CHAD presents scholarships to DC3 students

The Community Housing Association of Dodge City (CHAD) presented seven scholarships to Dodge City Community College (DC3) students on Thursday, Jan. 14.

Presented to students in the Building Construction Technology class, these scholarships were awarded at 1601 Mulberry Circle, which is the location of this year’s CHAD building site. 

DC3 students receiving CHAD scholarships include: Angel Miguel Guzman Rodriguez, Diego Lorenzo, Domanic Andres Enriquez, Joel Negrete-Chavez, Maximo Avalos, Roberto Millan-Lopez, and Ty Robert Bacon.

Through this hands-on partnership, DC3 students build houses from the ground up, learning all facets of building construction.

“The program gives the students a chance to complete an entire structure, from framing all the way to a finished building,” said Patrick Shiew, DC3 Construction Technology Instructor.

Students are exposed to framing, siding, roofing, insulating, painting, drywall installation and finishing, door and cabinet installation, and also interior trim work, Shiew said.

In addition, students also get to work with and learn from local businesses who provide the necessary licensed contractors for the HVAC, electrical and plumbing aspects, said Mollea Wainscott, Assistant Director of Economic Development for the Dodge City/Ford County Development Corporation.

“We are lucky to have such great contractors in Dodge City who are willing to teach the students their trades while providing their services,” Wainscott said. “It’s beneficial to the students to learn the licensed trades along with the general construction.”

This is the fourth year that CHAD has presented scholarships and the fifth year that CHAD and DC3 have partnered to build new housing for the community, she said.

Wainscott said the partnership allows CHAD to accomplish three things: to build additional moderate-income housing units, to train future workforce and to clean up blighted neighborhoods.

This year’s build is a single-family home, and it will contain three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a one-car garage. The project, which began in October 2020, is expected to be completed in May 2021.

By Lance Ziesch
DC3 Media Specialist