RCHS seniors building stylish ‘she shed/man cave’

Spiffy shed to be auctioned in May

Two seniors at Rappahannock County High School (RCHS) have taken the lead on a semester-long construction project, building a fully-loaded “she shed/man cave” from the ground up to be auctioned in May.

The tricked-out shed will come equipped with several bells and whistles, including a wet bar, hand-built convertible furniture, electrical hookup and heat and air conditioning.

At the end of the school year, the shed will be sold at auction. The money raised will help recoup the costs of materials. Whatever is left over will be divided among the students and also go toward funding future projects according to Kristina Farnham, who teaches the Career and Technical Education (CTE) class at RCHS.

This is Farnham’s first full semester teaching the production systems class. She first thought the shed was too big of an undertaking. Then students Jacob Newlin and Lee Cash urged her to  reconsider. 

“The two seniors said, ‘Can we please do it this year?’ and I said, ‘I’m not sure I’m ready for that.’ They did beg and plead with me…so I bent and broke and agreed to the project,” Farnham said. “I think that this is going to be a magnificent project. And I think it’s really going to introduce the community, and maybe neighboring communities, to the things that we here at Rappahannock County High School can offer them as far as the shop.”

Newlin and Cash operate jointly as the “foreman” in the 13-student class, each leading a team of underclassmen on different tasks such as constructing the frame of the shed or measuring and cutting boards. Farnham said the two seniors have shown great leadership and people skills, and are getting a taste of what it is like to manage a team. The experience, she said, will give them a leg up when they enter the workforce.

“They are the ones running the crews with my guidance…But as far as delegating jobs to the younger students, they are responsible for that,” Farnham said. “They’re learning a lot. And actually, they’re really appreciative of this extra responsibility that they got.”

In previous years, Newlin said the class mostly focused on smaller projects like building small furniture or putting shingles on a shed, so this more involved shed project has been a fun change this semester.

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“We usually didn’t do something that big of a project, just more small stuff,” Newlin said. “It’s definitely been something to enjoy.”

Newlin said his dad worked as a contractor for several years, and he used to help him with projects and enjoyed working with his hands. After graduation, he plans to join the United States Marine Corps and work in combat support.

“Hands-on stuff is just what I like to do,” Newlin said. “Building stuff is one of my favorite things.”

Farnham lets the students take the lead. She said she wants them to feel they have a say in the construction decisions and design. She offers support and guidance, but said she usually likes to get ideas from the students. 

“If they feel like they have a say in how and what we include in this, they are more enthusiastic about building it,” Farnham said.

Cash said his favorite part has been working on the design plans and handling its challenges. Cash wants to go into engineering after graduation, and is deciding between Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia. He said the class is important to offer at the high school level because it helps students get a jump start on skills that will benefit them in many different career paths.

“When you get out into the field, it’s good to get those skills early, you don’t have to relearn them,” Cash said. “I want to be an engineer after college, so I think this [class] will definitely help with that.”

Farnham hopes to continue to work on large projects in future classes, and said ultimately, she would love for the program to be self-sustaining, funded by selling the items students build each semester. 

“If we can make some…if not all of it back with the projects and things that we do here, then that makes what we do here limitless as well,” Farnham said.

Farnham said  more information will be shared about the May auction through school social media and a notice in the Rappahannock News when an exact date is decided.

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