JEFFERSON — The sounds of hammers pounding and teamwork have been filling the air in Orwell Township lately as staff and students from the Ashtabula County Joint Vocational School work together building a house for a well-deserving family in conjunction with a Habitat for Humanity project. The house is located in the Sunrise Acres community of Orwell.
“I’m very proud of my carpentry students, especially those who volunteer on the weekends, nearly half of my students,” said Jack McMurphy, junior carpentry instructor.
Junior class carpentry program students spend up to 10 hours working on a Saturday and usually also spend three to five days during the week working at the site.
There are 23 junior students from the ACJVS working on the house, with many of them driving a considerable distance to get to the job site.
“I have almost 50 hours of community service just working on this project. It’s going to look fantastic on my college application,” said Matthew Bennett, an ACJVS student who drives nearly an hour from Conneaut to work in Orwell.
Getting those community service hours are important for the students as many of their home schools make community service a graduation requirement.
“Jack McMurphy’s students have completed 177 hours of verified community service (on Saturdays alone), and I do not think they are done. Also a student from Power Tech has been going with them and he has completed 27 hours (on Saturdays),” said Gilda McQuoid, the instructional coordinator at ACJVS.
The students don’t devote their time to this project just for community service hours, though. Derreck Thomas, a carpentry student said, “I love doing this project because of the fact that I’m building a house for a couple that can’t afford it.”
Many supplies have been donated, which helps keep costs down, and Ashtabula County companies selling building materials, like Western Reserve and Valley Building, have been offering very good pricing on all supplies.
Don Locy, Habitat for Humanity project coordinator, says that it takes about one year to plan, construct and finish one of the homes.
“The house should be finished in two to three months,” McMurphy said.
SKILLS USA
A recent trip to downstate Ohio on Nov. 12 and 13 will never be forgotten by some students at the ACJVS. Thirty-one students from the ACJVS attended the SkillsUSA Fall Leadership Conference at the Columbus Fairgrounds. SkillsUSA is a youth organization that teaches students about teamwork and leadership. It is national in scope and serves teachers, high school and college students who are preparing for careers in technical, skilled and service occupations, including health care occupations.
One focus of the event was the election of candidates for regional offices. A number of the candidates from the ACJVS were elected, including: Melissa Prox, president, enrolled in Grand Valley’s multi-media program; Miranda Phillip, vice president, Charris Champine, secretary, Kayla Rettinger, treasurer, and Kristie Organiscak, parliamentarian, all enrolled in Health Care Technology II; Joshua Moore, reporter, Electricity I; and Ashley Maple, ambassador, Cosmetology II.
“I support SkillsUSA. Just seeing the students’ faces as they are elected or win in a contest is the greatest reward there is,” said Greg Braden, a teacher in the school’s electricity program.
While the electioneering was going on, local student SkillsUSA officers had a unique opportunity to visit the Ohio Statehouse for a tour. Students said they were interested to learn some of the oddities about the building’s construction and history. Chief in their minds was being told about the three visits President Abraham Lincoln made to the old building, including his final visit when his body lay in state after his assassination.
Organized activities at the conference included listening to speaker, Bobby Martin. Martin recently won National Hot Rod Association Drag Racing’s oldest and most prestigious event, the 2009 U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. Martin talked about lessons learned from his racing career, which no doubt fit in well with the conference’s theme of “Champions at Work – Creating Opportunities.”
“Skills USA is an awesome experience for me. I get to make new friends and grow as a leader, all while having a good time,” said David Ketola, senior electricity lab student.
“It was amazing. I had a lot of fun. I learned a lot about how to be more open and a leader. I would do it all over again if I had the chance,” said Samantha Olah, graphics communications student.
