School District 20 graduate moves into home she built in class

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - A Colorado Springs 18-year-old is moving into a home she helped build, getting the keys today in a ceremony at Liberty High School.

Victoria Turner worked on the project for three years, and her parents are now buying it for her as a way to help her move up into adult life, and, for now, sharing it with her sister.

“[When] I walk around the house, it's going to be pretty cool that I know that I built it because most people can't say that they both their house,” Turner said.

The skills she learned as part of the project helped her to launch a career right out of high school working for a roofing company. Many of the students who are part of the project at Liberty graduate with OSHA certifications.

"It was a really good opportunity," Turner said.

She's one of the few female students who graduated and took part in the project, also convincing many of her female friends to join the project with her while she was in school.

“I think it's really cool to like how females who are like scared or whatever to be in male-dominated jobs to push on, to change the workforce," Turner said.

"She was a really good student, always on time. And as you can see now, she's in the trades and she's doing a great job there. So,  you know, I love having kids like her because then it's easier for me to guide them to the next level in the industry," Jime Hernandez, instructor for the class said.

The instructor for the class, Jime Hernandez, says that construction runs in his blood. He learned most of the skills he's now imparting to his students from his dad.

“It’s very emotional.  Yesterday, when we got done cleaning up, I FaceTime [called], my dad, and  I showed him the house and he was just like, calls me 'buddy' and was like, 'great job,'" Hernandez said. "But he's like, 'You guys did really good work.' And so I'm proud to show my dad the work that I was able to do with these kids.”

District 20 plans to duplicate this project in the future, possibly adding a tiny home to the mix. The goal is to give students life skills and an opportunity to begin in the trades, rather than take on college debt if they wish.

"When you go to college, you're in debt. But if you're in a trade or something like that, you can go straight into the workforce and then you don't have to worry about that," Turner said. "You're making more than your peers, and so then you're better off, you're set, better off for the rest of your life."