HFM
construction students tie in national competition
Five-hour contest focuses on
skills, safety, teamwork and attitude
“Stayed busy”… “worked hard”… “worked together”… “got things
done.”
Those were the
comments of both judges and spectators who watched two HFM BOCES
construction students compete in a residential building skills
competition during the International Builders Show in Orlando,
Fla. in February.
HFM’s team of Alicia
Santos and Jared Gendreau tied in the national competition, well
matched against a two-person from a three-year technical high
school in Florida.
Four HFM BOCES
construction students won the opportunity to attend the national
convention by participating in the first-ever Student
Residential Construction Competition at the New York State
Builders Show in Syracuse last October. Alicia and Jared, and
their classmates Rob Reinig and Aaron Suelter, represented HFM
in Florida as one of only seven high school programs attending
the convention through the National Association of Home Builders
(NAHB), the trade association that sponsored both events.
Alicia, from Fonda-Fultonville
Central School District, and Jared, from Broadalbin Perth
Central School District, competed against students from a
three-year technical school in Kissimmee, Fla. in what was
promoted as a finished construction competition between two
national curriculum organizations, NAHB and Skills USA. HFM
BOCES uses NAHB curriculum in its construction courses. The
Kissimmee school uses the Skills USA curriculum.
Rob and Aaron, also
from Broadalbin-Perth, did not compete in the event because
their expertise is in other areas of the building trade. Rob’s
specialty is masonry, while Aaron’s is electrical work.
“The International
Builders Show is the event of a lifetime for any builder,”
explained Mark Tanner, one of two construction teachers at HFM
who accompanied the students. “It’s the Super Bowl for building
and construction, the largest trade show of its kind, and a
tremendous learning opportunity for students.”
“It was awesome,”
Alicia said. “I didn’t expect the show to be so big.”
Jared said meeting
other students was great, but even better was seeing people from
around the world who attended the convention. “We met people
from Turkey and Nigeria.”
The student
competition was not in some out-of-the-way venue. The five-hour
event took place on the main exhibit floor, in the exhibit space
of Lowe’s, the competition sponsor, and in front of judges,
teachers, students and many of the 92,000 attendees at this
year’s event.
“They were given
blueprints and a 17-linear-foot wall with some rough-cut
openings,” explained Tanner. “They had to hang and trim a door
and a window; install chair rail, baseboard and crown molding;
and create a shadow box, all in five hours.”
HFM construction
teacher Todd Stallmer, who also attended the national
convention, said the contest participants were given tools and
enough materials to complete the projects. The students were
judged on their building skills, safety, teamwork, adjustment to
changes, and attitude.
“The judges were
really impressed with their attitude and the way they worked
together,” said Tanner. “I’m not a big fan of competition. I
told the students before the New York State show that it was all
up to them. I don’t hand-pick competitors, and I don’t teach to
the competition. These students were motivated and achieved this
on their own.”
The national contest
was judged by two construction professionals representing each
of the curriculum associations, an on-site supervisor for a
Florida homebuilder, and an instructor from a career and
technical center in Pennsylvania.
In the end, the two
teams tied. Lowe’s awarded both teams the tools they used in the
competition, and each school will receive a large set of tools
donated by major manufacturers that sell their products through
Lowe’s.
“We competed against a
three-year tech school program and did very well,” Tanner said.
“HFM is a two-year program, and 95 percent of our students get
jobs in the construction field.”
“It is a big thing
just to go to the show,” Stallmer said. “But the students were
recognized by NAHB as winners from New York at an awards
ceremony during the convention, and got to meet students from
other high schools as well as from two-year and four-year
college programs.”
The four students from
HFM intend to pursue construction as a career, but along
different tracks. Alicia plans to attend the State University of
New York at Delhi to study construction management, and said she
enjoys the thought of breaking the stereotype of construction as
a male domain.
Jared plans to work
with his father in the building trade before deciding on
college. “I want to work some and open my eyes to the world,” he
said.
Aaron has been
accepted into the Seabees, the Construction Battalions of the
United States Navy. His decision was influenced by a long,
family tradition of military service.
Rob also plans to
attend college locally and study construction management. He
sees the future in a business of his own.
The students agreed
the experience was “once-in-a-lifetime” and would encourage
other students to seek out similar opportunities to test their
skills.
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