Economics 101: Each time Rappahannock County High School (RCHS) senior Ryan Atkins leaves campus to work on an air-conditioning unit or heat pump, he represents the concept of supply and demand.
Part of a national trend, more than half of Atkins’ fellow seniors said they were interested in entering trades like his HVAC work — welding, heavy machinery operations, plumbing, electrical — according to the school’s counseling staff.
Fueling these career-bound interests are scholarships granted by the Rappahannock County Lions Club, part of an expansion of educational funding by the 67-year-old service club’s foundation.
Rappahannock County Public High School senior Ryan Atkins takes measurements with a test gauge and recharge manifold from an HVAC unit. (Photo/Luke Christopher)
Atkins, 18, is one of six scholarship recipients from RCHS who took the first of four HVAC certification courses last fall with Lions’ funding at Laurel Ridge Community College’s Skilled Trades Center in Warrenton. He’ll finish the second night course in July. This year, four others are getting certified in plumbing; three more in operating heavy equipment and one getting certified as an electrician.
Atkins joins his father Tony Atkins, owner since 2001 of Stratford Heating and Air in Sperryville. The senior Atkins confirmed that the need for well-trained and educated people entering the trades in the last five years has become dire. He’d been looking for a qualified assistant for several years — with no luck.
“Ryan has been helping me on and off since he was very young, so he already had a lot of knowledge and familiarity with HVAC,” said his father. “But part one of the HVAC trade class teaches many basics such as safety, introduction to different trade tools and their uses, and a basic HVAC history.”
“It’s definitely been either hot or cold mostly,” quipped his son, “but when you get used to it, it’s not too bad. It’s enjoyable, especially working with my dad.”
Rappahannock County Public High School senior Ryan Atkins returns to the work van having taken measurements with a test gauge and recharge manifold from an HVAC unit. (Photo/Luke Christopher)
Students’ experiences
Two other RCHS students, who received Lions Club trades scholarships to go to Laurel Ridge, shared their experiences.
Ryan Cvengros, 17, a senior, took welding and small engine repair at the high school and completed a Heavy Equipment Operation (HEO) course at Laurel Ridge.
“It went very well,” he said. “The simulators were a great way to learn to operate the equipment. The instructor had the class go out and work on real construction equipment. The class also included resume writing and near the end of the course seven construction companies came to meet with and interview the students for jobs.”
Cvengros is awaiting word of employment with any of these companies.
Gavyn Jeffries last Oct. in a shop class at RCHS. (Photo/Luke Christopher)
Gavyn Jeffries, also a senior, took classes to obtain certificates in welding and building trades at the high school. He recently completed a Heavy Equipment Operator (HEO) course at Laurel Ridge and was offered a position at Shirley Contracting Company in Lorton as a result. “The Heavy Equipment Operator course was a good class with a good teacher,” he said. “All of the class got along well and bonded with each other.”
Programs such as these have proven to have increased economic benefits. A recent story in Harvard Magazine reported that one such program called ADTC achieved a median wage gain of over $17,000 for its more than 1,100 graduates.
For years, the Lions Club has awarded scholarships for students entering two and four-year college programs, committing $24,000 in the 2024-25 school year. Of that amount, the club has awarded $12,472 in 11 trade scholarships during that year. Also, the Lions’ foundation provided a combined $880 for four students attending the Health Sciences Academy, a program administered through a partnership between Valley Health System and Laurel Ridge.
The previous year those totals were $14,000 in college financial aid and $3,353 in the trades’ Dual Enrollment program which allows students to take classes in high school and at Laurel Ridge.
New ‘Patron of the Trades’ program
Besides raising philanthropic funds to support education, the Lions Club foundation has launched a new “Patrons of the Trades” program. The idea: Each patron commits to fund one student for $1,200, which will pay for the dual enrollment. As of this report, eight such donors have signed up, raising a total of $10,800. One patron is funding 2 scholarships.
“We would talk to tradesmen and they couldn’t find any helpers,” said Larry Grove, who chairs the club’s Scholarship Committee and will step down from the Rappahannock County School Board this fall. “They couldn’t find anybody to work that knew what they were doing. And then Laurel Ridge opened their new trades building and it was a no-brainer that we would try to support and encourage young people to go into the trades.”
Jim Racer that Racer Construction offices at the Washington Schoolhouse. (Photo/Luke Christopher)
One participant in the patron program, Town of Washington resident Fawn Evenson, said she donated in honor of her brother, Phillip Q. Kiely. According to Evenson, her brother had a less than stellar academic career in high school, but found success after he learned carpentry and became successful in real estate with properties in several states.
“I’ve been watching this trades program for a long time,” she said. “When they came up with this sponsorship, I said, ‘absolutely.’ I’m doing it to honor my brother.”
Other members of the trades community commented on these efforts to bring more eyes to the trades.
Lindsay Kincheloe of KCS Heating and Air of Manassas said she hopes to hire some of the students once they graduate. “They’re getting experience while they’re still young and I think it’s getting them more excited for what happens after high school when college might not be your path moving forward,” she said.
Jim Racer of Racer Construction in Washington said he has hired students during the summers. Racer is also a member of the Rappahannock Lions Club. “We’ve gotten so far behind that I think it’s going to take us years to catch back up [in the trades],” he said. “I think it’s a great program that the Lions are funding, that there is a spotlight on it.”
