CSU alumnus Tom Kotula and engineering student Jon Hauserman used their mechanical engineering knowledge to convert a small sailboat to a solar powered row boat and have begun a 2,000 mile journey from Cleveland to the Florida Keys. Along the way they'll be stopping to do work for Habitat for Humanity. WKYC TV 3 broadcast their story and has a link that will allow viewers to keep up with the students' journey. They also have a website at www.Habitatcrew.com.

Tom is a graduate of CSU and Jon will be finishing up his senior year when he returns to campus in August.

Both students were members of CSU's rowing team. And both are embarking on a journey that is the epitome of engaged learning and giving back to others.

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From WKYC Cleveland, June 7, 2009. Tom Kotula found a way to combine his passion for rowing with his desire to serve others.

"Now being young and having the time, I wanted to go out there and actually make a difference," Tom says.

So Tom, 25, a former Cleveland State University rower from Willowick, took a leave of absence from his job as a mechanical engineer to convert an old sailboat into a row boat, which will be his home away from home for the next six months as he rows from Cleveland down to the Florida Keys.

"I figured if I just sleep on board a boat, then you don't have to pay anything," he says.

At cities all along the way, Tom will dock his boat and volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.

He says his 2,000-mile trip breaks down into three months of rowing and three months of working.

Joining Tom for the first two months of the row is friend Jon Hauserman, former Cleveland State rowing teammate and Parma resident.

"I think it will be a really good life experience," Jon says.

Since Jon, 22, has to return to Cleveland State for his senior year, others will join Tom for the remainder of the journey.

As for making the trip happen, both Tom and Jon credit family and friends with helping build the boat and offering financial and moral support.

That support was on display on launch day Sunday at the Cleveland Rowing Foundation. A gathering cheered Tom and Jon on as they pushed back from the dock and put oars to water for what promises to be the voyage of a lifetime.

To see the story as broadcast, click here.

© 2009 WKYC-TV