Lego Master, IT Manager is Always Building Something
NHA Communications TeamNHA Communications Team
Articles by NHA Communications Team
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Published: Sep 18, 2024
A builder’s mindset is inherent in Philip Straatsma, whether it’s setting up wireless networks that schools rely on every day or constructing massive, intricate creations made up of thousands of interlocking plastic bricks.
Straatsma, a manager of IT operations, and his infrastructure team are responsible for the roads and the buildings of data for each National Heritage Academies school and the Service Center. That includes internal data storage, web servers, Wi-Fi connection, systems upgrades, and maintaining bandwidth.
Away from the job, Straatsma does a different kind of building than more people have done. He and his wife Maria, a former receptionist at the Service Center, are Lego masters in every sense of the meaning. They have an estimated 2 million Lego bricks in their home, have created elaborate set pieces, and competed on the Fox reality show, “Lego Masters.”
The Straatsmas were tasked with building parade floats, hats, and vehicles on “Lego Masters.”
“Building new things is always fun,” he said. “I would much rather put things together than take things apart.”
Building Essentials
When Straatsma started at NHA 11 years ago, schools had desktop computers and computer labs that were used periodically. Now, there’s more than 70,000 Chromebooks company-wide, and all of them must get on the network.
“When I first started, we used to say the network is there to supplement education,” he said. “Nowadays, it’s required.”
Straatsma said there’s a level of immediacy to working in IT that he and his team enjoy. They update systems quite a bit, something that can’t be done by staff onsite. And they install network components as sort of a “final step” before a new school opens.
“For us, it feels like that last step to having a building be full featured,” he said. “Prior to that point, things like electricity and plumbing are all functional, and then we come in and put the last polish on.”
Brick by Brick
Straatsma’s builder mentality was evident as a kid when he would constantly put together Lego creations. He stopped during high school, but when he and Maria moved into a new condo while expecting their first child, his parents dropped off the Legos he had been holding on to for kids to play with.
He dug into the box and rebuilt some of the creations from years ago, and his interest in Lego was reinvigorated. He later discovered Lego conventions such as Brickworld, got nominated for a few builds, and progressively expanded with each creation.
One such build, a massive replica of the HGTV Dream Home of that year that served as a dollhouse for his daughter, drew some eyeballs when Maria posted a picture of it on Instagram. The Straatsmas received a message from a casting agent for the first season of “Lego Masters,” but being an IT professional, Philip thought it was a phishing scam. Once the call was verified, they didn’t make it on the first season, but were asked again for season 2 and found themselves competing against other builders in front host Will Arnett and the judges in Atlanta.
The Straatsmas finished in seventh out of 12 teams and made it seven episodes. It was a memorable experience for Philip and Maria, who knew some of the contestants from the Lego community prior to being on the show and kept the competition friendly. They also got to chat with Arnett, who welcomed hearing impersonations of his distinct voice and lines from “Arrested Development.”
Straatsma’s favorite builds include a fall festival display, an RC car, and a forced perspective scene of a downtown market in a medieval village, the latter being the first he collaborated on with his wife. It’s no surprise their kids have become builders themselves with the basement dedicated to the family’s Lego collection at their disposal.
“My daughter and I have started building together as a way for us to bond,” he said. “Her skills are beyond when I was her age.”
Keep up the excellent work, Mr. Straatsma!
About National Heritage Academies:
National Heritage Academies (NHA) is a network of over 100 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
Straatsma, a manager of IT operations, and his infrastructure team are responsible for the roads and the buildings of data for each National Heritage Academies school and the Service Center. That includes internal data storage, web servers, Wi-Fi connection, systems upgrades, and maintaining bandwidth.
Away from the job, Straatsma does a different kind of building than more people have done. He and his wife Maria, a former receptionist at the Service Center, are Lego masters in every sense of the meaning. They have an estimated 2 million Lego bricks in their home, have created elaborate set pieces, and competed on the Fox reality show, “Lego Masters.”
The Straatsmas were tasked with building parade floats, hats, and vehicles on “Lego Masters.”
“Building new things is always fun,” he said. “I would much rather put things together than take things apart.”
Building Essentials
When Straatsma started at NHA 11 years ago, schools had desktop computers and computer labs that were used periodically. Now, there’s more than 70,000 Chromebooks company-wide, and all of them must get on the network.
“When I first started, we used to say the network is there to supplement education,” he said. “Nowadays, it’s required.”
Straatsma said there’s a level of immediacy to working in IT that he and his team enjoy. They update systems quite a bit, something that can’t be done by staff onsite. And they install network components as sort of a “final step” before a new school opens.
“For us, it feels like that last step to having a building be full featured,” he said. “Prior to that point, things like electricity and plumbing are all functional, and then we come in and put the last polish on.”
Brick by Brick
Straatsma’s builder mentality was evident as a kid when he would constantly put together Lego creations. He stopped during high school, but when he and Maria moved into a new condo while expecting their first child, his parents dropped off the Legos he had been holding on to for kids to play with.
He dug into the box and rebuilt some of the creations from years ago, and his interest in Lego was reinvigorated. He later discovered Lego conventions such as Brickworld, got nominated for a few builds, and progressively expanded with each creation.
Philip and Maria Straatsma take part in Lego events such as Brickworld Chicago.
One such build, a massive replica of the HGTV Dream Home of that year that served as a dollhouse for his daughter, drew some eyeballs when Maria posted a picture of it on Instagram. The Straatsmas received a message from a casting agent for the first season of “Lego Masters,” but being an IT professional, Philip thought it was a phishing scam. Once the call was verified, they didn’t make it on the first season, but were asked again for season 2 and found themselves competing against other builders in front host Will Arnett and the judges in Atlanta.
The Straatsmas finished in seventh out of 12 teams and made it seven episodes. It was a memorable experience for Philip and Maria, who knew some of the contestants from the Lego community prior to being on the show and kept the competition friendly. They also got to chat with Arnett, who welcomed hearing impersonations of his distinct voice and lines from “Arrested Development.”
The Straatsmas came in seventh place on season 2 of “Lego Masters.”
“It was fun to be behind the scenes and see how shows are made,” he said. “A lot of it’s what you make out of it.”Straatsma’s favorite builds include a fall festival display, an RC car, and a forced perspective scene of a downtown market in a medieval village, the latter being the first he collaborated on with his wife. It’s no surprise their kids have become builders themselves with the basement dedicated to the family’s Lego collection at their disposal.
“My daughter and I have started building together as a way for us to bond,” he said. “Her skills are beyond when I was her age.”
Keep up the excellent work, Mr. Straatsma!
About National Heritage Academies:
National Heritage Academies (NHA) is a network of over 100 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.