Soldier Gets Deployed While Painting His House. 40 College Students Finish The Job

October 26, 2017

KAKE News

William Cookson recently started painting his house, but before he could finish the job, orders came in for Cookson to deploy to Kuwait with his Kansas Army National Guard unit.

College students in the Diesel Technology Program at the Salina Area Technical College got word of Cookson's deployment and decided to finish the job.

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Diesel Instructor Mike Parker said all 40 of their students volunteered to help paint.

"We're just trying to come out here and help somebody in the community that needs help," Parker told KAKE News.

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Vice President of Instruction, Stephani Johns-Hines said this volunteer work also helps prepare students for life after school.

"We want them to have professional skills, soft skills, time management skills, but also to become contributing members of society in community engagement ways," she said.

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Student painter Austin Workman told KAKE News that he's grateful for our military members.

"They're giving up their freedom and their time to take care of our rights," he said. "This is our way of giving back."

"Not a lot of us college kids got a lot of money but we do have a lot of time."