As the project continues to progress, I had the pleasure of interviewing eight Assabet Valley students this week. Each set of students represented a different trade and aspect of the project. The students are currently working on our Tiny House Project to benefit a homeless veteran in Milbridge, ME.
Jake Hudson and Joseph Cristobal are sophomores in the House Carpentry program at Assabet. This is their first time building a house. They have found that the project is way more complicated than they expected it to be.
However, they both really enjoyed framing the walls and installing insulation on the roof. Both admitted that there were challenges with this home. Jake is afraid of heights and Joseph stated that the walls were much harder to lift than expected.
The Biotech program was up next and was represented by Jack Raith and Lisa Brescia. This is the first time either student has worked on a project for someone with such severe corn allergies. They were tasked with researching each company providing material for the tiny home.
Both students have spent over two weeks calling each company to verify the materials used. This proved to be quite complex because most customer service agents couldn’t confirm the exact materials used. Jack was surprised to learn that they couldn’t trust the data sheets that were included with the materials. Lisa learned that it’s important to dig deeper.
Hailey Ducheine and Berin Bukow are both juniors in Assabet’s Plumbing program. Neither students realized that they had a technical side until they entered the Plumbing Program at Assabet. Both plan to go into the plumbing field when they are finished with school.
They believe the biggest challenge was making sure that everything was even, level, and lined up. They found that it was great to have a hands-on visual of the plumbing in the walls rather than reading about it in a textbook. Hailey enjoyed making sizing adjustments the most and Barren liked pressure testing the drains.
Tyler Dossas and Elizabeth Cormier joined me from the Electrical Program. Both are seniors who shared that drilling the studs and spacing wires was the hardest part of their job. This isn’t the first house they’ve worked on. Both participated in a Habitat for Humanity Project two years ago through Assabet.
They enjoy feeling like they are doing good and giving back while they work on this project. Tyler plans to be a residential electrician when he leaves school. Elizabeth hopes to become a vet tech. Tyler and Elizabeth will graduate from Assabet this spring.
All of the partners truly appreciate the hard work that the Assabet students are putting in on the tiny house. This house wouldn’t be possible without the technical programs offered by the school. The students get to experience hands on learning while learning the value of giving back to people in need.
The homeless veteran out of Milbridge is looking forward to receiving the house after the holidays. He has purchased land in Milbridge, and site work has been finished. Stay tuned for more updates as we move towards the finish line!
