WANTED: HOUSES TO PAINT

College students make a couple of summertime house-painting programs work

By Mikel Kelly

The Times, Apr 9, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Submitted photo / Times Newspapers

Scholls-area resident Christine Fowler, a student at Oregon State University, poses with one of her College Works Painting signs. Fowler is one of several local students hoping to make money and gain experience through student-operated painting programs.

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Christine Fowler of Scholls wants to paint your house this summer.

If you live in the Beaverton area, that is.

One of numerous college students scrambling for a way to make some money – not to mention acquire some valuable life experience before they’re turned loose on the world – Fowler is a business administration major at Oregon State University, and she’s signed up to be a branch operator for College Works Painting this summer.

What that means, said Fowler, is that she is about to start hiring painters and market people to work for her this summer and will then begin booking homeowners needing their houses painted.

“We’re just trying to get started with our spring break,” Fowler explained late last month during a visit to the Times office. “I’ll be going back to school this term,” she added, then diving into the painting contractor business when school lets out.

“In a few weeks here I’ll be looking to hire painters,” she added. “They will all be trained by Sherwin-Williams. They’re our partners this year, so we get all of our supplies through them.”

‘Such a good program’

This is Fowler’s first year with the College Works Painting program. She heard about it from recruiters who visit the college campuses in search of managers and painters for the summer. She liked the sound of it from the very beginning.

“I knew this was a great opportunity to get some real-world experience,” she said. “This really is such a good program.”

And, she added, it fits her personal goals and major to a T.

“For me, it was a perfect fit,” she said. “Right now, the way the job market is, yeah, it’s great if you have good grades, but you have to have the experience.”

Fowler’s direct number, for those interested in working for her in the Beaverton area, or for homeowners looking to hire a painting crew, is 503-449-4756.

For other opportunities in the local area, though, College Works Painting has other branch operators to contact. They include Chad Etzel and Ashley Wong in Tigard; Stephen Alexander in Tualatin; and Chad Miller in Sherwood.

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