Several years ago, a boy walked into Lowe’s store #2319 in Beech Grove, Indiana to experience his very first DIY kid’s workshop. He was intrigued by the red vest adorned with several badges worn by a kind associate. The variety of badges represented all the different kids’ workshop projects the man had led at the store. From that moment on, the boy came back as often as he could trying to build his own collection of project badges.
That boy is now 27-year-old T.J. Haskett. And he has his own official red vest as an associate at that very same Lowe’s store. Haskett recalls his impression of the man who ran the kid’s workshop.
“I was like, okay, I want to be like that person, be helping out.”
The first step was getting hired as a front-end loader, where Store Manager Pat Waddell speaks highly of Haskett’s work ethic.
“I’ve never seen him in a bad mood, he has a great attitude at all times and it’s contagious,” Waddell brags.
The next step? Assigning a captain of the DIY-U Kids’ Workshop program when it was relaunched in February of 2020. When Waddell learned of Haskett’s longtime involvement in the program when he was young, it made his choice even easier.
“It was only natural that we gave him [Haskett] the captainship of the kids’ workshop.”
Finally, he had come full circle. Starting as a child who was so impressed with the associate leading the workshop to becoming the man wearing the vest with all the badges himself. A vest, and a role, Haskett wears with pride.
“Even if I retire from Lowe’s, I would still do it for fun,” he said. “Helping out, that’s all that matters.”
Haskett’s experiences with different projects also sparked his own passion for woodworking. Through his new hobby, he’s made everything from benches to board games. Haskett often puts those projects on display during the workshops so kids can see his accomplishments and badges and be inspired to chase their own passions, too.
Learn more about Kid’s Workshops happening every month at your local Lowe’s.
