A special treat for kindergarten students at Crossroads
Christian School
For Wendy Goris, life has always been a world full of imagination. From the time she was 7 she was fascinated with building complex architecture out of LEGOs.
“My grandmother gave me my first set of LEGOs when I was 7 and I have loved building things ever since,” said Goris, a kindergarten teacher at Crossroads Christian School in Morgan Hill.
Her creations range from the Golden Gate Bridge to the World Trade Center, and although much smaller in stature, they closely resemble the real thing. Her depiction of the twin towers stood 5 feet tall and was complete with functioning elevators that traveled the length of the building.
“All of my things have a function,” says Wendy.
Whether it is piano keys, bridges, doors or pedals that her project encompasses, Goris never declares a project finished until it is fully functional. What is so unique about her work is that she uses nothing more than a keen sets of eyes to create all her projects.
Wendy’s larger creations include a paddle boat with working paddles, three large castles with functioning doors and draw bridge, a grand piano with working keys and pedals, an airport and a battery-operated Star Wars battleship complete with lights.
Her larger creations began to take place in high school, where Wendy began to display some of her work. But it was the ideas she came up with in college that made Wendy aware of her talent.
“I guess it was in college when I really started to get responses from people about it,” said Wendy smiling. “I built a huge castle that took me about three or four months to finish. The reward was really much greater than the time and frustration for me.”
Wendy’s talent has been recognized by many members of the community, including her good friend who used to work at the Toy Patch in Gilroy. She and Wendy frequently held LEGO contests and displayed their work in the window for customers and people passing by to admire. She recently had an exhibit at the Gilroy Presbyterian Church and just finished a 3-foot by 4-foot medieval castle, which was displayed at the Morgan Hill school on Wright Avenue.
“Kids love to learn through LEGOs,” said Goris, “I don’t mind sharing my talent with others if they want to use it for learning. It’s a lot of fun.”
Born and raised in Gilroy, Wendy began saving all her money to buy LEGOs when she was in grade school. It is something that she still manages to fit into her budget.
“I would say I’ve spent about $10,000 to $15,000 on LEGOs over the years,” said Wendy.
She considers herself a true collector and does not regret her spending.
“I have millions of LEGOs,” she said laughing. “I own every set since 1969.”
She admits that her hobby takes a lot of her time and money but is not one she plans to give up.
“My husband, Curt, likes when I’m done with my projects,” she said. “He’s happy I do it though, rather than watch TV.”
Another person in the family that enjoys her hobby is Wendy’s 9-year-old son, Trent, who gets to play with all his mother’s projects.
“It really is my outlet,” Goris said. “It’s a way I can relax; just sit in a room and build. It feels good.”
The main reason that Wendy builds though is because of the inspiration her kindergartners give her.
“The reward of seeing the kids smile is much more,” she said. “Then they play with it and it’s all gone in few minutes. But it’s worth it. The biggest payoff is their enjoyment.”
