LEGO Build Determination: The 2025 LEGO Fun Fair inspires creativity and hope, regardless of ability

Master Model Builder is what LEGO architects at LEGOLAND are named; they are the artists and engineers who create life-size LEGO structures across each LEGOLAND Discovery Center.

A student named Valentin at this year’s LEGO Fun Fair expressed interest in being a Master Model Builder. Valentin voiced his thoughts about this goal to his mother, “Mom, I want to do that. I would love to work for LEGOLAND, but because I am in special education, I won’t be able to do that.”

This may be a common feeling for some students in special education, but Valentin’s mother reassured him, “Yes, you have difficulty learning, but you can do anything–everything you might have in your heart.”

For Valentin and the 60 students participating in the 3rd Annual LEGO Fun Fair, hosted on Saturday, October 4, by the Special Education Unit at the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE), the message was that no matter their disabilities, they have the potential to do great things.

Valentin is a student at Beaumont High School who attended this year’s LEGO Fun Fair event. This year’s event was an opportunity to showcase his ability as a builder. Valentin enjoys building LEGO Technic sets, such as the Bugatti and Lamborghini boxes, without instructions.

His mother, Patricia, told him, “Son, you are good at those things [building LEGO], you’ve got to focus on them.” But why did his mother push him to focus on building LEGOs?

She correlated the experience of Thomas Edison, an inventor who had disabilities, with her son, because despite Edison’s troubles and what his contemporaries said about him, his invention of the light bulb was adopted worldwide. She used this example to fuel Valentin’s determination to never give up on his goals, because regardless of what challenges he faces, he can accomplish anything.

Patricia expressed her gratitude to RCOE for hosting this event.

“They did a wonderful job bringing the non-profit organizations and the community together,” Patricia said. “Especially nowadays, with the realities of finances, not everyone can afford them [LEGO sets].”

The LEGO Fun Fair was not just an event to play with LEGO. It’s a place of belonging and creativity. The presence of the many volunteers, mentors, and other students was an indication of their support.

One parent told her student, “When you have people supporting us, we can do a lot of things, we can go far into the future.”