Why I Left Princeton University After 11 Years

Early in my carpentry career at Princeton University, around age 18 or 19. I could not have known then how much the next 11 years would shape the craftsman—and the man—I would become.

After 11 years, I recently resigned from my position as a journeyman carpenter at Princeton University.

That is a strange sentence to write.

Princeton was much more than a job to me. It was where I completed my apprenticeship, developed my skills, built lasting friendships, and grew from a young carpenter into the craftsman and man I am today. I spent a significant part of my adult life there, and for a long time, I assumed I would remain there for the rest of my career.

Life had other plans.

Over the past few years, nearly every part of my life changed. Three weeks before my son, Owen, was born, I lost my father. I then became a new parent while trying to understand that loss and adjust to an entirely new season of life.

Then, in early 2026, my wife, Kelley, died suddenly.

In an instant, I became a widower and the only parent to our little boy.

There are experiences that divide your life into a before and an after. Losing Kelley was one of them. The plans we had made, the responsibilities we shared, and the future I believed we were building together all changed at once.

For most of my life, I believed that if I worked hard enough, planned carefully enough, and remained dependable, I could keep life moving in the right direction. I still believe deeply in preparation and hard work—but loss taught me that some things are beyond our ability to control.

What we can control is how we respond.

In the months after Kelley died, I had to learn how to grieve while raising Owen, protecting our home, managing our finances, and trying to imagine a future that looked completely different from the one I had expected. I had to determine not only how we would survive, but what kind of life I wanted to build for my son and myself.

Eventually, I realized that returning to my old life simply because it was familiar would not make it the right life for us now.

Leaving Princeton was not a decision I made out of anger or dissatisfaction. My supervisors treated me with understanding and respect during the most difficult period of my life. When I resigned, they told me the door would always be open. One of them told me that I did not need luck because he knew what I was capable of.

I will always remember that.

But I also knew it was time to bet on myself.

For years, I had been building Scrape Construction alongside my career at Princeton. What began as side work gradually became something more substantial: an opportunity to build a company around the standards I believe in—careful planning, honest communication, fine craftsmanship, and respect for the homes and businesses where I work.

Running a construction company full-time carries uncertainty. There is no guaranteed paycheck, no perfectly predictable schedule, and no organization behind me absorbing the risk. Every estimate, project, decision, and reputation ultimately rests on my shoulders.

That responsibility is intimidating, but it is also freeing.

Self-employment gives me the ability to choose my direction, take pride in work that bears my name, and create greater flexibility for Owen. That flexibility matters more to me now than it ever could have before. I want to build a successful business, but I also want to be present for my son. I want him to grow up knowing that strength is not just about enduring difficult circumstances. Sometimes strength means having the courage to rebuild your life when the original plans are no longer possible.

I did not leave Princeton because those 11 years meant nothing. I left because they meant enough to prepare me for what comes next.

The training, friendships, discipline, and experience I gained there will remain part of every project I complete through Scrape Construction. Leaving does not erase that history. It carries it forward in a different form.

There is a temptation after loss to hold tightly to anything that still feels familiar. Familiarity can feel like safety. But I have learned that moving forward does not mean forgetting the people or places that helped shape us.

Letting go is not forgetting.

I will always be grateful for my years at Princeton. I am proud that I earned my place there, completed my apprenticeship, and became a journeyman carpenter. I am grateful to the people who taught me, worked beside me, supported me, and believed in me when I finally decided to leave.

Now I am building something of my own.

I do not know exactly where Scrape Construction will take us. That uncertainty is real. So is the pressure of supporting a family and raising a child on my own. But for the first time in a long time, the direction of my professional life feels entirely mine.

I cannot control everything that happens to Owen and me. Life has made that painfully clear.

But I can control what I build from here.

And I intend to build something that would make Kelley proud.

Today, I bring the skills and standards I developed throughout my career to every Scrape Construction project. We provide custom carpentry, renovations, built-ins, and home repairs throughout Somerset County, Hunterdon County, and the surrounding Central New Jersey area. If you are looking for a carpenter who values thoughtful planning, clear communication, and lasting workmanship, I would be honored to discuss your project.