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Building a house is like building a life – you first need a good plan.
“People look at the outside of the house and have no idea how many structural components have to be planned and correctly installed to make it all come together,” construction student Kelcy Collins said.
“The layout plan has to be right from the start in order for the house to be built right,” she said.
The Shawnee High School senior is a second-year Construction/Masonry Trades student at Gordon Cooper Technology Center. Kelcy’s plan for success in the construction field started early.
Kelcy is the eldest of five children who grew up with a single mom.
“Mom told me that as a female you have to work to find your place in this world,” she said.
When other girls were playing with dolls, Kelcy had fun building playhouses and tearing them down and building new ones.
Her plans for career success started coming into clearer focus when she visited the Gordon Cooper construction shop during an eighth grade tour.
“Most of the other girls want to be nurses or go to beauty college. I don’t like any of that. During the tour I realized that I could do something I like to do,” she said.
When she enrolled in Construction/Masonry Trades as a high school junior, Kelcy was surprised to find out that she was one of seven females in the class. She was also surprised to find the males in the class respected and accepted the females in the class as capable peers.
That attitude of respect starts with GCTC Construction/Masonry Trades instructor Jodie Eiland, she said.
“Mr. Eiland has daughters so he knows what we are capable of and has high expectations for all the female students,” she said.
Kelcy went to work learning all she could about construction processes such as layout and design, framing, roofing, interior and exterior finishing, trim, basic plumbing, stairs, doors, and windows.
She also got a new perspective on mathematics and geometry.
“A little mistake in the math at one end of a wall can turn into a big mistake that’s hard to fix at the other end,” she said.
Kelcy learned how geometry is used to build an octagon window by “chopping it up” into triangles. Geometry is also used for cutting accurate angles for various configurations of roof rafters and stairs. Accurate measurements and calculations are vital to creating a working blueprint for the layout and design.
Building a house is like building a life – you first need a good plan.
“People look at the outside of the house and have no idea how many structural components have to be planned and correctly installed to make it all come together,” construction student Kelcy Collins said.
“The layout plan has to be right from the start in order for the house to be built right,” she said.
The Shawnee High School senior is a second-year Construction/Masonry Trades student at Gordon Cooper Technology Center. Kelcy’s plan for success in the construction field started early.
Kelcy is the eldest of five children who grew up with a single mom.
“Mom told me that as a female you have to work to find your place in this world,” she said.
When other girls were playing with dolls, Kelcy had fun building playhouses and tearing them down and building new ones.
Her plans for career success started coming into clearer focus when she visited the Gordon Cooper construction shop during an eighth grade tour.
“Most of the other girls want to be nurses or go to beauty college. I don’t like any of that. During the tour I realized that I could do something I like to do,” she said.
When she enrolled in Construction/Masonry Trades as a high school junior, Kelcy was surprised to find out that she was one of seven females in the class. She was also surprised to find the males in the class respected and accepted the females in the class as capable peers.
That attitude of respect starts with GCTC Construction/Masonry Trades instructor Jodie Eiland, she said.
“Mr. Eiland has daughters so he knows what we are capable of and has high expectations for all the female students,” she said.
Kelcy went to work learning all she could about construction processes such as layout and design, framing, roofing, interior and exterior finishing, trim, basic plumbing, stairs, doors, and windows.
She also got a new perspective on mathematics and geometry.
“A little mistake in the math at one end of a wall can turn into a big mistake that’s hard to fix at the other end,” she said.
Kelcy learned how geometry is used to build an octagon window by “chopping it up” into triangles. Geometry is also used for cutting accurate angles for various configurations of roof rafters and stairs. Accurate measurements and calculations are vital to creating a working blueprint for the layout and design.
“I actually know why I’m doing math problems now,” she said.
Kelcy gets plenty of hands-on practice applying all that she has learned by working with other students in teams to build scale-model house projects and work as a class on a full-size house.
She got the opportunity to showcase her construction competency through participation in the student organization SkillsUSA. Last year Kelcy was part of an all-female TeamWorks construction team that placed fourth in the state during competition in Tulsa. The GCTC all-female construction team plans to be back in competition this spring.
Kelcy also pursued leadership opportunities available through SkillsUSA. She was elected vice president of her class chapter last year and successfully ran for state treasurer this year. In September she was part of the SkillsUSA state officer team that traveled to Washington, D.C. for a national leadership conference. At home, Kelcy actively recruits students for the construction trades and recruits current students for participation in SkillsUSA.
After completing high school and construction training at GCTC, Kelcy plans to enroll in OSU-IT at Okmulgee seeking a degree in construction management. From there, she plans to go to work in the construction industry.
It’s all part of Kelcy’s plan to succeed and find her place in the world.
