At a glance
Twenty-one students from Alfred State’s electrical construction and maintenance electrician program braved the wintry weather last month to honor friend and fellow student, Trevor Randall, who died in a recent car accident, by completing one of Trevor’s unfinished service projects in their spare time.
Twenty-one students from Alfred State’s electrical construction and maintenance electrician program braved the wintry weather last month to honor friend and fellow student, Trevor Randall, who died in a recent car accident, by completing one of Trevor’s unfinished service projects in their spare time—spending two Saturdays wiring the new Bolivar town highway barn. Professors Steve Kielar, Calvin O’Dell, and Dan Noyes were also involved in the project.
“Mr. Kielar came to me and told me Trevor had been working on a project near his hometown and they needed someone to finish it,” said student Daniel Napolionello, of Valley Stream. For Daniel and many of the other students in his class, Trevor was both a friend and an inspiration—a young man who worked hard and went out of his way to help others. ”Pretty much everyone in the class wanted to be in on it from the beginning. It wasn’t hard saying we’d give up two Saturdays for him because of the impact he had on all of us.”
Trevor started the project after hearing about it from his instructors, who’d been approached by town officials with the opportunity for a service project. Although unable to fit the project into the curricula, faculty in the electrical construction and maintenance electrician program knew of one student who’d be willing to put in the time and effort—Trevor Randall, a native of the Bolivar area.
“Trevor was already an incredibly hard-working, dedicated professional and he hadn’t even graduated yet,” said Steve Kielar, an instructor in the program and a resident of Olean. “We knew he’d get the work done and do a great job.”
“It was pretty amazing how, throughout the whole job, we knew Trevor had taken it all on by himself. It might have taken him a full month going five days a week, but he would have done it,” Daniel said.
Trevor was only able to work on the project for three days before a car accident claimed his life, but his fellow students were more than willing to step in and finish the project in memory of their friend. These 21 young people completed wiring the entire structure, from inside and outside lights to the electrical panel, all in just two 10-hour days.
The students also created and sold bracelets, the proceeds from which will go toward a memorial bench outside Bolivar-Richburg Central School in Trevor’s honor.
When asked, the students say they simply hope the project helps keep Trevor’s memory alive. “I hope people realize how good of a guy he was and how much of an impact he had on the whole class and the program,” Daniel said. “This wasn’t a job we were hoping to be recognized for. It was just for Trevor.”
Back row (from left to right): Brad Schiralli, superintendent of highways town of Bolivar; Dylan Loney, Massapequa; Tyler Vanderbilt, Williamson; Brandon Hayes, Freeville; Joshua Lenahan, Woodhull; Evan Sutterby, Sterling; Dalton MacMyne, Binghamton; Nathan Kulak, Grand Island; Nathan Andres, Sandusky; Michael Drago, Brooklyn; Alex Ortiz, Bolivar; Shane Kehlenbeck, Shortsville; Robert Park, Depew. Front row (from left to right): Steve Kielar, instructor electrical construction and maintenance electrician program, Olean; Timothy Monahan, Fairport; Daniel Napolionello, Valley Stream.
Not pictured: Conner Fox, Phelps; Mathew Henkel, Clarence; Dylan Snyder, Penn Yan; Kevin Morsman, Bolivar; Joseph Kurch, Buffalo; Candice Westmorland, Lockport; Danel Bowen, Bolivar.