By Sophie Webster, Habitat Vail Valley intern
We love recognizing those who give their time, energy and passion to our mission. One of these special teammates is Jimena, the construction team’s high school apprentice — who deserves all the praise we can give.
Jimena was a senior at Eagle Valley High School during the 2024-25 school year when she got involved with Habitat Vail Valley through Vail Valley Partnership’s CareerWise program, a two-year student apprenticeship program. They can earn college credit, benefit from an hourly wage and gain real-world experience. With the goal of becoming an architect, Jimena decided this opportunity was the perfect introduction to the construction world. From day one, she was thrown into a multitude of projects, including carpentry, landscaping, painting, drywall and electrical work. Jimena thrived at the opportunity to learn about anything and everything.
She said, “I got a taste of almost everything that construction is about. I am ever so thankful for that experience. Not many can say they’ve done a little of everything, and I am glad that, as a woman at my age, I can say, with confidence, that I have. Because I took the job at Habitat, I know more than I ever thought I would.”
Jimena accomplished much to be proud of — perhaps most impressively, she, along with the rest of the team, completed the carpentry of 16 homes in less than a year. These types of accomplishments change our valley’s trajectory, creating housing opportunities for our neighbors. Jimena’s work, and her can-do attitude created positive change: She planted the very roots of people’s futures.
She said, “Not only have I enjoyed being able to read the plans and get a feel for how plans work, but I also got to see a home have its first four walls and help put those walls up. It was the start of everything exciting that came after. It made the concept of a home into a physical home that would soon have many memories.” Jimena was a huge contributor every step of the way, and we are so thankful to have had her talents on the jobsite.
Jimena was also an instrumental part of the team and deeply appreciated by her colleagues. Kelsie McKenna, project manager, said, “Jimena is an incredibly hard-working and bright young person and has been invaluable to our mission here at the jobsite. She has grown immensely in her year with us and shows incredible promise for her future.”
Doug Amberg, the Director of Construction, also sang her praises. He said, “Jimena has become integral to our team. It is with a certain bittersweetness that we see her off to her next challenges… The vitality, positivity and dedication she has shown to her coworkers and volunteers will be missed, but I know it will serve her well in school and her professional future.”
Jimena was a priceless addition to the team and will be greatly missed by everyone who had the chance to work with her.
While Jimena is sad to leave, she’s ready to continue her learning as an architectural student at CU Boulder. She said, “I will miss seeing all the people I made good friends with. I’m going to miss seeing all the partner families happy and ready to move into their homes. But most of all, I am going to miss all the crew leaders and our times where we worked together, and the day was filled with nothing but laughs.”
We will miss Jimena, and we are grateful for everything she has accomplished during her time with Habitat. Through her hard work and dedication, she learned skills she can carry with her forever. She made a lasting impact in our community.
We wish Jimena the very best as she continues her journey with construction and architecture, and we cannot wait to see all the amazing things she will do. Thank you, Jimena!
