Thirteen Ulster BOCES Electrical Construction & Maintenance students from seven Ulster County school districts have been volunteering their technical skills on Saturdays to help a Saugerties family become homeowners.

The students, their instructor Robert Jones, and teaching assistant Michelle Rosu, have been working on the home since January with Ulster County Habitat for Humanity with the help of Dr. Michael Catalano, a local master electrician and Saugerties High School guidance counselor. Working alongside the students and their mentors are home applicant Craig Storm, who is supported by his wife Kristel and their children.

The students’ responsibilities include installing outlets and lightboxes, running wires to meet local municipal codes, and providing access to power where it is needed. Lewis-Anthony Mori of the Kingston City School District says the experience is a valuable one. “You’re getting the opportunity to apply the information we already have, but this time it’s real,” says Mori. “There’s no doing it over again. You put them in once (electrical outlets) and it creates a big change in your mindset.”

Catalano, who is supervising the students through his professional license, spearheaded the collaborative effort and says helping students achieve their goals and grow up to have jobs they love has always been his objective. “I am not big on one-size-fits-all. Whether it is English or carpentry, kids should have exposure to find their passion and you can only do so much in the classroom. That’s why getting them out into the community [working] is important,” he says.

Kaitlyn Lennon, an Electrical Construction & Maintenance student from the Saugerties Central School District, says working on a construction site and using her skill set has made her see the relevance of what she is learning in the classroom and its connection to her career. “It makes more sense in real life,” Kaitlyn explains, adding that she also likes the idea of helping a local family. “It makes me feel like I am doing a good deed, and I want to continue to do that.”

Craig Storm is touched by the students’ generosity. “This is amazing that they are willing to give up their Saturdays and they have a good attitude and good energy,” he says.

Ulster County Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Christine Brady-LaValle says, “It’s a reciprocal relationship where students see real-world work and learn that volunteerism can be rewarding. It’s wonderful that kids come out and support something that adds to the local community,” says Brady-LaValle. She also stresses the importance of Catalano’s role in the project. “Without him, and the students being able to work under his license, there’s no way this could have come together.”

This is the second Habitat for Humanity project that Ulster BOCES Electrical Construction & Maintenance students have worked on under the direction of Catalano.