MCAA’s Career Development Committee Welcomes Its Newest Member, Sabrina Pavlova, Former GreatFutures Student

March 9, 2023

Today we spotlight one of our members that started out as a student and now sits on the national MCAA Career Development Committee! 

Meet Sabrina Pavlova with Spring Field Engineering Company (SECO) in Springfield, MO. Sabrina first joined the industry as a student at Missouri State University as part of our career development initiative. After graduating in 2022 with a Construction Management degree she began her internship with SECO and transitioned to a full-time position with them after graduation.  

For Sabrina it was more of a who, than a what, that brought her to the industry. One of her undergrad professors, Jacob Nelson, got her involved in the MCAA Student Competition one year. The competition piqued her interest in the mechanical industry and MCAA. “The coolest thing I’ve been involved in with the industry has been the MCAA Student Competition. Through the competition, I had the opportunity to travel, meet new people, and learn about exciting projects happening across the United States,” shared Sabrina. Jacob continued to mentor her and assisted her with locking in an internship with SECO. 

Sabrina’s story continues to inspire as she has come full circle and now sits on the MCAA’s National Career Development Committee. “It is such an honor to be a part of a national committee. It all happened so fast, I’m still in shock a little bit,” Sabrina shared in addition to some advice for any student or female hoping to one day sit on a committee; “Make sure you get involved as much as possible. Make sure you take every opportunity to network with others and get your name out there. It is a very small world, and you never know when someone you’ve met could help you reach your goals”.  

When asked what she loves about the industry, Sabrina shared; “I love the mechanical industry because we bring comfort and ease to people’s lives. Our work is often times disregarded, hidden behind walls and above ceilings, but without the systems we install and maintain, people would still be using outhouses and fetching water in buckets. Not to mention the importance of piping systems in life preservation (hospitals & clinics) or food/medicine production (manufacturing facilities).” 

Sabrina urges females entering the industry to not be intimidated. “The guys try to be intimidating and impress you with their knowledge, but there’s no need to feel inferior. We all start somewhere and most of them are just trying to figure out where you are to know how to meet you in the middle.” 

Be sure to join us in Nashville June 12–14, 2023 at the 3rd annual Women in the Mechanical Industry Conference.

Related Articles
MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show connects our contractor members with the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.…
A decision to expand their workspace led J.M. Brennan to use Stratus to create a digital workflow that dramatically improved efficiency on the shop floor. After about two months, the investment had paid for itself with tremendous time savings, primarily in spooling. Integrating Stratus into the workflow not only transformed internal processes but also overall efficiency.…
There is no time like the present, especially when it comes to hiring for interns and full-time employees post-graduation. Although May 2025 seems light-years away, it is at the forefront of students’ minds right now! MCAA resources and the GreatFutures Job Board provide inspiration and a way to connect. Read on to learn more about them and how they can benefit your company. …
The 2025 dues rates for construction and service hours will increase to $.10 per labor hour effective January 1, 2025. The minimum dues assessment is based upon 12,000 hours ($1,200) per branch office, and the maximum assessment is 300,000 hours ($30,000) per branch office. New dues reporting forms will be provided in advance of the January 1 date. Watch MCAA.org and the National Update for an announcement.…
Load More...