For many children, playing with LEGOs is a way to pass time and keep themselves entertained. But, for Cardozo freshman Daniel Carrera, LEGOs have a much more profound meaning.
Ever since Carrera was 2-years-old, he has always wanted to use his creative mind with LEGOs to build something extravagant. His love for LEGOs has only grown over the years, earning him the title of New York’s Mini Master Model Builder three separate times, which officially makes him a Lego Master. He was also named one of the first North American Mini Master Model Builders. He works often with various LEGO spaces in New York, including LEGOLAND, one of the company’s iconic amusement parks.
Carrera’s latest creation, which was inspired by New York, was displayed at the LEGO House in Denmark, where he was up for the title of Global Master Builder. This achievement is only made by the most imaginative and creative minds, and this inspiring opportunity highlights his creative and spectacular mind.
“I’ve been building with LEGO since I was two years old,” Carrera said. “My love for LEGO really comes from the support of my parents and how fun it is. I realized it was more than just a hobby when other people started noticing my creations.”
Carrera’s latest achievement, having his work shown at the LEGO House in Denmark, is an accomplishment not lost on him. “I got to show and use my creativity to its fullest,” he explained. “It really pushed me to use all of my skills as a builder.”
When it comes to building, the idea of creating new models depends on his mood and the type of day, and this leads him to experiment with different types of LEGO sets. This allows him to use his creativity to make the best out of every set he builds. “Sometimes I just mess around with unique pieces and come up with something,” he said. “Other times, I’ll get random ideas or try to recreate something I’ve seen before, like something from a video game. If I plan it out, I’ll sketch it first before building.”
Being up for the title of Global Master Builder was an achievement, but also a dream come true for Carrera, which highlights his hard work and effort. “It was such an amazing experience for me and my family,” he said. “It isn’t an easy thing to accomplish, even for adults. We’re planning to go to Denmark soon to see the model in person.”
Besides his spectacular achievements and success with LEGO, Carrera is still a typical high school student. Some hobbies that he enjoys are drawing, playing video games, watching movies, and listening to music. When it comes to Cardozo, he really enjoys the classes he has taken so far, specifically Korean and Computer Science. His most memorable memory he has made this year as a freshman is when there were students who came from Korea to visit Cardozo. He had the chance to converse with the students and had traditional snacks and tea with them, which was a memorable experience for him.
The challenges of school, competitions, and creative projects can be overwhelming for the 9th grader, but Carrera has learned to effectively manage his time so he can be sufficient with each task. “I try to get my homework done at school so I have more time at home for building,” he explained. “If I can, I’ll even do assignments ahead of time.”
When looking ahead to the future, Carrera wants to continue his passion for creative design. “In the future, I see myself working with LEGO, maybe in designing or something similar,” he said. “I’m also interested in architecture or digital engineering.”
Throughout his experience of his LEGO journey, Carrera has learned a lot of lessons that have more of an impact than just building LEGO’s.“Time management and not giving up are the biggest ones,” he said. “There have been times when my ideas didn’t work out, but I’d take everything apart and start again until I was happy with it. That’s something I’ve carried with me in school and in life to never give up after just one try.”
Looking in depth at his journey, he has learned to be persistent in his building and to incorporate this in his life by going after his goals and to staying determined in all aspects of his life.
