How far would you go for college credit? A new program for Upper School students was introduced for next year called “Construction Fellows,” and the program aims at getting students involved in the upcoming construction projects on campus.
“Finally! I needed something like this to make me stand out on my college applications.” said ambitious junior Trevor Axford. “Something that makes me seem capable, mature, and hardworking.”
The school will be bringing in executives from the biggest names in construction to lead the students, teaching them how to survey sites, review submittals, and other tedious jobs required for contracting.
But that’s not the only thing students will be doing. Manual labor is the entry level for the students in the program, who will work their way up to job site supervisors.
“Yeah, we’re gonna have the kids doing some masonry, like block laying and plastering,” said an anonymous adult supervisor. “Might do these nerds some good. But the last thing we need is OSHA sniffing around…”
Concerns about labor laws and job-site dangers have risen with the introduction of the program, but students are happily signing up to beef up their résumés.
“Am I majoring in building sciences or engineering? No, obviously not,” said student Ann Kittenplan. “Will colleges be obsessed with me after they see this listed as a CommonApp activity? The answer is yes.”
However, not all students are on board for the new program. Many would rather study for standardized tests than be subjected to roofing new buildings each Saturday. Some even questioned the legality of the program.
“I don’t know much about labor laws, but surely it can’t be legal to have high school kids being responsible for constructing and renovating buildings? Is this what I have to be doing now to get into college?” said senior Hal Incandenza.
For parents interested in reserving a spot for their seniors at the coveted Ivy League schools, this new program is sure to help them stand out.
