Tiny House students visited the Langetree property, a community of veterans living in Tiny Houses, made by students around Texas on Nov. 9. The trip was organized by senior Jack Garcia, a long standing member of the Tiny House project and president of the Architecture Committee
“The Veteran’s Day field trip is something we hold very special in the Tiny House Program; it’s an experience for students to come and see who they are volunteering for,” Garcia said. “I was glad to see our largest group of over fifty students come and meet our Veterans. I hope to see both this field trip and the program continue to grow over the years.”
This field trip included students from organizations such as ROTC, Student Council, and of course, Architecture. Many of the build team helped with problems with the stairs of the Tiny Houses while others sat to talk with the veterans about their past.
“I really enjoyed the trip because I got to talk to the veterans and talk about their lives and what they went through,” said sophomore Angelina Cherian. “It made me look at life with a different perspective, it was a life changing experience.”
Junior Aidan Ayarzagoitia agreed.
“The field trip was very fun, I enjoyed it a lot. The best part was seeing why the veterans joined, for their family or for their country, and hearing their stories,” he said.
Mr. James Gaylord, the architecture teacher and Tiny House adviser has helped students make Tiny Houses over the past six years using his experience in construction. This year marks his last with Summer Creek High School, but he hopes for a future with Tiny House in his new role with Operation Finally Home, which is the organization that helps lead the programs across Humble ISD.
“We want every high school to be doing this, we can keep doing this for ten years and we’ll produce ten houses and that’s amazing but if every high school in America does this, we could end homelessness,” Gaylord said.
For Garcia, the field trip gave him the opportunity to serve.
“I have always loved working and leading in service learning roles,” Garcia said. “It is my way of giving back to the community that has given me so many opportunities. The event took quite a lot of planning on the committee’s part. However, in the end, it was amazing to see so many joyful students enjoy Veterans’ Day and the Langetree property.”
To Mr. Gaylord, this field trip represents more than just a big learning opportunity for his students and an opportunity to have a new perspective on what they do.
“I want students to be more and more involved and find new ways of benefiting their communities,” Gaylord said. ” New ways of designing homes, of building them, of delivering them, I think they’re just at the tip of the iceberg for what they’re capable of.”
