The ACE Mentor Program provides an opportunity for professionals in the architecture, construction, and engineering industries to introduce high school students to what they do and inspire them to pursue careers in design and construction.
Wessler Engineering, Inc. has been involved with the ACE Mentor Program’s Indianapolis Chapter since 2007.
I have had the privilege to serve as a mentor from 2007 – 2009, and 2014 – 2015 at George Washington High School on the west side of Indianapolis.
Ryan Brauen was a mentor from 2009 – 2011, and Dylan Lambermont from 2011 – 2014.
A mentor commits to bi-monthly meetings for the first half of the school year, visiting various sites and mentors’ offices, and weekly meetings for the second half while working on a project.
The 2014 – 2015 ACE Mentor project consisted of a fire station at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Students and mentors toured the IMS Facility, an IFD fire department, and the Butler Fieldhouse during renovation to provide students with real-world information to apply towards the development of their project.
The fire station project was developed through tasks including site design/development, building layout and interior design, and construction staging and sequencing.
The year concludes with the students, along with the other Indianapolis area ACE high schools, presenting the final project at a banquet.
ACE financially supports the student's continued success through scholarships and grants, which are awarded at this dinner. Since 1994, ACE has awarded over $14 million in scholarships.
“It is a great program that provides students direct exposure to the architecture, construction, and engineering fields, and lets kids know there are professionals out there that believe in the importance of their success.”