Ty Pennington

'Carpenter' should never be the first word that comes to mind when the name Ty Pennington is heard. Peacemaker, caregiver, hard worker and overall...hero would be more appropriate. Born on October 19, 1965 in Atlanta, Georgia; at a young age, Ty proved to be far from ordinary. Growing up in surroundings where family was his most valuable possession, it was his relatives that gave Ty the strength and knowledge to succeed. Throughout his departure at college, fulfillment when moving to L.A. and return through his current work, a true hero who warmed the hearts of society was born.

From the very beginning, it was clear to see that Ty Pennington was not going to be your average worker. Aside from the expected "little boy" behavior and activities, Ty showed unusually strong interest in carpentry at such a young age. When he was growing up and filled with curiosity, Pennington learned woodworking and carpentry from his father. He would tear apart furniture and turn it into toys. (Ty2 np) He had always contained a 'knack' for building to please. As a child he gathered up the neighborhood kids, negotiated pay at 3 comic books per hour, borrowed tools from their parents and constructed a 3-story tree house. (Ty3 np) Hard work and dedication proved to be Ty's strength as he went off to college. Ty entered "Kennesaw College, and at first majored in art and history. He told Alma E of the Atlanta Journal-constitution that carpentry was 'Not something I wanted to do professionally.'" (Ty np) To help Ty afford college expenses, he continued taking random carpentry jobs. He ended up graduating from Kennesaw College with a well-deserved Bachelors degree and followed that by continuing his studies at the Atlanta College of Art. (Ty3 np) With his education at its peak, Ty decided it was time to get out into the real world and find work of interest. Though he grew up in Atlanta, GA and lived there most of his life; Ty and his girlfriend Drea Brock (who also happens to be his manager), moved to Los Angeles so he could pursue his acting career. Soon after arriving to the 'city of opportunity,' Ty landed a job as the head carpenter on TLC's cable TV show Trading Spaces. "When Trading Spaces first aired, no one dreamed of the phenomenon it would help start, nor did anyone expect that one of the shows breakout stars would be a carpenter." (Ty2 np) throughout the departure of Ty Pennington's Heroes Journey, he was simply fulfilling his dreams; knowing little of the truly heroic person he was soon to become.

Additionally, with Ty's career in the making and his dreams rapidly becoming realities, he continued on his path to stardom. As Trading Spaces quickly became one of the most popular shows on television, it seemed as if the newly-discovered carpenter arose along with it. The show was an immediate success and "Pennington was a hit; especially with women. His comedic antics and occasional bare chest quickly made him a star." (Ty np) A reporter once said that "Ty Pennington has parlayed his made-for-TV looks, gift of gab and carpentry knowledge to stardom." (Ty2 np) As Pennington became widely known as the hunky carpenter from Atlanta, he was offered many opportunities to take his acting and soon to be marketing career to the next level. He signed a multiyear contract with the Sears department store chain in 2004 with his manager, and began airing in ads aimed at families. He acts as an ambassador for the Sears American Dream Campaign and has also developed a line of products through Sears (for the home) called 'Ty Pennington sTYle.' (Ty3 np) As Trading Spaces calmed down and Ty was finally getting the hang of his "juggling act" between jobs, he decided to throw another "ball" in there. That's when he signed with ABC to do Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. [Abv. EMHE] EMHE was a show where a "well deserving family would have their home renovated, and in some cases rebuilt, for free." (Ty2 np) EMHE became a popular show, one that continued to grow in popularity. Applications to be on the show come by the thousands each week and fans line up for hours at shoots waiting to catch a glimpse of the star. (Ty np) "In the middle of the second season of EMHE, Pennington had needed an emergency appendectomy. Not one to shrink his duties, he had the surgery,