A retired couple will soon move into a newly constructed house built by college carpentry students. Students build a house during the school year as part of the carpentry program at Minnesota State Community and Technical College, Wadena Campus.
Abe and Marilyn Baerg of the Twin Cities hope to move into their new home south of Wadena within the next month.
We had planned to build anyway and then found out about this program, Abe Baerg said.
First-year carpentry students, working with instructor Dave Kraemer, are wrapping up their work on the Baergs house. It is nearly 2,000 square feet, which is a larger house than the 1,200-square-foot house typically built by the first-year students.
Kraemer said 19 students were in the first-year carpentry class, and no one dropped out of the class until just a couple of weeks ago. The class began building the house the day after Labor Day and has been working throughout the school year.
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Theyve done everything, Kraemer said.
That included the siding, deck, cabinets, walls, even landscaping, he said. The students usually wouldnt do landscaping but volunteered because they had finished most of the house before the school year was completed, Kraemer said.
Second-year students have nearly completed their home as well. Typically, the second-year home is larger than the first-year home. This year, second-year students constructed a 2,060 square foot home with five bedrooms. Gene Schwartz is the instructor for the second-year carpentry program.
The home built by second-year students this year is northeast of Wadena and includes a more complicated roof design. The 16 students in Schwartzs class are finishing up cabinets, outside railings, door locks and the garage.
Some second-year carpentry students already have jobs lined up after graduation.
Branden Nikkari and Josh Deyonge, second-year students, hope to have their own business doing construction around the Wadena area after graduation. Tyler Erickson will work for Wes Hanson Builders in Crosslake and do finish work, such as window trim, floors and railings.
Working outside instead of inside a classroom is a bonus for some students.
Tim True, a first-year carpentry student, said he likes being outdoors and the lack of a classroom. Much of the work students learn about is done with hands-on training.
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Jesse Givans, also a first-year carpentry student, knew a little about carpentry before entering the program but has learned so much in a year, he said.
Patt Sellers, a second-year student likes the experience of building a house from the ground up and feeling that he accomplished something.
Students from other programs at the college work on heating and air conditioning, electric and communications hookups in the homes.
Each year the college advertises for someone to contract the carpentry classes to build a house. An application can be picked up at the college and construction is during the school year, from the fall until the spring.
