Hey everyone, my name is Pacey Berken. I was born and raised in Appleton, Wisconsin, and I’m a professional woodworker. I graduated from Appleton North High School in 2020, and went on to earn a diploma in Woodworking Technology from Fox Valley Technical College in 2022.

I’ve been working with my hands most of my life, but picked up woodworking almost 4 years ago now. Because of that decision in high school to take a woodshop class, I’ve went on to discover a love for the craft. The passion really blossomed after working at my local Woodcraft, and from graduating from the Woodworking Technology program at FVTC where I learned a vast amount of my knowledge.

My college instructors Mark Lorge and Glenn Koerner recognized my final project and recommended I submit it to the AWFS Freshwood student competition. 142 students from The USA and Canada submitted their projects to the fair, and a lucky 40 students were accepted. I was one of the lucky few that received a golden ticket to the chocolate factory. I walked away from the experience with great memories, great contacts, eye-opening lessons learned, and a second place win in my category.

I look forward to using my knowledge and experience gained from the past 4 years towards my future career in the field of woodworking.