Randy Thornton, principal of Milo Adventist Academy in Days Creek, Ore., was faced with a challenge. Students needed summer jobs in order to be able to return to school in the fall, but there was a smaller budget with which to pay them.
Thornton and his administrative team responded as usual when faced with challenges. They prayed for guidance and started thinking “outside the box.” He talked with summer staff to determine how many students were necessary to care for the campus and summer guests while school was not in session. Then he checked with the finance manager to see how many students required summer work as part of their financial plans.
After encouraging as many students as possible to apply for positions at Big Lake Youth Camp, Oregon Youth Rush and companies near their homes, Thornton still had many students who needed summer work, so he started connecting with his contacts around the state.
While attending a community function, Thornton reconnected with friends and former colleagues from Laurelwood Academy in Jasper, Ore., who identified a need at Laurelwood for additional student workers to maintain their extensive agriculture program for the summer. He arranged for a group of Milo students to work there during the week, then going home or returning to Milo for the weekends.
An Adventist family with a lengthy history of supporting Adventist education is sponsoring other landscaping and housekeeping jobs for Milo students at a resort on the McKenzie River.
On-campus summer jobs at Milo include agriculture, food service, animal care, assembly and packaging, secretarial, hospitality, custodial, landscaping, and maintenance.
Junior Alex Miller says, “The summer work program has created great opportunities to form memories and develop and improve work skills that will last a lifetime.”
Having students on three campuses for the summer means a lot of extra work for Thornton and many hours on the road driving back and forth, but he feels it's worth it. “Support of this work program from friends and family has shown me that Milo is truly a ministry of the Oregon Conference community. We couldn’t do it without this kind of team effort.”
For more information about Milo, email Kathy Hernandez.
Freshman KarrLee Miller and sophomore Makayla Frost water young strawberry plants in the Milo greenhouse.
Freshman KarrLee Miller feeds the hungry chickens that will soon be providing eggs for the cafeteria.
Freshman Moriah Scarbrough assembles sensors.
Sophomore Makayla Frost cares for chickens during the summer work program at Milo Academy.
Junior Brynna Scarbrough builds a wall for the community produce stand.
Juniors Elisha McDermott and Alex Miller move irrigation pipes.
