Minuteman High School students complete Habitat for Humanity project in Wayland

By Judy Bass

Giving students practical, real-world experience allows them to create something of lasting value, prepare for future careers and take pride in what they accomplish. An example of this is a recently-completed duplex that several juniors and seniors from Minuteman High School in Lexington helped build for Habitat for Humanity MetroWest / Greater Worcester.

This duplex is the second of two on Stonebridge Road in Wayland which Minuteman’s plumbing and HVAC students worked on extensively for Habitat for Humanity. A dedication ceremony was held at the site on December 2, 2016 to mark the completion of the project.

This kind of effort reinforces what students are taught in the classroom, highlights the usefulness of the technical instruction they receive and increases Minuteman’s visibility to the public.

“It showcases to the community what the students learn at Minuteman and the value of vocational education,” said Minuteman Plumbing / HVAC Instructor Kyle Romano. Mr. Romano is also Minuteman’s Offsite Project Coordinator.

Habitat for Humanity is a global organization that “builds homes through volunteer labor and donated goods, allowing them to be sold at affordable rates based on income,” according to their web site. The projects in Wayland are not the first Habitat endeavors that Minuteman has participated in. Students in the school’s plumbing, HVAC and electrical programs worked on a Habitat project in Acton in 2004.

According to Habitat for Humanity Construction Manager Jon Bram, who is a graduate of Minuteman’s postgraduate carpentry program, the organization relies largely on volunteers, but there are some areas, such as licensed trades like plumbing, HVAC and electrical, for which professionals have to be hired. Having Minuteman donate these services enables Habitat to build even more units of affordable housing.

“The students from the plumbing and HVAC programs at Minuteman are a pleasure to work with,” Mr. Bram said. “They exhibited a high level of craftsmanship and professionalism on the job. We were very pleased with the work they completed. The students and their instructors [Mr. Romano and Mr. Chuck Bruno] were great to work with.”

He added, “It is great to have the opportunity to play a role in the education of our future tradesmen and tradeswomen.”

The Minuteman students who participated in the Wayland project were: Plumbing – Tim White ’18, Waltham; Jack Broughall ’17, Watertown; Brian Sullivan ’17, Waltham; Ethan Allgaier ’17, Bolton; Antonio Hernandez ’17, Waltham; Jarret Furtado, ’17, Arlington; Demetri Tsoukalas ’17, Acton; Andy Bonica ’18, Watertown; Adam Merta’18, Arlington; Luke Meunier ‘18, Needham; Harry Naimo ‘18, Lunenburg; Marco Capasso ’17, Newton; Mike Porcaro ’18, Arlington; Andrew Reynolds ’18, Waltham; Rustam Ragin ’17, Needham; Anthony Shortt ’18, Waltham; HVAC - Dominic Hegarty ‘18, Arlington; Dominic Nichols ‘18, Concord; Adam Siriouthay ’18, Acton; Jacob Gibson ‘17, Arlington; Michael Barnes ’17, Arlington; Ryan Fitzgerald ‘17, Waltham; and Aaron McIntyre ’17, Arlington.

Minuteman was established in the 1970s as one of more than two dozen regional-vocational technical high schools in Massachusetts. Over the years, the school has distinguished itself by building a reputation for excellence. Minuteman students consistently excel on the larger stage and have won numerous awards at state and national competitions. Minuteman challenges all students to revolutionize their high school expectations by aspiring to their full potential, accelerating their learning, and achieving success in the 21st-century global community.