Construction Student Takes His Trade to Help Rebuild Hurricane-Devastated North Carolina

When Hurricane Helene struck in 2024, it left hundreds of homes across North Carolina in ruins. One Construction Technology student at the Oakland Schools Technical Campus—Northeast took action.

Aaron Spicuzza, a senior at OSTC-NE and Waterford Mott High School, spent a week in Black Mountain, North Carolina, volunteering to help rebuild homes destroyed by the storm. He traveled with a group of 19 volunteers from the Auburn Hills Christian Center from October 11 to 19.

While there, Aaron helped rebuild the subfloor of a home belonging to Linda, a resident who has been displaced since the hurricane. Her home is one of 256 still in need of rebuilding; to date, volunteers have completed 80.

Aaron said groups of volunteers have been rotating weekly to continue the recovery efforts and that he plans to return next year. “My eyes were opened as to how other people live in disaster areas,” he said. “There is still a lot of work to be done.”

While much of the town’s central area has recovered, many surrounding communities continue to struggle. Aaron’s experience demonstrates how OSTC students are applying their technical skills,m and compassion to make a real difference beyond Michigan.