Mr. Leeper is one of those special life-changing teachers. A successful skateboard company, Ladera Longboards, came out of his class over a decade ago:

Web Link

It's a shame that classes such as woodworking have received an undeserved stigma. Never mind that skills acquired in these classes often lead to rewarding careers -- the fact that a high school student has learned how to work with wood and other materials will pay off later in life, when it comes time to do remodeling work in a house that isn't necessarily "pristine"...

(Of course, there are other examples. Other commenters are welcome to fill in the gaps.)