ACE Needs Mechanical Engineers!

By Angela Gottula (SeattleWA@acementor.org)

ACE students tour a building under construction in the U District, checking out the mechanical systems on the roof. ACE is a great way to introduce students to careers in the building industry, including mechanical engineering. Photo courtesy the ACE program.

The ACE Mentor Program of Washington is recruiting Puget Sound area mechanical engineers to serve as mentors for the 2024-2025 program. If you are not familiar with ACE, it is an after-school extracurricular program that pairs students interested in A/E/C fields with professional mentors who guide them through a design challenge for the built environment. About 400 students from 75+ area high schools participate every year, many of whom go on to college to study A/E/C careers and even come back and mentor with ACE as adults.

Mentors undergo a background check, participate in training and orientation, and join with many other mentors to create a full “design team” to guide students.

In terms of commitment, mentors can anticipate volunteering at 15 two-hour sessions with students that run from November to May. Mentors introduce the students to mechanical engineering and then guide them through the mechanical design on a mock project. Projects in the past have included an aquarium, fire station, or historic preservation library.

Here are what some local mentors are saying about their experience:

  • “Mentoring with ACE is always fun, especially when watching how quickly all the students recognize concepts. I personally enjoy showing students that mechanical engineering is more than just robotics, as well as showing them how much thought, coordination, and effort goes into every construction project. I highly encourage any mechanical engineer who wants to give back to the community and the future of our industry to volunteer.” Spenser Petherick, P2S, Inc., Seattle
  • “I’m truly inspired by the understanding high school students show on complex HVAC topics. As a mentor, I have found it professionally fulfilling to break down the concepts into digestible pieces and teach the next generation about a field that often goes unnoticed. I would encourage any mechanical engineer to consider volunteering with the program.” Michelle Fouard, AEI, Seattle

There are 70+ affiliates around the country, and the Washington affiliate has student teams in Seattle, Bellevue, and Tacoma. There has been interest in ACE teams in Bellingham, Spokane, TriCities, and the peninsula, and any potential mentors who are interested in helping establish ACE in these geographic areas are welcome to mentor with the virtual ACE team for a year to get an understanding of the program.

To register for ACE, please visit app.acementor.org, or to find out more email the ACE executive director at SeattleWA@acementor.org. Please share the opportunity with your colleagues and your firms! Applications are being accepted for all of September, and ACE hopes to have the mentor teams assembled by mid-October. Mechanical engineers are needed!