TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Any parent\u2014and let\u2019s be honest, plenty of nostalgic Millennials and Gen Xers\u2014can tell you: LEGO is everywhere these days. <\/p>\n
With record-breaking sales and a seemingly endless lineup of new sets catering to every interest, the iconic toy company is in the middle of a brick-built boom.<\/p>\n
Right in the heart of it is Tucson\u2019s own Liam Mohajeri Norris.<\/p>\n
The University of Arizona student recently got to do something few can say: build a LEGO set he helped design. <\/p>\n
The set? <\/p>\n
LEGO\u2019s first-ever How to Train Your Dragon release\u2014just one of many projects this rising star is set to tackle as he launches his career with the company.<\/p>\n
\u201cI often start with the most important features. In this case, that\u2019s the face,\u201d Liam explained, delicately assembling the head of a dragon he knows inside and out. \u201cThat\u2019s where the whole character basically comes from.\u201d<\/p>\n
During his internship with the LEGO Group, Liam\u2019s concept design caught the eyes of company executives\u2014no small feat in a company where thousands of ideas never see the light of day. His dragon build didn\u2019t just get approved for production\u2014it landed him a full-time job.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m actually graduating early to be able to head back to LEGO,\u201d Liam said. \u201cAs great as university has been, LEGO is a step up. I\u2019ll be working again on the Icons team as a model designer. I won\u2019t just be doing concepts\u2014I\u2019ll be doing full sets.\u201d<\/p>\n
And yes, he\u2019s just as excited as you think he is.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was working on it, I had a mentor,\u201d Liam said. \u201cI had created this inner eye very similar to this, but it didn\u2019t have a dot. He said, \u2018You know what would make this even better? Just put a little dot.\u2019 So, I grabbed a white Sharpie and added it to the concept model\u2014and that\u2019s pretty much exactly what it is in real life. That\u2019s crazy!\u201d<\/p>\n
From Sharpie dots to global product launches, it\u2019s a surreal leap. But for Liam, it\u2019s also a dream come true.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, it\u2019s surreal,\u201d he said as we placed the final pieces. \u201cThis is insane because this is the dream, right there\u2026 To all the kids watching\u2014follow your dreams. Keep on building. Just a few years ago, I was playing around at home dreaming up things like this, and now, this is a real thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
You can watch more of Tyler\u2019s interview with Liam Mohajeri Norris in the video player below.<\/p>\n
Tucson native building his future brick by brick with LEGO<\/p>\n
Liam begins his career with the LEGO Group on September 1. If you\u2019d like to keep up with him on his journey, you can follow him on Instagram <\/a>and YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can submit your breaking news or weather images here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n Copyright 2025 13 News. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n