Congratulations to Yulien Liz, 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 in the role as their local student chapter president.
Yulien is a Mechanical Engineering student at Fairleigh Dickinson University who anticipates graduating in December 2025. He is an active member of his student chapter, where he has served as both Vice President and President. He has interned with MCAA member companies Binsky & Snyder, A&A Industrial Piping, and Mid-Atlantic Mechanical.
“My involvement in the Fairleigh Dickinson Student Chapter has significantly enhanced my skill set. Despite having a background in the technical side of HVAC before college, my participation in the chapter transformed my knowledge base. Through working on the student chapter competition my freshman year, I acquired skills in estimating, scheduling, and logistics for a real construction project. Then, the following year, I utilized those skills with the rest of our returning team to create a stronger proposal which resulted in a top-four national placement. As the current student President, I continue to learn new things in every meeting and have expanded my professional network through interactions with local MCA professionals, which ultimately led to securing valuable internships.
The MCAA student chapter has provided me with essential mechanical contracting skills, networking opportunities with professionals, experience in public speaking at the national level, exposure to business travel, and leadership experience in guiding a team. Once I graduate, my intention is to give back by becoming a local mentor and supporting upcoming students in the same way I was helped. I deeply appreciate the value of this experience and am enthusiastic about providing guidance to future students.”
MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Yulien 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.