By Garrett Shiflet Ι The Villages Daily Sun Ι August 13, 2025
A dozen students from The Villages High School ceremoniously tossed dirt from their shovels Tuesday to kick off a year-long project: Building a home.
The VHS Construction Management Academy and Habitat for Humanity of Lake-Sumter held a groundbreaking ceremony in Bushnell to kick off their new home-building project.
“It’s the opening of your school year and the start of all the hard work you’re about to put in,” said Danielle Stroud, the president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Lake-Sumter.
Habitat for Humanity of Lake-Sumter selects working families that can qualify for a mortgage on a house that is built through partnership. The families have to volunteer with Habitat during their home’s construction and take classes on financial literacy.
The students in the Construction Management Academy gain hands-on experience working with contractors as they build the home from the ground up, including siding, roofing trusses, drywall, framing and more.
“It feels good to know we are helping people out and building people homes,” said Kenneth Jewett, a VHS senior and academy student. “The teachers have talked about it a lot. They seem to be really excited about it for us.”
The students will start next week on the framing of the home and will work on the project throughout the school year, eventually taking
on a second, also with Habitat.
Around 30 seniors will be a part of the home building projects with the Construction Management Academy, working morning and afternoon shifts on the job sites.
The two-year academy offers students the opportunity to get experience in the construction field while in high school that can put them
on the fast track to a lucrative career.
Many students like Jewett think that’s their next step after graduation.
“Construction is probably the way I want to go, and I feel like it’s a great way to get into it,” Jewett said. “I think it’s a cool accomplishment to say I built a house. “
The houses are built with the support of sponsors and community leaders, many of whom were present at Tuesday’s ceremony.
Citizens First Bank is the main sponsor of the house alongside about nine others, including Florida Paints and Schneider Electric.
Bushnell City Councilwoman Victoria Summerlin was present as was Sumter County Commissioner Todd Coon and representatives of state and federal legislators.
“We’re really excited to have affordable housing in our area, and we’re really excited for the career training opportunities these students are going to get from actually building this house,” Summerlin said.
Senior Jolin Spafford is one of few girls in the academy. “It’s definitely going to be a big learning opportunity, especially the fact you don’t
see many girls out here, but I’m excited for every step of the way,” Spafford said.
She joined the academy to get experience with the hopes of one day being a project manager or contractor.
“I find it very cool we’re giving back to the community,” Spafford said. “It means a lot to me that I’ll be giving someone a home at the end of the day.”
The Construction Management Academy also is expected to work on another set of homes for its other partnership with Building Homes
For Heroes, which provides homes for veterans and their families.
By the end of this year, the Construction Management Academy will have built a total of 16 homes in around seven years in local cities, including Bushnell, Wildwood, Lake Panasoffkee and Lady Lake.
Bruce Haberle has seen the academy grow since coming on as a teacher in 2018.
“I’m just blown away,” Haberle said. “I started part time with eight kids. Just to see it to grow into what it has with all the help from the
school and community partners — I’m just blown away by it.”
Now the academy has grown to more than 60 students and Harberle is joined by co-teacher Scott Woythaler with part-time help from Devin Anderson, the VHS baseball coach.
Haberle is ready to get construction moving along.
“We’re looking forward to it,” Haberle said. “We have a great group of kids this year. We’re certainly willing to get started.”