WLOX-TV and WLOX.com - The News for South MississippiPA High School Vo-Tech Students Using Skills To Help MS

PA High School Vo-Tech Students Using Skills To Help MS

D'IBERVILLE (WLOX) -- A group of young Pennsylvania volunteers will be spend their Easter holiday in South Mississippi. The high school vocational students are using what they've learned in class to help those in need.

After he puts up this ceiling fan, Raymond Gibson will still have a long list of jobs to accomplish.

"Breaker boxes, electrical panel," said Gibson. "I've been switching breakers. They're rusty and corroded, so we buy new ones. We get new panel covers. And we do fans, light fixtures, receptacles, switches and wiring."

Fifteen students studying plumbing, electrical work and carpentry at Mercy Vocational High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, are using what they know to make a difference in D'Iberville.

"It's great. It's on the job experience," said high school senior Andrew Taylor. "It's great for the work force and it's good training. It's a lot more fast paced. You don't have a teacher looking over your shoulder all the time. It sometimes can be more stressful. Sometimes more relaxed."

Mercy High is the only co-ed Catholic vocation high school in the country.

Chaperone, Marcy Strittmater, said, "We're founded by Katherine McCauley. She was the first Sister of Mercy and her whole thing is service so that's exactly what we do. We serve others."

This is the third time that students have come to serve South Mississippi. They say the first two trips went by too fast, so this year they adjusted their Easter vacation so they could stay longer.

High school student Matthew Carrigan said, "It was a great experience for us when we came down here last year. This year I'm very happy that we're down here for two weeks because we can get a lot more done."

"To come down here, meet these people and to see them smile," said Raymond Gibson. "To make a change in what happened to them, it's great."

The high school students are working through the D'Iberville Volunteer Foundation which plans to put on a big Easter lunch for dozens of volunteers on Sunday.

by Danielle Thomas