After impressing many of the leading green architects on the continent at the Unconference in Seattle last May, two recent graduates of Jasper Jr./Sr. High School have received job offers from the Miller Hull partnership, a green architecture firm from Seattle. 

“I was hoping something would happen, but didn’t think something would happen this soon,” said Emily Fenton, who will join Adrian Butler for the next three weeks working for the firm.

Fenton and Butler were two of five students who attended the Unconference in Seattle last May, pushing ideas of sustainability from a youth perspective. They were invited after many of their ideas for Jasper were not included in the Jasper Community Sustainability Plan, and several contacts asked them to join the event.

All five students were asked to join the firm, however only Fenton and Butler could attend.

While at the firm, the duo have been asked to perform a youth audit.

“We’re supposed to criticize (the company) from a youth perspective what the firm is doing,” Fenton said.

The firm began after its founders David Miller and Robert Hull returned to Seattle after serving in the Peace Corps in Brazil and Afghanistan in 1977. They expanded the firm, and hired Scott Wolf as one of the lead partners. It was Wolf who invited the group to work for the firm this summer.

“He was so excited about our presentation, he went back to his firm and had this great idea to get the kids out,” Fenton said.

The firm does a lot of sustainable building, however Fenton said she isn’t sure what to expect.

“I’m so excited, but we’ve only been told a little bit about what we’re doing. We’ve been told to criticize the company,” she said. “It will be a fantastic learning experience in terms of learning about architecture.”

Jasper Jr./Sr. Teacher Adam Robb, who helped organize the trip to the Unconference, said he was extremely proud of the accomplishments of the Sustainability Team, and wishes the duo the best of luck on their trip.

The duo will also be house and dog sitting for one of the employees of Miller Hull, so housing has been taken care of. They will be paid for their work.

The Jasper Community Plan has come before council for approval, and should be finalized in the coming months. Fenton said she’d be willing to give a presentation on her experience with the firm, if there is enough interest.