Category: JRGF

Beyond the Classroom – The Importance of an Internship

In this month’s Beyond the Classroom, meet University of Missouri-Columbia graduate, Paige Theby. She has recently started as an Engineer at MCAA member, Murphy Company. You can reach Paige’s full story HERE.

As a past MCAA Student Chapter member and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering major, Paige talks about the importance of her internship and the opportunities she sees for people starting out in the industry. She shares how MCAA GreatFutures can help kickstart a career through networking and internship opportunities.

Upcoming Beyond the Classroom videos will showcase how MCAA student chapter members and MCAA members alike are benefiting from the program. They will also share the opportunities available to students who choose careers in the mechanical industry.

Purdue University Student Chapter President Accepts Second Internship with Harrell-Fish

Colin Hindman has accepted a second summer internship with MCA of Indiana member, Harrell-Fish, Inc. (HFI). Colin is a junior studying Construction Management Technology at Purdue University where he is the President of the MCAA Student Chapter.

Harrell-Fish Internship

Colin reflects on what he will be doing during his internship:

I am continuing to work with the Project Management team in their Construction Division. I shadow and assist the PMs with their projects while also getting some projects of my own to manage under supervision. I also help out in estimating on occasion. I found the opportunity to work for them [Harrell-Fish] originally by being introduced to the VP by a family friend.

MCAA Student Chapter Involvement

As the Student Chapter president, Colin has been active with his student chapter:

Being a part of MCAA has both reinforced and built upon concepts I have learned in class, but most importantly on the job. My excellent experience working with HFI gave me a certain advantage when approaching the competition project. Conversely, the MCAA Student Chapter Competition taught me some valuable lessons that I’ve already been able to apply back in my internship.

Find other student chapter members like Colin by visiting mcaagreatfutures.org and previewing students’ resumes.

Cristina Cosma Named Educator of the Year

This year’s MCAA Educator of the Year Award was presented to Cristina Cosma of the Wentworth Institute of Technology. The award, including a check, honors her mentoring ability, industry knowledge and involvement, and her active participation in MCAA’s Student Chapter program activities.

The students of the Wentworth MCAA Student Chapter sponsored by the New England MCA, Inc. (NEMCA) said, “a mentor’s role is to provide guidance, advice, encouragement, support, and resources. Cosma checks off all of these boxes and more.”

MCAA Student Chapter members credit Professor Cosma for the chapter’s fast growth and success, noting that “She puts a lot of time and effort into this chapter to ensure that we get the most out of it.”

Cosma has worked with chapter members to coordinate fundraising and community service events, including working with NEMCA on the annual golf tournament and facilitating an HVAC project for a neighborhood church.

Under Cosma’s guidance, the students have placed in the top ten of the MCAA Student Chapter Competition for the past seven years. Cosma has also helped increase chapter membership. According to chapter members, “Getting new members into our chapter is always something we struggle with. 90% of the students in our chapter hear about it through taking classes with Cosma. She will always advocate for MCAA and all of the opportunities it gives us students. She pushes us to attend all of our schools’ club involvement fairs to try and present our chapter and get new students to join.”

Professor Cosma maintains close relationships with NEMCA members and NEMCA Executive Vice President, Stephen Affanato, which has given the students many opportunities. For example, she has connected students with MCAA members for internship and co-op opportunities that led to full-time positions.

Cosma has “created an amazing opportunity when it comes to the students making lasting relationships with industry leaders. At any event Cosma urges us to step out of our comfort zones and talk to as many contractors as possible.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Cosma on her accomplishments, her chapter, and her contributions to the industry.

The Wentworth students say, “we can’t begin to thank Professor Cosma enough for all the help she has given this chapter, we seriously owe all of our success to her guidance.”

Hailey Brennan Receives First Josam Endowed Scholarship

Congratulations to Hailey Brennan, the first recipient of the annual Josam Endowed Scholarship. Josam Company has established an annual scholarship to a sophomore in a MCAA Student Chapter, pursuing a degree in construction management, mechanical engineering or a similar field. Provided that all qualifications are met each year, the yearly recipient will continue to receive the scholarship in their sophomore, junior and senior year.

Hailey is a sophomore, studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. Hailey joined her MCAA student chapter last fall and has since attended the 2019 GreatFutures Forum and helped lead her chapter to the final four of this year’s MCAA Student Chapter Competition.

Hailey has had an interest in the industry since middle school and began taking engineering courses in high school. “It was my choice to pursue HVAC as well, which is what really drew me toward a career in the mechanical contracting industry.”

While in high school Hailey was active in SkillsUSA, a career and technical student organization. The organization helped Hailey grow confidence in HVAC courses, and led to her interning with a mechanical contractor her senior year in high school.

She continued to pursue her industry interests while at the University of Maryland, and wants to continue to pursue a career in mechanical contracting throughout her educational and internship choices as an undergraduate.

She recently accepted a summer internship with MCAA member, Poole & Kent Corporation, in Baltimore, Maryland, where she will be working alongside Project Engineers on a hospital jobsite. Hailey found the internship through her student chapter connection with sponsoring local affiliate, MCA of Metro Washington.  “The local MCAMW events have provided me connections for internships and I have been happy to volunteer at MCAMW events to meet more of the local MCAA community.”

Hailey says she has given thought to completing an HVAC apprenticeship after graduation. “With my experience in mechanical engineering and business, completing an HVAC apprenticeship would put me on my way to becoming a business owner in the mechanical contracting industry.”

The John R. Gentille Foundation congratulates Hailey Brennan on this prestigious scholarship and would like to thank Josam Company’s CEO, Scott Holloway Sr., for the commitment to supporting younger students to keep them invested in the mechanical contracting industry. 

Washington State University Student Accepts Internship at McKinstry Company

Dylan Sterling has accepted a summer internship with MCA of Western Washington member McKinstry Company. Dylan is a junior studying Construction Management and a member of the MCAA Student Chapter at Washington State University.

Dylan discusses what he will be doing as an intern this summer and how he learned about McKinstry:

I will be working as a project engineer this summer focusing on new construction projects, and will get an opportunity to participate is some of the prefabrication process as well. I wanted to try to get into an internship with a specialized MEP contractor. While at school I work with the Integrated Design + Construction Lab (ID+CL) on campus, and one of our current sponsored projects is to develop a comprehensive tenant engagement program for a new multi-tenanted building in Spokane that considers social interaction, occupant health, and building energy performance to reach the project’s net-zero goals.  Throughout this process I have had the opportunity to meet many McKinstry employees and really enjoyed the culture of the company.

I am very interested in the use of technology in this industry to reduce waste and help streamline delivery, and being involved in local projects has given me opportunities to explore these while still in school.

MCAA Student Chapter Experience

As a Washington State University MCAA Student Chapter member, Dylan has used his past internship and class experience to work on the annual MCAA Student Competition. His role with the competition has been focused on outlining the BIM and prefabrication capabilities of the project. Dylan says, “this led me to look deeper into the many ways that MEP contractors across the country are utilizing new technologies to help push the construction industry in a more sustainable direction. My past internship experiences helped me put together a proposal that described our use of BIM throughout previous projects, how we manage coordination, and how we utilize prefabrication to save time and money during construction.”

Being a part of the MCAA competition has allowed me to network with contractors from all over the country, building invaluable professional skills and relationships along the way. I am beyond grateful for the opportunities that the MCAA Student Chapter has offered during my time in the WSU Construction Management program.

Find other student chapter members like Dylan by visiting mcaagreatfutures.org and previewing students’ resumes.

Cypress College Becomes MCAA’s Newest Student Chapter

MCAA GreatFutures welcomes its 61st Student Chapter, Cypress College! This is the first student chapter sponsored by ARCA/MCA, and the first two-year technical school to be chartered as part of the MCAA GreatFutures student chapter program.

Professor Richard Hock serves as the faculty advisor for the ARCA/MCA Student Chapter Cypress College. Richard worked with Cheryl James and Dick Sawhill of ARCA/MCA and ARCA/MCA members to start the chapter and get students active and engaged.

The Air Conditioning & Refrigeration program at Cypress College offers both certificate and degree paths into the industry. You can learn more about the program by visiting the Cypress College page on MCAAGreatFutures.org.

Congratulations to Cypress College and welcome to the MCAA family!

Iowa State University Student Chapter Member Accepts Internship with Mechanical, Inc.

Kevin Waller has accepted a summer internship with MCA of Chicago member Mechanical, Inc. Kevin is a junior studying Construction Engineering and a member of the Iowa State University student chapter sponsored by the MCA of Iowa.

Kevin’s first contact with Mechanical, Inc. came last summer. He worked with one of the company’s field superintendents in the Chicagoland area while working for a local general contractor.

“Before attending the 2019 MCAA Great Futures Forum in Washington D.C., I researched companies that were attending the event and noticed that Mechanical, Inc. was one of them. At the Forum, I was able to meet and talk with MCAA and Mechanical, Inc. President Brian Helm. The following week, I had the opportunity to network with Mechanical, Inc. again, this time at the Iowa State career fair. I was fortunate enough to receive an internship offer from them in the following weeks.”

During the upcoming summer, Kevin will be working as a Project Engineer Intern at the company’s office in Westmont, IL.

“I’m very excited to apply my knowledge of mechanical systems and construction engineering to various projects this summer with Mechanical, Inc. The construction engineering program here at Iowa State has done a great job preparing me for many of the challenges I know I will encounter. While attending Iowa State, I have been heavily involved in the MCAA student chapter and I currently serve as a cabinet member. As far as my involvement in MCAA goes, I was able to participate in this year’s student competition. Through the competition, all of us students gained a lot of really valuable project management experience. Next year, as a senior with internship experience in the mechanical contracting industry, I plan on leading the Iowa State competition team.”

Kevin looks forward to attending MCAA2020 with his student chapter, where he hopes to continue building connections with MCAA members.

Meet Kevin and other student chapter members like him at MCAA2020’s Networking & Recruiting 360 event Wednesday, March 18, 9:00 am – 11:00 am. MCAA thanks Viega for sponsoring the event.

To preview students’ resumes and to see who will be in Maui, visit mcaagreatfutures.org.

Looking for Your Next Intern? Attract Top Talent with the New MCAA Internship Grants!

Starting this year, $500 grants will be offered to students who accept internships or full-time positions thanks to funding from the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF). MCAA members can use these grants to help them attract much-needed talent, and new interns will appreciate the investment in their success. This small gesture may be the beginning of a great future with your company.

Take it from Andrew Nguyen, who will be interning with The Bowers Group this summer. He said, “it’s both relieving and exciting to feel welcome in a field where I am new and unfamiliar, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Recruit at MCAA2020

Start putting this new recruiting tool to work at MCAA2020. The Networking & Recruiting 360 event on Wednesday, March 18, 9:00 am – 11:00 am gives you the opportunity to connect one-on-one in a reception-style environment to discuss full-time, internship and co-op opportunities within the industry. Students from top construction management and mechanical engineering programs will come with resumes in hand, so be prepared to find your next hire.

Paige Theby, a University of Missouri-Columbia graduate who recently joined Murphy Company said, “I think it’s really neat that they [MCA] are focusing on and teaching the younger generation about the mechanical contracting industry.”

MCAAGreatFutures.org Puts Talent at Your Fingertips

Can’t make it to MCAA2020? Head to MCAAGreatFutures.org to search for talent online. MCAA’s career-related website is committed to connecting our members with the best and brightest students who will comprise the industry’s future workforce. Search profiles and resumes by University, desired location or even a specific skill set like BIM or AutoCAD. A keyword filter allows you to zero in on those students who fit the bill.

Not finding a match? Try reaching out to our 60 MCAA Student Chapters. The chapter advisors are a great resource to help find the right person. And, MCAA members have exclusive access to post job openings on our job board.

How The New Grant Application Process Works

Once you find a prospective intern, check to be sure they’re a student in good standing at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or technical school. While MCAA encourages its members to give priority to students from the MCAA Student Chapter Program, this is not a requirement to receive a grant.

Each MCAA member company can submit up to two internship grant applications per year. Once an application is reviewed and accepted, MCAA will send a $500 Visa Gift Card to the member company so it can present the Gift Card to the student at the start of their internship. It’s a great way to show your company’s commitment to that individual’s future in the industry.

MCAA will follow-up with each company and intern to ensure the process and overall internship was successful.

MCA of Eastern Missouri Student Chapter Member Accepts Second Internship with SIEMENS

Kylie Nedelka, a mechanical engineering major from the University of Missouri-Columbia, has accepted a second summer internship with SIEMENS, a member of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council. Kylie found the opportunity at the 2018 GreatFutures Forum, where she met Kristin Junia, Program Manager at SIEMENS.

“We were traveling on the same bus to Disneyland and we struck up a conversation,” said Kristin. “I was impressed with her communication and how comfortable she was in new situations and invited her to visit us at the job fair the next day. When she stopped by our booth, we spoke more in depth about her education and the type of internship she was seeking, and we offered her a position with Siemens Smart Infrastructure (then Building Technologies). Ultimately, we identified a spot for her in our Seattle branch, where she worked primarily in the field.”

Kylie reflects on her experience with SIEMENS:

My summer internship with Siemens was incredible. I gained invaluable knowledge that has already helped me in my engineering career. Going into the internship, I was nervous that I would be overwhelmed with new information, but thanks to MCAA, I was familiar with certain subjects that I dealt with in my internship. Siemens company culture made me feel immediately welcomed. Everyone was willing to take the time to teach me, and I could apply this new knowledge to actual Siemens projects. I was truly a part of the team. 

The first five weeks of my internship was spent in the office with the engineering department. My main project was USPS service migration from insight to desig0. My last five weeks, I worked as a field technician at a data center. This experience was very rewarding because I got to do hands-on work that led to a better understanding of HVAC systems.

My experience was so great, that I have accepted a position as an engineering intern for this upcoming summer! I look forward to the new experiences to come!

Kristin Junia said, “Kylie has made a positive impact in our business. We are excited that she will be returning this summer, this time in our Chicago branch. In this role she will be more office-based, focusing on building automation system design and integration. She will work alongside our engineers to identify gaps in engineering and create an action plan to address needs. We want Kylie to experience different roles and responsibilities within Smart Infrastructure so that she is able to determine where she sees herself in the future.”

Hiring a Summer Intern? Apply for the NEW Internship Grant Funded by MCERF

MCAA’s student internship grant process has changed! For 2020, the focus is on the intern to give them the best opportunities possible with MCAA member companies. Five-hundred-dollar grants will now be offered directly to students who accept internships or full-time positions, with funding from the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF).

Having MCAA interns working at member companies is a win-win for the mechanical contracting industry. Employers get top talent and build a pipeline of future employees. Students gain experience, create connections, develop skills and further their interest in mechanical contracting. In paying the student instead of the employer, MCAA’s goal is to increase the overall number of interns and drive the overall number of talented employees accepting full-time positions with MCAA member companies after graduation.

Be the Next Internship Success Story

In 2019, MCA of Indiana member Freitag-Weinhardt, Inc. used an internship grant for Indiana State University student Jonathan Dang. He will join the company full-time following his December 2020 graduation.

Jonathan noted that, “one of the things that made a career in the mechanical industry so appealing is the investment in students and their futures.” The new 2020 internship grants help further show a company’s investment in young talent like Jonathan.

Read more about Jonathan’s experience as an intern with Freitag-Weinhardt here.

How does the new grant application process work?

The MCAA member company will first ensure a prospective intern is in good standing at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or technical school. While MCAA encourages its members to give priority to students from the MCAA Student Chapter Program, this is not a requirement to receive a grant.

Each MCAA member company can submit up to two internship grant applications per year. Once an application is reviewed and accepted, MCAA will send a $500 Visa Gift Card to the member company so it can present the Gift Card to the student at the start of their internship.

MCAA’s Director of Career Development, Harlee Mooney, will follow-up with each company and intern to ensure the process and overall internship was successful.

Start your search for top talent today!

MCAAGreatFutures.org gives members access to student profiles and resumes. The profiles are searchable by university, desired location, and even a specific skill set, like BIM or AutoCAD. A keyword filter allows users to zero in on students who fit the bill.

Not finding a match? Try reaching out to our 60 MCAA Student Chapters. The chapter advisors are a great resource to help find the right person. And, MCAA members have exclusive access to post job openings on our job board.

Help build our industry’s GreatFuture – apply for a grant!