Most student projects made in Gallatin College Montana State University’s carpentry program are eventually disassembled, rebuilt into something new and then taken down again.
And again.
And again.
However, a special few each year stand the test of time. This year, those projects are providing winter shelter for calves at Rocky Boy’s Nation near Havre and housing pets of Bozeman residents seeking shelter from abuse.
“There are going to be decades of people that these organizations help and who’re going to benefit from the structures we’ve made,” said Frank Harriman, division director of building trades for Gallatin College MSU. “Having that opportunity is a growth period for our students and gives them a purpose.”
For the past three years, local nonprofits have requested pieces from Gallatin College MSU’s carpentry students, who earn a one-year certificate in the program. This year, students built two dog kennels for Haven, a Bozeman nonprofit for survivors of domestic abuse, and a calf shelter for Essential Eats Distributors, a Missoula-based nonprofit that provides resources — like cattle — for Indigenous-led programs on tribal lands.
Students completed the dog kennels in April as part of a framing class. The wooden structures were built to withstand harsh winters and become a resource for residents who don’t want to be separated from their pets while leaving an unsafe environment.
The kennels took shape over the course of 16 weeks, first in the carpentry studio on Gallatin College MSU’s Frontage campus, then in the lot behind the building as the frames grew taller. Students stomped on the shingled roofs to ensure the structures could weather winter storms, and Harriman watched their confidence grow.
“After finishing the kennels this year, students’ confidence was high, like 6-year-olds learning how to ice skate or something,” Harriman said. “If you can go into professional work environments with confidence in your skills, it can overshadow a lot of potential setbacks. I’ve seen it when I hired people in the industry for 25 years in the Gallatin Valley.”
Manny Cerkvenik, 25, joined Gallatin College MSU’s carpentry program in 2024 with no prior experience but secured a job with Martel Construction in Bozeman after his first semester. Now working for the company full time since graduating in May, he is helping lay the foundation for Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport’s east terminal expansion.
“Through the carpentry program, I was able to apply what I was learning in class directly to what I’m now doing at work,” Cerkvenik said. “It’s a good feeder system to get into construction if that’s what you choose for a career path.”
He added roofing and fencing to Haven’s dog kennels this spring once a crane deposited them at the nonprofit, where previous students had poured concrete flooring one year prior. The carpentry program also built storage sheds for Haven in 2022, which started the yearslong collaboration between Gallatin College MSU and the nonprofit.
Amanda Christensen, a 36-year-old who graduated with a carpentry certificate in May, said there was nothing more satisfying than building a project for the Bozeman community with her own hands.
When she helped hang doors and attach siding to Haven’s kennels, she imagined doing the same for tiny homes in the future. With a certificate from Gallatin College MSU and a sharpened skillset, Christensen has the confidence to potentially construct tiny houses for a Montana company or work for a school carpentry program, she said.
As an older student and one of the few women in the framing class, building camaraderie with her team was something Christensen didn’t expect. However, she said she soon found her “little buddies,” with whom she grew closer after their outdoor jam sessions, which involved rotating students’ playlists on speaker as they worked on the kennels.
“It was intimidating at first, because women have been told for a long time that carpentry is not for them, that they’re not capable or that this is men’s work, which is just not true,” she said. “At Gallatin College, the instructors are there to support you. They’re not getting frustrated and rolling their eyes when you make a mistake. That’s the goal: to learn something from your mistakes.”
Carpentry students also spent six weeks in the fall constructing a calf shelter before sending it to Rocky Boy’s Nation. Its metal roof and sturdy plywood siding is meant to weather the wear and tear of 1,000-pound cows, and it can be disassembled as ranchers move to new locations with their herds, Harriman said.
The woman who received the calf shelter this year is the oldest of five children and always wanted to start her own herd. In the fall, she sent Harriman a photograph of herself giving a thumbs up in front of her newly reassembled shelter.
Harriman said the carpentry program’s gift is one that keeps giving. Students are beginning to work for ranchers who started their herd with calves from previous recipients of Gallatin College MSU’s shelters, going back two years.
“We’re seeing that individuals receiving our projects are now giving to the next person,” Harriman said. “If we have positive impact on somebody, they’re going to make a difference for their entire community.”
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