Morrisville State College assistant professor Mike Gridley has made an active construction site a real-world classroom for students seeking experiential education.
Gridley is providing students in his masonry and estimating and planning classes with hands-on experience constructing a 3,600-square-foot raised ranch home in nearby Waterville.
“What the kids learn here is priceless,” Gridley said. “They’ll be able to walk away from Morrisville with the ability to put in foundations for homes.”
Jamie Cellamare, a senior residential construction student from Canastota, appreciates Gridley’s guidance as he gains direct experience building the four-bedroom, open-concept home.
“He’s such a good teacher,” said Cellamare, who hopes to operate his own construction business after graduation. “Everything with him is made much simpler.”
William Garrison, also a senior residential construction student, is on his second go-around helping construct a home through Gridley’s classes. Garrison, of Tannersville, noted that his Morrisville education opened the door for him to work on different aspects of building each of the homes.
“Ninety percent of (professor Gridley’s) classes are hands-on, so it’s been great,” he said.
An alumnus of Morrisville’s residential construction program himself, Gridley also owns and operates Gridley’s Construction in Madison, NY.