In 2021, Aidan Connolly came to Yestermorrow with a basic understanding of construction, having worked for a carpenter in high school for three years. Still, his interest in design and carpentry was in its formative stages. A chance mention by an interior designer he had met and a visit to the Tiny House Festival at Sugarbush sparked his curiosity. What he found at Yestermorrow was more than just a learning opportunity; it was a community steeped in collaboration and curiosity.

“I was drawn to the hands-on, holistic approach,” Aidan recalls. “It wasn’t just about building something; it was about understanding the entire process.” This approach, coupled with the welcoming atmosphere made Yestermorrow stand out in contrast to the sometimes intimidating world of construction.

Aidan began his Yestermorrow journey with the Tiny House Design/Build Certificate, a hybrid course blending an online design period with an intensive on-campus build. This experience of designing and constructing a tiny house was followed by the 2022 Semester in Design/Build program where he and his peers designed and built a full-scale residential home for a Waitsfield client from the ground up.

“The semester was intense,” Aidan says. “We went from design to construction, working closely together. It was a blend of technical skills and deep collaboration.” The process taught him more than just how to frame walls or wire electrical systems; it provided him with a new perspective on teamwork and communication.

Although Aidan already had basic skills in carpentry and construction, the semester-long experience taught him everything he now knows about design and electrical wiring, advanced framing techniques and how to streamline the measuring and cutting process. But perhaps the most important skill that he learned was how to work within a client’s vision with a team of diverse coworkers. He recalls, “Everyone's at various skill levels. Some people have never swung a hammer before, and some people have built a full house by themselves.”

Aidan’s Yestermorrow experience is a testament to the power of hands-on learning and community collaboration. “It was incredible,” Aidan reflects, “we spent weeks designing, redesigning and then constructing a house from the ground up. Seeing our collective ideas come to life was incredibly fulfilling.”

Today, Aidan works with the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO),  a non-profit organization that addresses key issues of economic, social, racial and environmental justice, and empowers individuals to attain economic independence. There, Aidan manages the mobile home repair program where he helps local residents write applications for home repair, identifies the repairs needed, and helps to further develop and refine the program itself. Though his role has shifted from building to administrative work, the lessons learned from Yestermorrow about meeting people where they’re at, and the power of community collaboration continue to inform his personal and professional pursuits today.

For those considering a Yestermorrow course, Aidan offers a piece of insight: “You’re going to learn a lot more than you think you will. The skills you gain will be transferable in ways you might not expect, and the community you become a part of is invaluable.”

(Pictured Above: The Finished 2022 Semester Class Project)