Career Technical Education Students bring piece of Henrico to their futures, celebrate 20th student-built home

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A new house will be hitting the markets in Henrico County, but there's something special about the new home along Aqua Court — it's entirely student built. Of course, this is anything but a traditional "high school project."

"I've always loved buildings and architecture," Mia Castelluccio told 8News Tuesday morning ahead of the ribbon-cutting.

As a Senior at Deep Run High School -- and a carpentry specialist through Henrico's ACE Center -- Castelluccio can say she's finished her first home before even entering the real world.

"Our students agreed to that bar, to reach that bar and generally exceed that bar and this house is a case where they've exceeded that bar," said Henrico County Vocational Technical Education Foundation President Philip Parker Tuesday afternoon. "They've been thrown into the real world. This is the real world."

And Elijaah Thompson-Jackson, a Junior at Highland Springs High School, has become a masonry expert before even getting his diploma.

"You cannot be slacking at all," Thompson-Jackson chuckled when asked about the hard work that went into this project.

Through Henrico County Public Schools' Career Technical Education programming, these two teens, plus nearly 30 other Henrico students took on all of the critical roles to turn a blueprint into a reality.

"Whoever buys it, I hope they enjoy the inside and outside and call it home," Thompson-Jackson smiled.

The students put up the foundation and beams and even sculpted the stairs and walls. Henrico's Career Vocational Technical Education Foundation has seen 20 homes constructed by students. It's by no means just a way to get out of class -- the kids have to maintain their grades and earn credit through their work.

This option is about their futures -- putting on the hard hats, grabbing their tools and diping their toes into this very-real career field.

Jeff Lewis, American Fire Sprinkler Association Virginia Chapter Spokesperson, explained that it's a two way street. This opportunity allows him to spread awareness about his field.

"Our industry is facing a serious awareness gap. Young people just do not know about our industry," Lewis explained. "The goal is to try to get to students as quickly as and as young as we possibly can, make them aware of this really vibrant, well-paying career field and, and get some interest."

According to Lewis, this is the first publicized home in the country to have a sprinkler system installed by students.

These future architects told 8News that this hands-on experience is setting them up for the future — beyond the pencils and papers. Castelluccio is heading to Spain to study architecture and she's bringing a bit of Henrico with her.

"My teacher always says you measure twice and you cut once," Castelluccio reflected on what she's learned from the program. "I feel like that's very important for a building and also teamwork is a very important ideal. If we didn't have everybody who had worked on this house, this house would not have been as amazing as it is today."

Even though Home #20 is complete, the work is never fully over. Right next door, the next generation of ACE students have already begun work on the House #21. Leaders told 8News there's no stopping now. They want to continue expanding the program to give more kids this type of tangible, real-world opportunity.