Jordan Kountz CA ’25

“What it takes to build a house from the ground up”

Carpentry ’25
Age 32
Chelsea, Massachusetts

Jordan served in the U.S. Marine Corps, driving trucks for four years. After the service, she continued to drive as a civilian. Self-described “nomads,” Jordan and her wife had a blast taking their young son adventuring cross-country on the road, but eventually were drawn to settle in Maine, where they purchased an older home. Facing renovations, Jordan decided to learn the carpentry trade for herself, and found a new career and passion.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself—how old you are and where you’re from?

I just turned 32, and I was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona.

What were you doing before NBSS, and what inspired the change?

I joined the U.S. Marine Corps right out of high school and was a truck driver in the Marines. I did that for four years, and then I continued to drive trucks as a civilian. I loved being on the road. 

As soon as my son turned one, I was lucky enough to find a company that let me bring my wife and son with me, and we went cross-country together as a family for a year and a half. It was an absolute ball. My wife and I are both nomad types. My son has been to more states than most adults! Eventually, we decided to invest in a property in Maine, where my wife was born and raised. The house we bought needed work, and I thought, ‘Why don’t we stop paying a middleman to do these renovations, and I can learn to do it myself?’

When/how did you discover your discipline/field?

My uncle-in-law, Jeff, has been a carpenter for 40 years. When I saw his workshop, and the Plimoth Grist Mill, which he built, I decided to take a leap of faith. Knowing somebody who had made this his career made it feel a lot more possible, more tangible, and a lot more within my reach.

Why did you choose to invest in training for a new career?

When you search for a school to learn carpentry, you learn pretty quickly that they are few and far between. The more I searched, the more the North Bennet Carpentry program came up. When I brought the school up to my uncle-in-law, he knew North Bennet, and mentioned that one of their teachers worked on the Notre Dame restoration. 

Plus, I knew they accepted the G.I. Bill®, and many other veteran students passed through the School. That sealed the deal.

In what ways have you felt supported during your time at NBSS?

In addition to accepting the G.I. Bill, the School awarded me a scholarship. The other huge support has been the networks—the School introduces us to so many builders in the area willing to take on students from North Bennet. That speaks volumes. Here are all of these fabulous companies that have great reputations in the area and treat their employees well. Other students are already working there and have been with them long-term. It’s great to have all of these resources available to you. You feel confident knowing that not only will you have a place to go, but when you get there, you’ll meet their standards.

How do you feel at the end of a full day in the shop today compared to before NBSS?

It’s nice to be doing something physical. Driving a truck, I was sitting for 11 hours, driving 500 miles a day, sometimes waiting at shippers overnight. It’s great to work outdoors and stay active. I got used to doing a lot of physical labor in the military, and I’ve realized I need that at the end of the day. Carpentry is also more of a mental challenge. It’s challenging, in a good way. You get to see what you’re made of.

What’s next for you?

I was accepted into the Preservation Carpentry program, so I’m continuing on at North Bennet! I’m looking forward to coming back next year and seeing the same faces. This summer, I’ll be working on our house in Maine—plastering and flooring.

If you could sum up your NBSS experience in one word or phrase, what would it be—and why?

Well-rounded. We learn a bit of everything, including what it takes to build a house from the ground up. Because you get a taste of everything, you’re able to figure out fairly quickly what you like and what you don’t like, which allows you to figure out what you want to specialize in—that’s super helpful.

What’s one of your favorite places in or around Boston?

I love taking my son to the Museum of Science. He loves it there! It’s great for children and adults alike.

What’s your favorite tool or technique you’ve learned to use?

The handheld router. You can frame an entire wall and sheet it, cut out windows, and make stairs. It’s like using a cookie cutter. It’s fantastic.

What’s your favorite thing you’ve made during your time at NBSS?

For our second group project, we built an insulated chicken coop for a client. We installed pine walls and a pine floor, nesting boxes, access doors to collect eggs, and a little chicken door for the chickens to go in and out. It was a lot of details, but it was well worth it to take a picture next to the finished project and know that before, there was once nothing. And now, there’s this big structure that we all built together.

This story is from our Summer 2025 issue of Benchmarks magazine. View more issues.