Stoneham Woman Survives First Round of Cuts on HGTV's 'All American Handyman'

Stoneham resident Allison Oropallo survived her first week on HGTV’s "All American Handyman."

Oropallo, an applied technology teacher at  in Arlington, is one of the remaining 14 contestants on the television show that airs at 9 p.m. for six more Sundays on HGTV. Oropallo was of 3,000 contestants nationwide.

"I was definitely nervous," the teacher confessed during the show.

During the second challenge of the reality show, to build a gate from scratch, Oropallo was praised by judge Mike Holmes, who said her design was unconventional but worked well.

"I was actually thinking they weren’t going to say I did anything well," she said.

During the show, the 20 contestants are taken to the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York, where they’re given tools and a project to build. They are timed and their projects are later scrutinized by two judges.

At Ottoson, Oropallo teaches technology and engineering, where she takes math and science and puts it into hands-on learning. Her eighth graders build advanced systems, including a pneumatic hydraulic robotic arm.

She now moves on to the second week of the show.

To vote for Oropallo as a fan favorite, visit her bio page on HGTV.com.