ROXBURY — Thousands of volunteer hours and dollars go into every home constructed by Morris Habitat for Humanity.

But only one was built by high school students on their own campus before it was transported by truck and crane to its final address.

On Wednesday, two Roxbury High School graduates who helped to construct the modular home revisited their work — now on a corner lot on Edith Road — along with local officials, neighbors and a small horde of media as the family chosen for the home cut a ceremonial ribbon on the front porch and invited everyone inside.

"It's awesome, only something we would imagine for a little bit in class," said 2022 graduate Elliott Brown. "We could picture it, but seeing it finished, seeing it all done, I can't believe I'm looking at it right now."

Samuel Tadesse and Senait Tessfaye were there in May when the two pieces of their new home were lowered by crane onto a foundation built by Habitat volunteers. The couple, who live in Orange with their three children, ages 10, 7 and 3, emigrated from Ethiopia and married after settling in the United States 13 years ago.

They tried for five years to qualify for a Habitat home. Once accepted into the program, they poured 450 hours of their own sweat equity into the build, just one of many requirements for Habitat families.

"This is not a handout, this is a hand up," said Morris Habitat Director of Family Services Loretta Rivers.

"Thank you God and thank you all for coming to support this family," Senait said. "We are so happy and excited, so grateful for this day."

"The first thing I saw walking down the street were the huge smiles on this family's face," state Sen. Anthony Bucco said while he toured the home. "That says it all about what this project means to the community."

The three-bedroom, two-bath modular ranch was constructed by Frank Caccavale's Structural Design and Fabrication class. Seeking to give his students a unique hands-on learning experience, Caccavale approached Morris Habitat in 2019 about partnering on a home build right at the school.

The class of 2021 got it started. The class of 2022 completed the two separate portions of the home, which were lifted by cranes onto flatbed trucks in May for the 6-mile trip across town.

"I'm humbled and grateful to call this beautiful house a home," Samuel said. "In the current housing market, it was impossible to put a roof over my family."

After its arrival, volunteers completed the work, including landscaping and an outside stairway to the ground-level basement and garage. The family will move their belongings into the home in about two weeks.

"I can tell you I never learned so much in high school," said Corey Smith, who went directly into construction work after graduating in June and hopes to become a crane operator. "I still remember the day we started. To see it now all put together is amazing. It's a beautiful thing to see the family here and know we built a house for them."

More than $100,000 of donated materials went into the build, not including the cost of the land, which was donated by Roxbury.

"It took 50, 100 people, even more, to make all this happen," Caccavale said. "One of the neatest things about this for me is that the family that's moving in here, their kids will eventually come through our high school. So it's very possible and we are hoping they will be in my class in a few years, and they can work on a home for another family."