Kaitlin’s final reflection

Polyhouse has been quite the experience. I knew going into this it would be a lot of work and like every other student in this class I never realized it would be as much work as it really was. Looking back on it all I have learned a lot about projects, teams, and construction. My favorite part of it all now is looking at the news reports that say we remodeled a bathroom for Caleb, got an exterior steel structure, and even had time to throw in a new kitchen! Oh if only they knew! Now that I bring this up I would love to thank the donors that help specifically with that kitchen. It was such a last minute plan that required more attention that I ever expected. Those who donated their time and supplies put up with me having no clue what everything meant and all the pieces involved in just that one area of the house. To the rest of the donors you as well did some incredible things. This is as much your project as it is ours seeing as we could not have done anything without your support.

Overall I loved this experience. Near the end of our build weekend I was exhausted but there was one thing that made it all worth it. The following weekend I was working on my senior project and got a text that read “I am moving into my new kitchen and I LOVE IT!!! Thank you!!”. That reminded me exactly what this was all for. The pain and suffering I complained about for two weeks makes the life of the Todd family that much easier. When explaining it to friends I would say our main goal is to make a better home to facilitate a better lifestyle for Caleb and his family. All of my struggled for that short time means years of an easier life for the family. For that statement alone every little bit of this was worth it!

Thank you team, Liz, donors, and the Todd family for trusting us with your home. I will never forget Ruby’s face when I told her we were going to YouTube how to install a toilet! It is all working and this has truly been a successful last quarter for me at Cal Poly.