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Youth for the Future: Jonah Sanabria

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Monument Mountain Regional High School student Jonah Sanabria has been selected as our March Youth for the Future.

Youth for the Future is a 12-month series that honors young individuals that have made an impact on their community. This year's sponsor is Patriot Car Wash. Nominate a youth here. 

The 15-year-old Jonah was recently honored for winning the Congressional App Challenge for the 1st Massachusetts District.

Over the summer, Jonah and his dad, Juan Sanabria, noticed the Congressional App Challenge on his school's website and decided to try it. 

His father said they had been having talks in the family about their recent health visits and it struck a chord with Jonah.

"I , and my wife, have just been sort of dealing with going to the doctor more, and trying to kind of retain everything, and also as caregivers of older parents trying to manage and retain their visits as well. Manage and retain our kids visits as well," Juan Sanabria said. "And so I think we've been kind of talking about what's the best way to do it? Should you just have a lot of notes, and how can you kind of advocate for yourself and for the ones that you take care of.

"So I think sitting around as a family, and we talk about these issues, and we talk about what AI is potentially capable of. And so this was sort of an ongoing dialog with no clear solution."

Jonah said his app, Health Advocate, addresses the issue of patients having unanswered questions.

"Sometimes when people go to the doctor, they have questions that they want to ask, but just because of the environment, they don't end up asking those questions mostly because they're feeling things like stress or anxiety or other things," he said. "So the app makes sure that you ask those questions, and it also allows you to get a better understanding of your appointment after your appointment, so you can really leave your appointment with a good understanding."

His father helped Jonah develop the concept and he said they had a great time doing it together.

"We took a look at what was required for the app challenge and what was needed, and it was just most important thing we focused on was clear ideas and put something together that has really clear purpose and clear idea," said Sanabria. "I was an adviser, and Jonah is very independent and motivated to do his stuff, so it's always fun to work with him."

In January, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal visited his school to award him his certificate for winning the challenge. His friends and family were in attendance.

"It was such an honor. It was really cool to meet Congressman Richard Neal, and I think a lot of my peers and teachers were, and especially my family were really proud of me, so that was really nice," Jonah said.

His father said he admires his son for taking the time to think about the challenges people may face and contribute to those around him.

"I'm a little biased, I'm his dad so I think the world of him, and I think the concept is really important for when a high school student or young people can start thinking about the outside world and what's going on. What are issues? What are people challenged with?" he said. "And so I really admire Jonah for taking on and being part of that discussion and trying to make a contribution. It's a contribution that, however small, can really grow.

"Here in the Berkshires, there's not a lot of people, but a lot of the people that are here deal with the same issues that people deal with everywhere. And I hope that this project will grow legs and that Jonah will be recognized for his contribution of it."

Not only is Jonah busy in school and with the app, but he also has been a ski instructor and member of the ski team, and is on the ultimate Frisbee team as well. He also has his own business, selling cotton candy at events including birthday parties. His business is called Local Fluff, which you can find on Instagram.

Jonah said that although the app is not currently working, he plans to finish it and make it available. 

"We're looking to release the app soon, and hopefully it's able to make a large positive impact in the health-care industry and really help a lot of people," he said.

Sheffield Craftsman Offering Workshops on Windsor Chairs

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
10:30AM / Sunday, March 29, 2026

Andrew Jack uses hand tools in his wood working shop. 

SHEFFIELD, Mass. — A new workshop is bringing woodworking classes and handmade items.

Andrew Jack specializes in Windsor chairs and has been making them for almost 20 years.

He recently opened a workshop at 292 South Main St. as a space for people to see his work and learn how to do it.

"This is sort of the next, or latest iteration of a business that I've kind of been limping along for a little while," he said. "I make Windsor chairs from scratch, and this is an effort to have a little bit more of a public-facing space, where people can see the chairs, talk about options, talking about commissions.

"I also am using it as a space to teach workshops, which for the last 10 years or so I've been trying to do out of my own personal workshop at home."

Jack graduated in 2008 from State University of New York at Purchase, and later met woodworker Curtis Buchanan, who inspired him.

"Right after I finished there, I was feeling a little lost. I wasn't sure how to make the next steps and afford a workspace. And the machine tooling that I was used to using in school." he said, "Right after I graduated, I crossed paths with a guy named Curtis Buchanan, and he was demonstrating making really refined Windsor chairs with not much more than some some flea market tools, and I saw that as a great, low overhead way to keep working with wood."

Jack moved into his workshop last month with help from his wife. He is renting the space from the owners of Magic Flute, who he says have been wonderful to work with.

"My wife actually noticed the 'for rent' sign out by the road, and she made the initial call to just see if we get some more information," he said. "It wasn't on my radar, because it felt like kind of a big leap, and sometimes that's how it's been in my life, where I just need other people to believe in me more than I do to, you know, really pull the trigger."

Jack does commissions and while most of his work is Windsor chairs, he also builds desks and tables, and does spoon carving. 

Windsor chairs are different because of the way their backs are attached into the seat instead of being a continuous leg and back frame.

"A lot of the designs that I make are on the traditional side, but I do some contemporary stuff as well. And so usually the legs are turned on a lathe and they have sort of a fancy baluster look to them, or they could be much more simple," he said. "But the solid seat that separates the undercarriage from the backrest and the arms and stuff is sort of one of the defining characteristics of a Windsor."

He hopes to help people learn the craft and says it's rewarding to see the finished product. In the future, he also hopes to host other instructors and add more designs for the workshop.

"The prime impact for the workshops is to give close instruction to people that are interested in working wood with hand tools or developing a new skill. Or seeing what's possible with proper guidance," Jack said. "Chairs are often considered some of the more difficult or complex woodworking endeavors, and maybe less so Windsor chairs, but there is a lot that goes into them, and being able to kind of demystify that, or guide people through the process is quite rewarding."

People can sign up for classes on his website; some classes are over a couple and others a couple of weekends.

"I offer a three-day class for, a much, much more simple, like perch, kind of stool, where most of the parts are kind of pre-made, and students can focus on the joinery that goes into it and the carving of the seat, again, all with hand tools. And then students will leave with their own chair," he said.

"The longer classes run similarly, although there's quite a bit more labor that goes into those. So I provide all the turned parts, legs and stretchers and posts and things, but students will do all the joinery and all the seat carving the assembly. And they'll split and shave and shape their own spindles, and any of the bent parts that go into the chair."

His gallery is open Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m to 2 p.m., and Monday and Tuesday by appointment.