MDG Gives Back – ACE Mentor Program
Written by: Kristy Buttermore
Recently our team had two incredible opportunities with the ACE Mentor Program of Northeast Florida, to bring some students out in the field for a hands-on experience.
On our first outing, students from Pedro Menendez High School joined MDG Project Manager Chris Buttermore, PE, and Project Engineer Dylan Scanlon, EI at the site of St. Johns Marketplace. The team kicked off the visit by introducing what the company does, and explaining the process of a typical project while reviewing a plan set. The team went into the details of St. Johns Marketplace master development, which is a unique project for MDG – this master planned site features a large land area that developers can come in later and develop individual parcels with a lot of the engineering work already done ahead of time. The team also talked about the specifics of some of the parcels that are already being developed, including Beaver Toyota, Hyundai, Best Bet, and an RV park. Students had the opportunity to walk down new roadway extension and learn about how a stormwater pond and control structure operate, as well as the other utility features they passed while walking the site.
The second trip brought students from Creekside High School’s Career Academy to the future Beachside High School, led by Project Manager Alex Acree, PE, and Project Engineers Dylan Scanlon, EI and Ted Clark. For this site visit, Dylan went through the set of our Engineering Plans for the new high school and went into key details on how the plans became reality from lift station calculations to initial permitting through construction. Along with the Contractor Management, the team spoke in detail about the project. Unfortunately, the weather prevented a walk through the construction site with the group. However when it came time for Q+A, we were thrilled that many students wanted to hear more and asked a lot of great questions!
The ACE Mentor Program mentors high school students in architecture, construction & engineering, and we are proud to help support the awesome work they do in inspiring and growing STEM students. A special thank you to our mentors and volunteers who continue to dedicate their time and knowledge to help students engage in their future career paths!
