Congratulations to Braidyn Hudson, one of the two recipients of the Alan P. O’Shea Memorial Scholarship. The Mechanical Contractors Association of New Jersey established these scholarships to honor the memory of Alan P. O’Shea, it’s former Executive Director, and to memorialize his many contributions to the mechanical contracting industry. The scholarships were presented by David G. Strobino (MCA of New Jersey President) and Phil Petillo (MCA of New Jersey Executive Director) at the MCAA25 Awards of Excellence Breakfast in Austin on March 5th.
Braidyn anticipates graduating from Indiana State University in May 2027 with a degree in construction management. He has been active in his student chapter since 2023 and has held the positions of Treasurer and Fundraising Chair. This summer, Braidyn will be interning with MCAA Member, BMWC Constructors.
The opportunities the student chapter gave me these last few years were amazing. I had a chance to travel to the 2024 MCAA Convention in Orlando due to my active involvement with the competition. There, I was able to meet so many people, many who I was able to reconnect with in Seattle at the GreatFutures Forum this past fall. Being involved in the competition and getting help from our industry advisors allowed me to get insider knowledge into the industry before other students in my school. I know this knowledge will allow me to succeed and advance in my career.
Outside of school, MCAA helped me get an internship at BMWC Constructors last summer and plant the seeds of good relations between myself and others in the industry as well.
Five years from now, I expect to be in some sort of project engineer position immediately following graduation. This is the position I have been exposed to the most through my internships. I’m pursing a double major and getting an accounting degree as well as my construction management degree. This was done to gain the knowledge of how to properly handle a company’s finances and budget a project. I hope the experience I will have gained while in school and with the student chapter will allow me to advance at an escalated rate within a company. Depending on what areas I enjoy the most in the industry, I could also see myself in an estimating position as well.”
MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Braidyn on this prestigious scholarship and thank the MCA of New Jersey for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.
