Students from Washington Lee High School use project boards to show their end-of-year projects.


and enlighten high school students to pursue careers in architecture, en- gineering and construction through mentoring and to support their con- tinued advancement in the industry.”


Paul Choquette III, President of ACE DC and Senior Vice President, Mid At- lantic at Gilbane Building Company, believes ACE provides a 360-degree value. He says, “ACE directly influ- ences at-risk youth, develops a much needed, energized workforce and creates powerful networking oppor- tunities for industry professionals. No other non-profit combines civic service, workforce development and networking so well.”


Here’s how they do it.


INSIDE THE ACE DC AFFILIATE


First organized in 2000, the ACE DC af- filiate has grown considerably in the last 16 years. It began with very little formalized structure, instead relying on the commitment of a small dedicat- ed group of volunteers working with a few students at two high schools in the D.C public school system.


Today, the non-profit organization is one of the region’s leading after-school workforce development programs. In 2015-2016, ACE DC mentors worked with around 150 students from 14 high schools in D.C. and the surrounding Maryland and Virginia counties. The organization awarded 14 scholarships totaling $56,000 to college-bound high school seniors planning industry-related careers.


In fact, the affiliate has awarded more than $530,000 in scholar- ships since inception. Its sponsors include a virtual who’s who of the D.C. metropolitan building and con- struction industry, including Gilbane Building Company, Saul Ewing LLP, Turner Construction, Clark Con- struction, Holder Construction, Hensel Phelps, The JBG Companies and many more.


The result of this one affiliate’s grass roots workforce development efforts is a steady stream of talented young people into the industry.


Jessica Baralt is one such student who joined ACE as a freshman in high school in 2007 and was a recipient of


the ACE Scholarship. She graduated in 2015 from the University of Virginia (UVA) with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture, and is completing her Master of Architecture at the Virginia Tech Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center.


After working at Page Southerland Page architectural firm between se- mesters, she was hired as a designer upon graduation from UVA. This fall, she begins her first year as a volun- teer mentor for ACE DC.


When asked why she’s returning to ACE as a mentor, Jessica says, “I hope to reciprocate the encourage- ment and guidanc e that mentors offered me as a student


in the


program. The experience of devel- oping interdisciplinary capstones project prepared me for the studio en- vironment in my studies as well as for my work at Page.”


Jessica says she values the collab- oration among students and profes- sionals from across the industry to engage in real-world opportunities that capture how design and con- struction make our lives better.


POWERED BY THE BLUE BOOK NETWORK - METRO DC & NO. VIRGINIA / FALL 2016


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