Home building career day, students get firsthand look

GERMANTOWN, Wis. - Dozens of Kingdom Lutheran High School students took a dive into the trades Thursday, getting a firsthand look at what it takes to build a home from the ground up.

"It takes an alliance to build a house," said Jonathan Synovic, Building Trades Foundation president. "Yes there's the doing, but there's actually careers in it that doesn't involve doing it by your hands every day."

Students put aside the books to see what it takes to turn an empty piece of land into someone's future home.

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"To see different stages, all in one site, is a rare opportunity," Synovic said. "More importantly, students can look around and say ‘I can be part of something bigger.’"

Students like 15-year-old Ladarius Finkley are already dreaming bigger. He hopes to get his foot in the door by building knowledge and connections.

Kingdom Lutheran High School students at the Building Trades Career Day

"Put your mind to it. If you are really into it and stuff," he said. "I want to flip houses and sell houses and work with other business partners to help me sell houses."

At the Building Trades Career Day, construction workers volunteered to bring the research to the students out of passion for the trades.

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"To create and build, and to see the hundreds of different career opportunities," said Principal Kevin Festerling.

Organizers believe, for any student looking into the trades, success boils down to one big piece. 

"We spend so much time focusing on 'be something', ‘figure it out,’" said Synovic. "We don't need to do that – we need to learn the skill sets to be anything."