Madison Reporter

Vel Phillips Memorial High School and ACE Mentor of Wisconsin have joined forces to pave the way for student success in the architecture, construction, and engineering fields. In its second year, the ACE Mentorship program is proving to be a valuable resource for students, offering mentorships, internships, and scholarships.

Three Memorial seniors, Lila Hadfield, Aliena Sakk, and Fred Speidel, were recently awarded $5,000 scholarships each for their participation in the program over the last two years. This opportunity included engaging in weekly meetings with industry leaders, listening to guest speakers, and collaborating on a final design project as a team.

Aliena Sakk expressed her enthusiasm and pride in receiving the scholarship, which she plans to utilize for her aerospace engineering studies at Iowa State University. Reflecting on her experience, Sakk highlighted the benefits of the ACE Mentorship program, stating, “I feel like I’m a step ahead of other people my age. You meet so many mentors, and it’s super helpful to learn about their jobs and the steps they took to get there.”

The final design project, focused on the Nolan Waterfront Development at Olin Park, provided students with a hands-on opportunity to simulate a professional environment. Working in specialized teams, students meticulously crafted a detailed design, considering various factors such as soil quality, structural weight restrictions, and cold weather piping systems. The culmination of their efforts was presented to ACE professionals at the Element Lab at University Research Park, showcasing the students' dedication and creativity.

Sakk emphasized the real-world applicability of the project, noting, “The project was realistic to what working in the real profession would be, working with multiple teams to achieve the same end goal.” Despite the challenges faced during the process, Sakk expressed excitement about her future in engineering, highlighting the valuable lessons learned through the mentorship program.