractor, engineer or teacher

A computer desk, office drawers and a drawing desk are just some of things he has built.

"There is always a person who's going to work in an office, but who's going to build that office?" says the 17-year-old who recently graduated from Mililani High School.

Rapisura has placed in state and national Vocational Industrial Clubs of America carpentry contests since his sophomore year.

In the national finals in Missouri this year, Rapisura competed with the 50 best students in the country to build a small-scale house within a 61/2-hour time limit.

Woods technology teacher Darrell Ota introduced Rapisura to the trade as a freshman and says he has grown into a meticulous, talented young man.

"In every teacher's career, there's going to be one student that really shines. Once in 20 years you're going to meet a student like Jon," Ota says. "This is my 20th year (of teaching) - he's my student."

Rapisura plans to take carpentry courses at Honolulu Community College before studying business or education at the University of Hawaii.

The son of Merri and Michael Rapisura of Mililani won the Sterling Scholar award for industrial arts and scholarships from the All-American Vocational Student Awards, the Lions Club and the school's parent teacher student organization this year.