The efforts of eleven students, multiple businesses, and an entire community have come to fruition with the completion of the student-built duplex in Kalona. On Saturday, October 28, that work will be recognized with an open house and ribbon cutting presentation.

The project took just months to complete, thanks to the countless summer hours put in by students Alex Bean, Gabi Robertson, Brady Meinke, Kyan Nash, Jackson Schneider, Robbie Olson, Andrew Shepherd, Bryce Daufeldt, Mason Badtram, Kelsi Cerny, and Aidan Neitzel. Along with direction from Job Supervisor, Tim Rouse, and partners like McCreedy and Ruth and Kuenster Plumbing and Heating, these students were able to learn more about the trades and gain valuable life experience.

As the residences at 313 and 315 C Avenue are nearly ready to welcome two families, the public can tour the east unit from 10 a.m. to noon, with the ribbon cutting presentation at 11. Recent Mid-Prairie graduate and current freshman at Central College, Alex Bean, spoke to KCII earlier this summer about the skills he and his colleagues were able to gain from the experience. “Usually every day we’re learning something new or doing something different. [Tim] Rouse always tries to keep us busy.”

This is the second student-built project completed in Kalona in the last two years.