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MCA of Indiana Student Chapter Member Finds Full-time Position with Freitag-Weinhardt, Inc.

Jonathan Dang has accepted a full-time position with Freitag Weinhardt, Inc., in Terre Haute, Indiana. He is interning for the company while he completes his studies at Indiana State University, where he is pursuing a B.S. in Safety Management with a minor in Construction Management. He will join the company as an employee after graduation in December 2020.

Jonathan, who is the president of the MCAA Student Chapter at Indiana State University, noted that “one of the things that made a career in the mechanical industry so appealing is the investment in students and their futures.”

He went on to describe the experiences that led to his career choice. “When I started to pursue my college degree, I did not know what I wanted to be. Until I was given the opportunity to go to my first MCAA GreatFutures Forum in 2018 in Anaheim. I never understood how amazing MCAA and all its members can be. From the latest technology to the passion of all the individuals there, I was awestruck and, at that moment, I was all in.”

Jonathan met Bob Moreland and Mark Ungar from Freitag-Weinhardt, Inc. at an MCA of Indiana event during MCAA19 in San Antonio. “They offered me an internship at their office, and I took it,” he said. “During my internship, I have learned how to do estimating, subcontracts, POs, and change orders, and I understand how people operate in the field.”

Jonathan also attended the 2019 MCAA GreatFutures Forum in Washington, D.C. He said, “No matter how many MCAA events I attend, I am always blown away by the fact that MCAA is willing to invest much of their resources in college students like me. I look forward to the future that MCAA is building.”

You can find student chapter members like Jonathan at mcaagreatfutures.org.

Please contact Harlee Mooney if you have questions about any of our student activities or the internship grants funded by the the John R. Gentille Foundation (JRGF).

Apply for the NEW MCAA Internship Grants Funded by MCERF!

For 2020, MCAA has updated its student internship grant process to focus on the intern and give them the best opportunities possible with MCAA member companies. Five-hundred-dollar grants will now be offered directly to students who accept internships or full-time positions, with funding from MCERF.

Having MCAA interns working at member companies is a win-win for the mechanical contracting industry. Employers get top talent and build a pipeline of future employees. Students gain experience, create connections, develop skills and further their interest in mechanical contracting. In paying the student instead of the employer, MCAA’s goal is to increase the overall number of interns and drive the overall number of talented employees accepting full-time positions after graduation.

How does the new grant application process work?

The MCAA member company will first ensure a prospective intern is in good standing at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or technical school. While MCAA encourages its members to give priority to students from the MCAA Student Chapter Program, this is not a requirement to receive a grant.

Each MCAA member company can submit up to two internship grant applications per year. Once an application is reviewed and accepted, MCAA will send a $500 Visa Gift Card to the member company so it can present the Gift Card to the student at the start of their internship.

MCAA’s Director of Career Development, Harlee Mooney, will follow-up with each company and intern to ensure the process and overall internship was successful.

Start your search for top talent today!

MCAAGreatFutures.org gives members access to student profiles and resumes. The profiles are searchable by university, desired location, and even a specific skill set, like BIM or AutoCAD. A keyword filter allows users to zero in on students who fit the bill.

Not finding a match? Try reaching out to our 60 MCAA Student Chapters. The chapter advisors are a great resource to help find the right person. And, MCAA members have exclusive access to post job openings on our job board.

Help build our industry’s GreatFuture – apply for a grant!

MCAA GreatFutures Forum Helps Jump Start Student Chapter Member’s Career

MCAA congratulates Thomas Walsh for accepting a full-time position with U.S. Engineering Innovations. Thomas is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. He was a presenter in the MCAA19 Student Chapter Competition Final Four in Phoenix, Arizona where he also received the Reilly Family Memorial Scholarship, sponsored by the John W. Danforth Company.

Thomas reflects on how his experiences with MCAA, the MCA of Eastern Missouri and his student chapter helped him find his great future in the mechanical industry:

My experience with the MCAA student chapter was instrumental in helping me find full-time employment in mechanical contracting. I first met U.S. Engineering at the 2018 MCAA Great Futures Forum in Anaheim with the Missouri-Columbia student chapter where I applied for an internship. During interviews for this internship, I was able to speak at great length about my involvement in the MCAA student chapter and the annual competition. The interviewees were very impressed with my work on the competition and how easily it translated to the work they do every day as mechanical contractors.

I had the opportunity to present part of Mizzou’s competition proposal on stage at MCAA19 in Phoenix which played a big role in helping me become a better public speaker and presenter.

My internship with U.S. Engineering was amazing. I primarily worked alongside Preconstruction Managers and Project Managers. One of the larger responsibilities I had was to put together a full mechanical bid from design documents for a potential project. I was also responsible for acquiring and reviewing quotes from vendors for large mechanical equipment. I shadowed project controls to learn more about scheduling and real estate to learn more about renovations. My internship with U.S. Engineering was primarily so rewarding, because I was able to pursue parts of contracting that I found interesting.

Because my internship was so rewarding, I accepted a full-time opportunity with U.S. Engineering Innovations. I will be returning to work with the same team that I interned alongside. At my full-time position, I will work as a Preconstruction Engineer creating bids and proposals, estimating change orders, and assisting in scheduling. I will also work as a project engineer to assist in logistics, procurement and quality control of our ongoing projects. I will have the opportunity to travel to some of our sites and assist in and experience construction in the field.

You can meet student chapter members like Thomas at MCAA2020. Don’t miss the Networking & Recruiting 360 event Wednesday, March 18, 9:00 am – 11:00 am. MCAA thanks Viega for sponsoring the event.

To preview students’ resumes and to see who will be in Maui, visit mcaagreatfutures.org.

Please contact Harlee Mooney if you have questions about any of our student activities or the internship grants funded by the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF).

Penn State University Student Finds Opportunities with MCAA

Molly Sizemore has accepted her second summer internship at Southland Industries, a member of the MCA of Metropolitan Washington.

She will be interning in the company’s engineering department, where she will work on mechanical and plumbing systems projects in Navisworks and Revit. Last summer, she saw the project management side of the industry as an intern on a data center project in Ashburn, Virginia.

Molly said, “working on a data center opened my eyes to understand different heating and cooling systems since they’re so MEP-heavy and mission critical. Southland has opened many doors of opportunity in the past year – one of them being MCAA.”

Molly learned about the opportunity to be part of a MCAA Student Chapter during her internship last summer. There, she met Lauren Boyle, a Southland Industries design engineer and a past member of the MCAA Student Chapter at the Pennsylvania State University, also known as Penn State. Lauren told Molly about MCAA and the resources that would be available to her.

Molly worked with her faculty advisor and her local association, the MCA of Central Pennsylvania, to help the Penn State University chapter gain momentum and even participate in this year’s MCAA Student Chapter Competition. She said, “Participating in the competition has been a really unique experience in my college career.”

Molly also attended the 2019 GreatFutures Forum in Washington, D.C., where she was, “…blown away by the friendly faces of both students and professionals along with the engaging and fulfilling content of the conference.”

Molly is looking forward to expanding her network before heading to Washington, D.C. for her internship.

“MCAA has definitely created a springboard for me into the mechanical contracting industry, and I’m very excited to continue this journey and get others involved,” she said.

You can meet student chapter members like Molly at mcaagreatfutures.org.

Please contact Harlee Mooney if you have questions about any of our student activities or the internship grants funded by the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF).

Student Chapter Competition Final Four Announced

Congratulations to our four finalists for this year’s Student Chapter Competition: Ball State University, Milwaukee School of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Missouri-Columbia.

The MCAA Student Chapter Competition drew a record 33 submissions this year.

Thanks to Fresh Meadow Mechanical Corporation of Fresh Meadows, New York for providing this year’s project details.

The project tasked students with developing a proposal to be the prime contractor on a chiller and cooling tower replacement project in the Penn South building in New York City. The project includes the completion of all plumbing, piping and HVAC, electrical, controls and any other work required to complete the project as described in the bid documents.

You can see the final four teams compete at MCAA2020 on Monday, March 16 from 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from these students’ insightful approaches to a real-world contracting bid!

The winners will be announced at the Awards of Excellence Breakfast featuring Joe Montana on Wednesday, March 18 at 6:30 a.m. The top competition prize is $10,000. The second-place team will receive $5,000 and the other two finalists will each receive $2,500.

Each of the other six teams in the top ten will receive a Certificate of Merit and a check for $1,000. Congratulations to those recipients:

Student Chapter Member Finds Internship Opportunity at the GreatFutures Forum

Andrew Nguyen has accepted a summer internship with MCA of Metropolitan Washington (MCAMW) member The Bowers Group, also known as W.E. Bowers. Andrew is a junior at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, studying Building Construction.

He shared that, “…attending The 2019 Great Futures Forum was my first experience with MCAA and my golden ticket into the mechanical contracting industry.”

Andrew first met members of the W.E. Bowers team at The Great Futures Forum Job Fair. “We had a great conversation where I told them about my interest to pursue a path revolving around technology within the industry,” he says. “One of the W.E. Bowers representatives mentioned that she could see if there could be an opportunity for me there with their BIM Coordinator. After the job fair, she notified me that there was an opportunity for me to interview for an internship at the Sterling, Virginia, office.”

During the interview, Andrew learned that he will be assisting with implementing new 3D modeling, fabrication, and product tracking software to help the company increase efficiency and organization. He also toured the company’s Beltsville, Maryland, fabrication shop.

Reflecting on his student chapter experience and his interactions with MCAA and the MCAMW, Andrew said, “My experiences with the MCAA are all filled with grateful memories of meeting people who generously continue to open doors for me full of opportunity and improvement. Everyone I meet is obviously passionate, not just about their profession, but also about introducing new generations into the field. It’s both relieving and exciting to feel welcome in a field where I am new and unfamiliar, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

He adds, “Working with my student chapter was an experience of personal and team development as well. The students within the chapter push and support each other as we all build our experiences and knowledge of the industry. In addition, the MCAMW have been our backbone as the team and I advance into the field by connecting us to the community and building up the resources we have available.”

You can meet student chapter members like Andrew at MCAA2020. Don’t miss the Networking & Recruiting 360 event Wednesday, March 18, 9:00 am – 11:00 am. MCAA thanks Viega for sponsoring the event.

To preview students’ resumes and to see who will be in Maui, visit mcaagreatfutures.org.

Please contact Harlee Mooney if you have questions about any of our student activities or the internship grants funded by the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF).

MCA Eastern Missouri’s Student Chapter Member Finds Full-time Opportunity at Murphy Company

MCAA congratulates Paige Theby, a member of the MCAA Student Chapter at the University of Missouri-Columbia, for graduating with a B.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. She is excited to start her career as an Engineer with the Murphy Company.

As part of her student chapter experience, Paige competed in the final four of the MCAA Student Chapter Competition at MCAA19 in Phoenix, Arizona. She also attended the 2018 GreatFutures Forum and the 2019 GreatFutures Forum in Washington, D.C.

Through her MCAA experiences, Paige says, “I have met so many professionals in different sides of the industry that I feel comfortable enough asking them questions and have them involved in our student chapter meetings.”

She was a Building Engineering Sales Engineer Intern for Johnson Controls in the St. Louis office, where she assisted the sales team with estimates, walk-throughs, and field surveys. The internship experience led Paige to know mechanical contracting was for her.

Paige reflects on the benefits of being a part of a student chapter and having the MCA of Eastern Missouri’s support in steering her in the direction of mechanical contracting.

“It has definitely taught me to get out of my comfort zone and get out of the traditional mechanical engineering job the university steers you towards, which is design, and not everybody wants to do design.

I think it’s really neat that they [MCA] are focusing on and teaching the younger generation about the mechanical contracting industry.”

At Murphy Company, Paige will be the first Engineer to go through their Inaugural Integration Rotational Program. She says, “I will spend a couple months in estimating, engineering, operations and BIM and at the conclusion of the program we will identify the best fit for me as a full-time position.”

You can meet student chapter members like Paige at MCAA2020. Don’t miss the Networking & Recruiting 360 event Wednesday, March 18, 9:00 am – 11:00 am. MCAA thanks Viega for sponsoring the event.

To preview students’ resumes, visit mcaagreatfutures.org.

Please contact Harlee Mooney if you have questions about any of our student activities or the internship grants funded by the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF).

MCA-Omaha Student Chapter Member Finds Internship Opportunities with MCAA Members

Last summer, Caleb Kowalski, a member of the MCAA student chapter at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, had the opportunity to work with Southland Industries in Las Vegas, Nevada. During his internship, Caleb performed various project management tasks on the site of a new hotel and casino.

“This gave me great insight into the industry by being a part of one of the biggest construction projects in Las Vegas. My team members at Southland Industries were great resources for me and were always willing to help me along the way, and I am grateful for this incredible experience,” he said.

This summer, Caleb will stay closer to home and intern for MMC Mechanical Contractors, Inc. in Omaha, Nebraska. As a member of their operations team, he will  be doing project management work at local job sites.

Caleb reflects, “while being a part of MCA-Omaha, I have been able to travel to multiple MCAA events, including the 2018 GreatFutures Forum and the 2019 MCAA Convention.”

Caleb received the William A. Bianco Jr. Memorial Scholarship at MCAA19. He was also recently elected as the MCA-Omaha Academy President for 2020.

“Since joining MCA-Omaha, I have had opportunities that I never thought were possible, and I know this is the industry for me,” he added.

MCAA congratulates Caleb on all his successes, and on finding his great future in our industry.

You can meet student chapter members like Caleb at mcaagreatfutures.org.

Please contact Harlee Mooney if you have questions about any of our student activities or the internship grants funded by the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF).

USC Graduate Found Career Path with MCAA & CPMCA Support

Kathy Deng, a Mechanical Engineering graduate from the University of Southern California, a past MCAA student chapter member, and a current Design Engineer at Murray Company reflects on her experiences in college and how MCAA and CPMCA helped guide her to her career path:

I obtained my B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Southern California (USC) in May 2018. Currently I am an Engineer in Training (EIT) at Murray Company, something I never would have expected before my senior year.

Many students at USC have already set their career goals by the time they enter college. Some of my mechanical engineering (ME) classmates had received job offers at the beginning of their senior year, and most of my ME friends ended up working in computer programming, aerospace, and the automobile industry. However, none of these areas excited me. I took some time to explore, working in a financial firm, joining a robotics competition, and taking programming courses and lots of aerospace classes. Yet, I could not find any passion in these fields. I felt lost.

During my senior year, one ME classmate asked if I would be interested in joining a construction competition. I thought it might be a good chance to explore different fields and so I joined. It turned out to be one of the best decisions in my life. It was so special to be a designer of part of the building, and I felt so accomplished. I found construction very interesting, but as an ME student, I felt a little bit out of place without a civil engineering degree.

That was until a few months later, I had the opportunity to go to the MCAA Annual Convention, where I met many students in ME, civil engineering and construction management. During one of the social events, the ladies in Women in the Mechanical Industry enlightened me about the value of mechanical engineers in construction.

I was encouraged and started looking for mechanical contractor jobs. Later in 2018, I volunteered at the CPMCA Technology Day event, where I had a chance to talk to CPMCA Executive Director Chip Martin. Surprised to hear that I was still searching for jobs in this field, Mr. Martin kindly shared my resume with several mechanical contractors. Not long after, Murray Company set up an interview with me, and eventually hired me to be a design engineer in their engineering department. I am so thankful to be working at this company with fun, supportive and knowledgeable coworkers and managers helping in my pursuit to be a Professional Engineer in HVAC, and I am glad that I can apply my ME knowledge in a field I am passionate about.

Thinking back, my winding career path was actually a great learning experience. I learned to make good use of every opportunity to explore new options and understand more about myself. Active participation in professional events, gaining the courage to connect and interact with people in the field, along with perseverance in pursuing your dream, all help open the door to a successful and satisfying career.

You can find current student chapter members like Kathy at MCAA2020. Don’t miss the Networking & Recruiting 360 event Wednesday, March 18, 9:00 am – 11:00 am. To preview students’ resumes, visit mcaagreatfutures.org.

Please contact Harlee Mooney if you have any questions about any of our student activities or internship grants.

MCAA Student Chapter Competition Has Record 33 Bids Submitted

The MCAA Student Chapter Competition received 33 submissions from chapters, including three from first-time participants Alfred State College, California State University, East Bay and Indiana State University.

Thank you to all the other MCAA student chapter that have submitted bids:

This year’s project details were generously provided by Fresh Meadow Mechanical Corporation of Fresh Meadows, New York.

The students have been tasked with developing a proposal to be the prime contractor on a chiller and cooling tower replacement project in the Penn South building in New York City.

The project includes the completion of all plumbing, piping and HVAC, electrical, controls and any other work required to complete the project as described in the bid documents. The student chapters are tasked with purchasing all equipment and materials and providing all necessary labor to compete the entire project scope.

The successful bidder will be required to coordinate the installation of their work with all other trades. This will include full BIM coordination with all other trades to locate and correct any clashes before fabrication or installation of any piping or ductwork. The contractor will be responsible for all costs related to any modification required for rerouting or relocation of any pipe or duct due to their lack of participation in the model clash detection exercise.

The teams will be notified if they made the Final Four by Friday, January 17. The Final Four teams will compete at MCAA2020 on Monday, March 16 from 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

The top competition prize is $10,000. The second-place team receives $5,000 and the other two finalists will each receive $2,500. The other six teams in the top ten will receive Certificates of Merit and a check for $1,000.

Members of the MCAA Career Development Committee will review and judge the bid submissions.

Please contact Harlee Mooney with any questions about the competition or student chapter activities.