Chilton High alumna helps with School District renovations

Prior to her graduation from Chilton High School in 2019, Haley Grube would root for the Tigers at home football games alongside her classmates.

Just four years later, Grube has been part of the design team which is carrying out referendum-approved, district-wide improvements—including construction of a new athletic facility which will be dedicated this Thursday afternoon, Aug. 17, prior to the Tigers playing their first football game there.

As an intern the past two summers for the architectural and planning firm of Hoffman & Associates, Grube has been involved a little with the athletic field project but more so with the renovation and design projects being done at the Elementary School. She has helped with ceiling design, wayfinding and assisting with staff interviews ahead of the project.

The daughter of Jessica and Christopher Grube has already earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Minnesota and will be starting to work this fall toward her Master’s Degree in Architecture at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

During her junior year of college she talked with a friend who had interned with Hoffman and decided to apply for an internship at the company’s Appleton office. After an interview she was taken on as an intern.

All that happened prior to Hoffman being selected to assist with the Chilton School District project. Grube confirmed that she was thrilled the day she found out the company would be assisting her alma mater on a major project and that the vice president of architecture wanted her to assist with it because of her Chilton connections. “My first thought was this timing couldn’t have been more perfect,” Grube said. She said the community has done much for her growing up, and now she would have an opportunity to give back.

Project Architect Todd Bushmaker said Grube has done very well as an intern and in her work on the Chilton project. “She’s enthusiastic,” Bushmaker said. “She has a lot of great ideas. It’s always great to see fresh ideas.” Bushmaker agreed that it was a great advantage to everyone involved to have a person with local ties assisting with this project.

A 30-year veteran in the industry, Bushmaker said, “We wind up with three to four interns every summer. We think it’s valuable for them and for us.”

Grube said her goal is to get her Master’s, become a licensed architect and work on small scale, community projects. She said she could see herself continuing her career with Hoffman & Associates, and Bushmaker made it clear that they would like that as well.

In the meantime, Grube said she plans to be in attendance at this Thursday’s ribbon cutting starting at 4:30 p.m. The public is invited to join in the ceremony which will take place behind Chilton High School at 530 W. Main St.

Tours of the facility will be given as well. The CHS football team will play its first game on the field starting at 7 p.m.

Among all the proud people who will be in attendance at Thursday’s events will be one alumna who knows she had a hand in improving the facilities of the Chilton School District.