Congratulations to Daniel Kellen, one of two recipients of the first ever Robert T. Armistead Memorial Scholarship. This $5,000 scholarship was established by Armistead Mechanical, Inc. and the family of Robert “Bob” Armistead to symbolize his leadership, dedication, and impact on the mechanical contracting industry. In honor of Bob’s service as MCAA President, the selected winners are required to have served as their local student chapter president.
Daniel is a Construction Engineering student at Iowa State University and is anticipated to graduate in May 2025. He’s an active member of his student chapter, served as president, and previously interned at MCAA Member, the Baker Group. For the summer of 2024, he will be interning at MCAA Member, Harris Company as a Construction Project Manager Intern.
“At my previous internship, I liked that many employees were graduates from the same program I’m studying. It made working with everyone very relatable. I also enjoyed that each new day I had something related to an actual job that I was working on. Every task I was given was important in some way to a real job. The fact that I was actively making a difference and gaining real experience in dealing with day-to-day problems in the construction world was extremely gratifying.
Mechanical construction is a niche area of work. I like the fact that the mechanical systems are like the nervous system of the building. Without them, you have a structure, but not much else.
In the future, I see myself working as an assistant project manager immediately after graduation, hopefully with a company I have worked with already. Five years later, I hope to be running projects of my own and helping more people. I believe the experience and responsibilities entrusted to me by the companies I have worked with in the past make me more than prepared to start working on more detail-oriented projects. If I didn’t have previous experience, I would have to learn the basics of working on a jobsite instead of progressing further along.”
MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Daniel on this prestigious scholarship and thank Armistead Mechanical, Inc. and the family of Robert T. Armistead for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.
