As the school year wraps up, the Community Build student crew who were all Seniors, have said goodbye to their high school education. Before they left for their next phase in their lives, we wanted to interview them to explore what they learned and what their future plans are. The students were from both Marion Independent High School and Linn-Mar High School, and they worked to renovate a home throughout the school year. The project aims to teach students the fundamentals of construction and project management. Their tireless dedication and hard work truly defined the house it is now. Here’s what they had to say:

When asked about something he learned through this project, Tanner Veit said, “Siding the house is tedious, but a good skill to learn. I started building a shed at home and could use those skills to build a house.”

Caidan Dolezal stated that problem solving was an essential skill he developed this year. He now works in concrete construction and hopes to grow his landscaping business.

While many shy away from the work involved in remodeling a house, Ashden Graham now feels prepared to renovate or fix something on his own. He plans on joining the army as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialist.

Austin Johnson enjoyed working in a new environment and making good friends along the way. He leaves this summer for Fort Jackson in South Carolina and will continue his service at Fort Sill in Oklahoma. 

Tyler Bousoclot enjoyed working on painting and renovating the bathroom as well as the yard. He leaves in July for Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. He will participate in Boot Camp and Basic Training until November 12th. From there Bousoclot plans to join the Horizontal Engineering Division in the Military.

Justin Hegland stated, “I now feel capable of fixing something in my house if anything happens.” He plans to start a lawn mowing business.

“I’ve learned all of the basic necessities that you need to fix up a house and any problems that might come up. I learned that an average home owner probably can’t put in their own windows and siding but I could probably do my own someday, along with gutter work. This has made me a lot more handy,”  said Nathan Jones. Jones is a recent grad from Marion and his plans are to enter the welding program at Kirkwood Community College. He is also skilled in landscaping and farm hand work.

For the students, this may be the last time they collaborate on a project like this. However, the skills they learned along the way will stick with them for the rest of their lives. Their eagerness to learn, alongside their spirited perseverance through obstacles like the Derecho and winter weather conditions, has led to the renovation of the Community Build Home.

The public will be invited to an Open House later this summer. Watch for an invite! To learn more about the project, check out this link: Community Build.