High school shop class building rocking chair for Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor

HERRIMAN — A visit from a U.S. Supreme Court justice to a Herriman high school has turned into an unforgettable project for a shop teacher and his student woodworkers.

When Justice Sonia Sotomayor visited the Jordan School District in September, she spotted a patriotic rocking chair displayed at Mountain Ridge High School. She liked it so much, she asked if she could have one of her own.

Now, the shop teacher and his students are building a custom "We the People" rocking chair that will eventually make its way to Washington, D.C.

The project is taking shape inside the woodworking shop at Mountain Ridge High School, a class students enjoy showing to.

Senior Morgan Burke has always enjoyed working with her hands, but she never imagined one of her creations would be headed to a member of the nation's highest court.

"Wow! That's crazy. I didn't know I was going to do that," she said.

The story began about two years ago when shop teacher Steven Tanner built a patriotic rocking chair featuring the phrase "We the People" carved into the top.

When Sotomayor visited the Jordan School District in September, the chair was placed in her green room.

To Tanner's surprise, Sotomayor commented about how much she like the chair.

"I was almost embarrassed that that was the one she really, really liked," Tanner said. "So I offered to build her a really quality chair."

Tanner said the opportunity is both humbling and exciting.

"It's a little overwhelming," he said.

And it's not something he ever expected when he started teaching woodworking.

"I would have never dreamt of having an opportunity that somebody from Washington would see any of my products," Tanner said. "To have my students be able to build parts of it ... it's an honor. It's an overwhelming honor."

Now Tanner and his students are building a new and improved version of the red, white and blue rocking chair from scratch.

"We're going to use a combination of white oak and maple," said Tanner. "I want a chair that's not going to have a problem, ever. I want grandchildren to be able to use this chair, and that's the quality I'm going for."

For the students involved, knowing their work will be used by a U.S. Supreme Court justice adds extra meaning to every cut and every piece assembled.

The goal is to have the chair completed by Thanksgiving. Once finished, it will be shipped to Washington, D.C.

According to the Jordan School District, Sotomayor plans to place the chair outside her chambers, where members of the public will be able to see it and even sit in it.

Related topics