Students Share Co-Op Experiences

With only a few months on the job, Alexander Perhanidis sparks with delight as he describes his “co-op” work placement at Atlantic Plumbing and Heating of Brookline.

“It doesn’t feel like a job,” Perhanidis said. “When I’m doing stuff with my hands and working, it’s like you just get locked in. You start to lose time in your head. That’s how I knew I found the field I want to be in.”

The Class of 2023 Plumbing student from Arlington describes a variety of plumbing and heating jobs he’s worked during his job placement through the Cooperative Education Program (often called “co-op”) – ranging from large systems on newly constructed homes to smaller repair work.

“Sometimes, I’m going to a few different job sites and we’re doing small maintenance work or installations. And there are other days where it’s multi-day projects and we’re replacing or installing whole new systems like a new boiler or water heater,” he said.

Perhanidis even got to observe a “snowmelt” system being installed on a driveway for a large home in Chestnut Hill. A snowmelt system lays underneath a driveway and heats up when snow or ice forms in the winter.

He appreciates the variety of small and large projects Atlantic Plumbing and Heating takes on in the Greater Boston area – with its mix of older and modern homes.

Perhanidis’ father is a plumber and he doesn’t mind taking after his dad. “I got introduced to it pretty early, and I found that I really did like it,” he said. “When I’m going to work, I’m having fun.”

Perhanidis is high-achieving academically, taking honors and dual-enrollment classes for college credit in history, English, and math. He has several options after graduation, which includes becoming a plumber’s apprentice to gain hours toward obtaining his Journeyman’s license. He may also enroll in college after gaining his license.

He understands there is plenty of opportunity in the plumbing and heating trade.

“In the trades, the average age of workers is getting pretty old, in the 50s and 60s. We need a new generation to join the trades,” he said. “The demand for skilled workers is going up, and the money you can make is going up.”

Liam Chapman, a manager for Atlantic Plumbing, said Perhanidis “is an incredible young man who excels both in the plumbing trade and the classroom.”

“Some young tradesmen struggle to be both a good worker and present themselves as professional, but for Alex it seems to come naturally,” Chapman said. “Alex encourages us at Atlantic to take on as many co-op students as possible by simply being a great person and employee.” 

Cummings Properties, LLC, is a well-known commercial real estate development company with 50 years of history in the Greater Boston area. You might not think that a Biotechnology student at Minuteman High School would find an interest in working there, but it’s become a perfect fit for Dylan Higgins.

The Class of 2022 student from Acton – who’s spent nearly four years doing lab work in Minuteman’s Biotechnology program – is working at Cummings Properties’ Woburn office through the Cooperative Education Program, receiving pay and course credit during the 2021-22 school year.

“Dylan has worked on a variety of architectural and engineering tasks related to our specialty biotech lab projects,” said Jim Trudeau, Chief Design Officer for Cummings Properties. “His professionalism, curiosity, and familiarity with technical terms and principles has garnered him a variety of assignments.”

Higgins’ “co-op” job placement comes amid a surge of growth in the biotech industry in Greater Boston. That means more construction of biotech lab spaces for commercial developers such as Cummings.

For Higgins, the experience has resulted in a greater understanding for how commercial bio labs are constructed.

“I now understand how the formation of a building dictates so much of what you can do in that space,” Higgins said. “I have so much more perspective on what helps or hinders it, how to optimize an area, and what is even possible.”

Higgins has assisted designers with scientific-related details pertaining to lab spaces – gathering information on everything from pharmaceutical wastewater to the corrosiveness of certain materials, and how that all factors into construction.

“His long-term project is to consolidate lab design standard notes into a written standards manual,” Trudeau said. “Dylan has also created project schedules, confirmed equipment specifications with manufacturers, analyzed equipment pricing options, and listed lab equipment for sale. He even started to dabble in CAD (computer aided design) drafting.”

Higgins, who was accepted into Tufts University for the fall of 2022 and plans to study biochemistry, has a greater appreciation for his Minuteman peers who major in traditional trades such as Carpentry, Plumbing, and Electrical Wiring. “I have my fingers a lot more in areas like electrical and HVAC… learning how it all connects,” he said. “It’s very interesting to better understand that side of things… and the amount of skill it really takes.”

At Minuteman, Higgins is a Student Ambassador and the president of the school’s SkillsUSA Chapter, which is overseeing a community service project to collect items for an orphanage in Haiti.

While his options are aplenty, Higgins would like to work in medical research, particularly in neuromechanics. He ultimately wants to work in the field of regenerative medicine to help people who lost a body part due to a traumatic accident or illness.

As a young child, Olivia O’Neill of Lexington loved to play with Legos, bricks, trains, and anything hands-on you could find.

Now, as a senior in the Carpentry career major at Minuteman, Olivia is demolishing walls for a massive renovation project on a 150-year-old home in Concord. She spends every other week working for Kistler and Knapp Builders, Inc., of Acton, through Minuteman’s Cooperative Education (Co-Op) Program.

“It’s definitely a different experience. It’s a first step into the job world,” said Olivia, a member of the Class of 2023. “You’re with older people who are wiser. You get more experience and do more stuff. I love all of it.”

Smashing apart walls, or “demo-ing,” is one highlight of the job. “It’s fun!” she said. “You get dirty. You whack whatever you can.”

Olivia also explained the skills behind the demo that she’s continuing to learn. “First you take the plaster off. Then, there’s lath underneath that, so you have to pry it out.”

In the Carpentry major, Olivia has built cabinets, a beehive, and the framing of a small model home as part of a group project.

At the job site, in addition to demo work, she assists with installing clapboard (wooden house siding) among other tasks.

When asked what grade he’d give Olivia, project supervisor Dan McLaughlin replied, “An A-, only because I want to leave a little room for improvement.”

“It’s just like a sports team. Clubhouse chemistry really matters,” he said. “For the people on the job site, if the chemistry is good, the work gets done and it’s a great place to work. I think Olivia is creating good chemistry.”

Olivia is following in the footsteps of her father, who is a commercial construction supervisor. She’d like to attend college classes to obtain a construction management degree while continuing to work in the field.

Trinity Choroszej, a Class of 2022 Biotechnology student from Arlington, aspires to work in the medical field – possibly in immunology or oncology – and searched for a “co-op” job placement to match her big dreams.

She found it at the Mass. General Brigham Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center in Charlestown, where she works for course credit as part of Minuteman’s Cooperative Education Program for the 2021-22 year.

Choroszej dove head-first into the experience – being the youngest person in the research lab, working alongside accomplished medical researchers and graduate students.

“One of the technicians told me, ‘I didn’t know about any of this stuff when I was your age,’” Choroszej said. “It helped me remember that I am still learning, and you get more experience as you go along.”

Students in the co-op program generally spend every other week at an off-site job connected to their career technical education (CTE) major for course credit.

Choroszej is assisting a small team of medical researchers with experiments on iron levels in the immune system – something that could have an impact for people with iron deficiency.

“We’re looking at the relationship between cellular iron and the immune system,” she said. “If we know that having an iron deficiency impacts the immune system in a certain way, that could impact what kind of treatments we give people.”

Choroszej’s other area of interest is oncology – cancer research and treatments – due to having family members who were treated for cancer, the desire to help others, and the science behind it.

“The way we approach cancer is very different from a lot of things and that’s why it’s so deadly. It’s the body attacking itself,” she said. “Most people know at least one person with cancer.”

Choroszej said it was a big adjustment to transition from a high school classroom to a high-ranking medical research laboratory but described is as “an invaluable learning experience” with supportive colleagues.

“The people there are very accommodating,” she said. “I learned that if you go in and keep trying, keep putting your best foot forward, and are passionate about what you’re learning about, you can’t really fail.”

As of April 2022, Choroszej had been accepted to five universities for the fall of 2022. She is leaning toward choosing the University of Massachusetts Boston but is still awaiting more information before making a final decision.

At Minuteman, Choroszej is on the varsity girls’ soccer team, vice president of the Minuteman chapter of SkillsUSA, president of the Interact Community Service Club, a Student Ambassador and was a Peer Leader.

At the lab, Choroszej works for Dr. Bobby J. Cherayil, an associate professor of pediatrics for Harvard Medical School.

“Having Trinity in the lab reminded me of what it’s like to take on something new and exciting,” Cherayil said. “It was an educational experience for all of us. For her, it meant trying to master a completely unfamiliar subject; for us, it represented an opportunity to learn how to communicate scientific information effectively. I hope that I’ve been able to help in a small way with her academic development.”

Three students from Minuteman High School’s Early Education and Teaching career major are working at The Goddard School for the 2020-21 school year: Nick Casey of Lexington, Caspian Barrett of Bolton, and Autumn Sivits-Camara of Watertown, who are all seniors. The students are receiving course credit through the Cooperative Education program, also known as “co-op.” They have also worked at Minuteman’s Colonial Children’s Academy childcare center.

“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, ever since I was in preschool,” Sivits-Camara said. “My dream is to be a lead teacher [at Goddard]. It’s amazing I can work there and do.”

“I’ve seen them grow into some wonderful teachers,” said Jenny Casey, Assistant Director for the Goddard School of Lexington. “To watch them figure out how to approach a situation with the children, then seeing them gain skills and build their confidence, has been wonderful. Caspian, Nick, and Autumn have become a very important part of our Goddard family.”

The Minuteman students provide a range of support for the Goddard teachers and staff – everything from changing diapers to reading books and helping with arts and crafts projects.

“All of the young kids have unique personalities, and they’re just so fun to work with,” Barrett said. “They have their own ideas, ambitions, and personalities even at a very young age. It sounds obvious, but they’re like little people.”

Now that he is a senior, Casey said it’s rewarding to reflect on caring for young children for four years. He’s worked at Minuteman’s Colonial Children’s Academy (CCA) and the Bright Horizons childcare center in addition to Goddard.

“I love seeing them grow,” he said. “When I saw kids graduate from CCA my junior year, that was a great moment. It highlighted for me how far they’ve come and learned to adapt to situations.”

“It’s great to see the lightbulb go off when you teach them something,” Sivits-Camara said. “That’s why I do what I do.”

Following graduation, Sivits-Camara plans continue working for Goddard and study early childhood education through Post University; Barrett plans to attend Framingham State University to study early education; Casey was accepted to six colleges and universities and is deciding between University of New Hampshire and University of Massachusetts Lowell to study business. He played football and basketball at Minuteman.

Well known for its pristine landscape, wildlife, and preservation of nature, the Newton Cemetery and Arboretum has a rich history of providing tours for nature enthusiasts and an immaculate final resting place.

Students in Minuteman’s Horticulture and Plant Science career major can work at Newton Cemetery and Arboretum for course credit through the school’s Cooperative Education program, also known as “co-op.” Seniors Drew Humberstone, of Needham, and Sam Cerqueira, of Watertown, are working there during the 2020-21 school year.

“I like being outside and using machinery. I like being around plants,” Cerqueira said. “My mom had a garden, my grandfather was a farmer. My first job was at a garden center.”

“I love and really enjoy working outdoors,” Humberstone said. “It’s kind of a natural bond between human and nature.”

Cerqueira and Humberstone do a variety of work, including pruning of trees, brushes, and plants; chipping away brush; felling and planting trees; and general maintenance, including brush and storm clean-up.

“It’s definitely given me a break from sitting in front of a computer all day,” said Cerqueira, while reflecting on remote and hybrid learning of the past year.

The Newton Cemetery and Arboretum is one of the few accredited arboretums in Massachusetts. It was created during the garden cemetery movement of the 1800s, which strove to create park-like cemeteries using a natural landscape. With 100 acres of open space, Newton Cemetery and Arboretum serves as an oasis to a diverse ecosystem in an urban area – with hundreds of trees and a natural pond system, along with species of turtles, frogs, chipmunks, various types of birds, and deer.
 

“We are thankful for the work of the Minuteman students and to support the growth of arboriculture and horticulture professionals,” said Nate Burke, Lead Arborist for Newton Cemetery and Arboretum. “Minuteman students bring passion to this work through their prior hands-on experience, which benefits the cemetery and arboretum greatly.”

Both Cerqueira and Humberstone are members of the Minuteman chapter of the Future Farmers of America.

“The co-op has definitely given me great hands-on experience,” Cerqueira said. “Learning how to fix something when it breaks, giving me an incentive to keep my grades up, balancing my schedule – all of that was because of co-op.”

Cerqueira is attending Plymouth State University in New Hampshire this fall to study environmental science and to play football. He was accepted to four other colleges. Cerqueira was a football and lacrosse player at Minuteman; he also launched a weight-lifting club.

Humberstone was accepted to Purdue University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Agriculture; he is still deciding where to attend. Humberstone was the president of the Ski Club at Minuteman.

A family-run business for nearly 50 years, Wheaton Electrical Service of Waltham is a full-service electrical contractor specializing in high-end residential and commercial installations and repairs.

Wheaton Electrical continues to provide hands-on work experience for students in Minuteman High School’s Electrical Wiring career major through the Cooperative Education program, also known as “co-op.” Seniors Nick DiNush, of Lexington, and Jake McKelvie, of Acton, are working there during the 2020-21 school year.

“I joined Electrical because I love working with my hands,” McKelvie said. “On co-op, I’ve done a bit of everything. I’ve wired pool pumps to dryers, all the way up to generators and houses. There’s no lack of work.”

The students work on a variety of tasks for both residential and commercial jobs, where they learn how to interact with and accommodate customers.

“Making my own money has made me more mature,” McKelvie said. “Right now, I’m working to buy a truck, a Ford F250. I don’t need to ask my parents for money anymore.”

DiNush described the satisfaction of participating on a new home construction project from start to finish.

“At first, there was no dry wall. After a couple months, you see the progression on the house. When the drywall is up, you can go in and finish and put on the plates and fixtures. That’s when you’re proud of yourself because you can say, ‘I did this. This is my work,’” DiNush said.

“We are very lucky to have Jake and Nick working with us at Wheaton Electric,” said Stephen Wheaton, President of Wheaton Electric. “We can’t wait to have them on full-time after graduation. They’ve been a great help and they’re getting important work experience at the same time. It’s been a win-win situation.”

DiNush played football, basketball and baseball at Minuteman. He plans to work for Wheaton Electric full-time after graduation

McKelvie played hockey, lacrosse, and golf. He plans to work for Wheaton Electric in the summer and enlist with the U.S. Marines. He hopes to become a firefighter and emergency medical technician.