Inside a classroom at Milwaukee Marshall High School, the sound of Lego bricks clicking together filled the room as children leaned over tables covered with colorful pieces and half-finished builds.

As they pieced together their creations, Nealita Nelson, the instructor behind the popular Milwaukee Recreation Lego classes moved from desk to desk encouraging students to keep building. 

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Nelson, a Milwaukee native known online as “Builds by Nene,” began teaching Lego-building classes through MKE Rec after appearing on Season 4 of Fox’s “LEGO Masters” in 2023 alongside her brother, Paul Wellington.

A Lego minifigure head sits on a table with several containers of bricks before Nealita Nelson’s MKE Rec class.

Jeff McAvoy, whose 7-year-old son has been attending Nelson’s classes since they began two years ago, expressed his admiration for her teaching style. 

“It comes down to a simple shared interest in Lego and building, but she approaches it with such care and interest in what each of the kids are doing,” McAvoy said.

Nealita Nelson sets down containers full of Lego bricks while setting up for her MKE Rec class.
A container full of Lego bricks sits on a table.
Several Lego bags and a box of blocks sit on a counter.

Nelson’s classes are typically divided by age groups, welcoming everyone from young children to adult builders:

  • LEGO Open Build (Designed for ages 3+): Focuses on beginner basics, open building zones and simple challenges.
  • LEGO Adventures: Encourages participants to step outside their comfort zones with complex, guided builds.
  • Learning LEGO (Designed for ages 13 to adults): Covers the history of Lego, advanced building techniques and creative design.
Nealita Nelson picks through a container full of Lego bricks.
Nealita Nelson builds a Lego set.

For Nelson, Lego-building classes are about much more than play or building toys.

“I see the need for help, and I see the need to get these kids out from in front of screens,” Nelson said. “I feel like it was my duty to give back to my community that helped me when I was younger.”

Nealita Nelson poses for a portrait with some of her Lego collection before her class at MKE Rec.

Raised on Milwaukee’s North Side, Nelson and Wellington spent a lot of their childhood building together, before their almost 10-year age gap inevitably drew them apart.

Paul Wellington and Nealita Nelson on the set of “LEGO Masters” Season 4. (Photo provided by Nealita Nelson)

Their close relationship became an advantage on “LEGO Masters,” where the siblings advanced in the competition, becoming third-place finalists.

“We’re both very different people. It helps bring out our best qualities and we’re able to work together well,” said Wellington, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee alum. “I’m very timid. She pushed me to believe in myself and that led us to succeed.”

The siblings competed again, this time internationally, on “LEGO Masters: Grand Masters of the Galaxy” in Australia in 2025. They also were the first all-Black team in the U.S. version of “LEGO Masters” to win a challenge.

Nelson said they intentionally incorporated a few references to the city and state into their builds throughout the competitions.

“When we were doing the TV shows, we tried to incorporate something from Milwaukee or something that symbolizes Wisconsin as a whole,” Nelson said. “In the first episode, we did the dairy boat.”

Nealita Nelson puts away Lego bricks during her class.
A container full of Lego pieces sits on a table.

While Nelson currently works in health care, she continues to build her public identity through her social media presence and Lego-building classes with MKE Rec.

“I felt like this was my calling, this is my passion. I love Lego,” Nelson said.

Registration for Nelson’s summer Lego-building sessions are open now until the first week of classes on June 22. You can register here.

Arlo Martin (left), 6, and his sister Nell, 3, play with Nealita Nelson during her class at MKE Rec.

Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.

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Jonathan Aguilar is a photojournalist as well as a Report for America corps member and Catchlight Local fellow. Before coming to Milwaukee, he spent two years as a photographer at one of America’s oldest daily newspapers, The Blade, in Toledo, Ohio. Aguilar grew up in the Chicago suburbs. He earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from DePaul University and his master’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism.