mobanmarketGOSHEN, NY — Jack Mohan of Port Jervis won a Brick Factor Model Builder competition at LEGOLAND New York, edging out six other finalists to be selected on-site by a panel of LEGOLAND Resorts judges as the Orange County resort’s new Master Builder.
Mohan will assist designing, building, and installing the more than 15,000 LEGO® models made from more than 30 million bricks at LEGOLAND New York working out of the Park’s new Model Builder Experience. The first of its kind in North America, Model Builder Experience offers guests an interactive way to get an up-close view of what the Park’s Model Builders work on each day.
“I’ve been building with LEGO bricks since I was three or four years old, and I can’t believe I get to do this for a living now,” said Mohan. “If you were to ask me as a child what my dream job would be, it would be this, so I can’t wait to bring the same joy, creativity and inspiration to LEGOLAND New York’s visitors and meet and learn from other Model Builders on the team.”
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Mohan was selected on Aug. 14. Hundreds of guests came to watch the final “build off” at the Park and children were big contributors during the first part of the competition as they gave their inspiration to the stories each contestant was tasked to build. The top contender out of six finalists was selected on site by a panel of judges from LEGOLAND Resorts across the country.
“The Brick Factor competition brought out the best in our Model Builder finalists, so the decision wasn’t easy. Their skills were put to the test with hands-on tasks showcasing their creativity and imagination,” said LEGOLAND New York Model Shop Manager Erick Spader. “Jack stood out for encapsulating both the skill and knowledge of a model building professional and spirit of play that we aim to deliver to our guests every day. He’ll be a great contributor to the new Model Builder Experience and the whole LEGOLAND New York team.”
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Patch enjoyed a Q&A with Mohan.
Patch: Have you been in LEGO building competitions/events before? When and what were they like?
Mohan: I have never been in a LEGO building competition before and to participate in this one was quite the amazing experience!
Patch: Why did you decide to compete for this position?
Mohan: In 2022, I started working at LEGOLAND New York as a VIP Tour Guide, but I kept an eye on other openings, because the Model Builder job was the one I knew I wanted. When the opportunity finally presented itself, the timing was perfect, and I committed to giving it everything I had.
Patch: How did you prepare for your job “interviews?” What were they like?
Mohan: For my initial interview before the competitions began, I built a Roman centurion out of the LEGO bricks I had on hand. I followed the specifications of Minilanders in the Park to show that I could meet build standards with a limited supply of materials.
To prepare for the competitions, I practiced building various objects and watched YouTube videos to learn advanced techniques. Practice builds included a bald eagle and a corkscrew.
After the semifinals, I took photos of the other entrants’ builds and tried to recreate them at home. It proved quite difficult, and a couple of the models were too intricate to copy with the limited supply of brick I had at home. This gave me a lot of respect for the other contestants and pushed me to practice with basic components.
Patch: Where did you go to high school? Did you go to college?
Mohan: I went to Port Jervis High School as well as Orange/Ulster BOCES for CAD and Mechanical Engineering. I attended college at Suny Orange for Visual Communication and graduated in 2018.
Patch: What is your favorite part of LEGOLAND New York?
Mohan: My favorite part of LEGOLAND New York is MINILAND, specifically seeing the Town of Goshen in LEGO.
Growing up in Orange County, the thought of having an amusement park nearby (let alone a LEGOLAND park) was a seemingly impossible dream. Amusement parks were always something far away and rarely visited, so having a LEGOLAND Resort in Goshen is an amazing show of progress for our region.
Seeing local landmarks represented with care and expert skill in a massive, permanent art installation like MINILAND helps those of us who’ve grown up in the shadow of NYC feel legitimized. I have personal attachments to many of these landmarks: my cousin was married in the First Presbyterian Church, and held her reception at the Harness Racing Museum, both of which are replicated in LEGO in MINILAND.
Patch: If you have kids, nephews, nieces, younger siblings or neighbors in Port Jervis … how do they feel about you getting paid as a Master Builder?
Mohan: I have two nephews who are in LEGOLAND New York’s target demographic, and they were excited to hear that I would be working there as a Model Builder. We have many working artists and engineers in my family, so the boys naturally gravitate toward LEGO to let out their creative impulses. I think the familiarity with one of their favorite toys combined with their uncle’s daily job is a unique feeling. The bricks they play with have more meaning than they did before because Uncle Jack uses them at work now.
Patch: What makes you laugh the most about all this?
Mohan: What makes me laugh the most about all of this is that I now bear a job title that is about as common as “astronaut” and less common than “platinum selling rock star.” That distinction is now etched into a 1×4 LEGO brick that I happily snapped onto my name tag, which is also a LEGO brick.
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