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MCAA Celebrates National Intern Day – Post a Position Now to Get Ready For Fall!

National Intern Day falls on the last Thursday of July each year. This July 31st, in addition to posting about your company’s awesome intern experiences, consider posting to the MCAA Job Board to get a jumpstart on welcoming your next batch of interns or full-time new hires.

How to Post an Entry-Level Job or Internship

  • Login with an MCAA username and password. 
  • Click on the job board within the Career Development page. 
  • Click Manage My Jobs and Add a Job to create your posting. 
  • Jobs remain active for 1 month to ensure postings stay fresh. 
  • When the job is set to expire, a reminder will be sent for you to either “mark as filled” or “duplicate” and repost for another month.
  • Interested students can view postings and submit their contact information and resume. 
  • Your office will be notified via email when interested students submit their resume. 
  • From there, your office is encouraged to continue with your company’s application and interview process.  

Celebrating (Former) Interns

What’s better than an intern?  A previous intern who finds their employment home at your company full-time!

Congratulations to the following companies and former MCAA student chapter members for making the transition from intern to full-time new hire in 2024. 

Internship Grants

For Student Chapters: Let’s Hear About 2025!

Student Chapter Internship Grants are intended to offer additional support to student chapters that are connecting students with internship and full-time employment in the mechanical contracting industry.  Chapters are encouraged to utilize this funding to bring additional students to conferences such as the GreatFutures Forum or MCAA Convention. 

  • Applications available starting September 22, 2025 for calendar year 2025 interns or full-time new hires, funds distributed in March.
  • Due January 15, 2026.
  • Submitted by the Faculty or Industry Advisor – one application per chapter.
  • Up to $500 per intern (8-week minimum) or up to $1,000 per full-time new hire, funded by JRGF.
    • Photo must be submitted with the intern/ new hire on the jobsite, at the office, by a company sign, or in branded swag.
Student Chapter: Internship Grant Information

For Affiliated Associations: Show Support in 2026!

Intended to offer support for the development and growth of local student chapter programming that creates new employment opportunities or student inclusivity at events with potential employers, mentoring programs, or new student-focused resources.

  • Applications available starting September 22, 2025 for 2026 plans.
  • Due April 1, 2026 with notifications of acceptance in May 2026.
  • Submitted by the Affiliated Association Executive.  One application per Association, covering all related student chapters.
  • $5,000 grant (5 available), funded by JRGF.
Affiliated Association: Internship Grant Information

For Employers: Get Hiring for 2026!

The 2026 Internship Grants for employers are intended to offer support to companies that are new to offering internships, small companies, or those that are looking to grow their internship program.  

  • Applications available starting September 22, 2025 for 2026 planned internships.
  • Due April 1, 2026 with notifications of acceptance in May 2026.
  • Submitted by the company.  One application per company location. 
  • $1,000 grant (25 total available), funded by JRGF. 
    • 8-week internship minimum may occur anytime during 2026.  
    • Intern may be from any 2- or 4-year accredited college or university.  
    • Following the internship, a photo must be submitted with the intern on the jobsite, at the office, by a company sign, or in branded swag.  
Employer: Internship Grant Information

Part 2 Grants (Intern to New Hire Conversions)

While the Employer Part 1 / Part 2 Internship Grant Program was discontinued on January 31, 2025 in favor of the updated grant process of assisting multiple entities that support internships – student chapters, employers and affiliated associations, we are still in the process of closing out that program.

  • Part 2 Grants (Intern to New Hire Conversions) for $500 is in the final steps of closing out, with a firm deadline of December 31, 2025.  Listed new hires must have been included on a previous Part 1 list to be eligible.

Interested in Learning More About All Things Student Chapter?

Visit MCAA’s Career Development Initiative page to learn more about student chapter programming or the JRGF website to explore the work JRGF is doing to further education in the mechanical industry.  

Congratulations to Daniel Kellen, Recipient of the Ann Mattheis Memorial Scholarship

MCAA established an annual scholarship in 2024 in honor of the memory of Ann Mattheis, a former Director of MCAA’s Career Development / GreatFutures program. Ann’s dedication and contributions to building the GreatFutures program has left an enduring legacy for multiple decades of students and for the overall MCAA membership through her many roles with MCAA.

The second recipient of the scholarship is Daniel Kellen, a May 2025 graduate from Iowa State University. Daniel studied Construction Engineering and was an active member of his student chapter from 2022-2025. He served as Student Chapter President and interned with MCAA member companies Harris Company and Baker Group. This summer, he joined Harris Company full-time as an Assistant Project Manager.

“After having interned in both the mechanical and general contracting industry, mechanical construction is appealing to me because of the in-depth knowledge you can attain. Mechanical allows you to get into the finer details of a niche field and really become an expert in your craft. It is my belief that it is easier to have a specialized knowledge and branch out, than to start with a generalized knowledge and try to narrow down an emphasis later on.

Now that I’ve graduated, I plan to stay closely in touch with my former student chapter and advisor. One of the reasons the Iowa State Construction Engineering program is so successful is because of the close-knit community mindset among students and alumni. Every internship I have had, there has been at least one ISU ConE graduate working at that company. Every year there are numerous ConE graduates that reach out to the MCA chapter offering to give jobsite field trips, presentations, and employment opportunities. My hope is that I can do the same as an alumni; providing opportunities to learn and grow to MCA student chapter members whose position I was in when I was a student.”

The John R. Gentille Foundation congratulates Daniel on this prestigious scholarship and thanks MCAA for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.

Congratulations to Yulien Liz, Recipient of the EVAPCO, Inc. Engineering Scholarship

Yulien Liz was awarded an EVAPCO, Inc. Engineering Scholarship at the MCAA25 Convention in Austin, TX. This scholarship was awarded to two students ($5,000 each) whose goal is to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering or Civil Engineering, or a field of study relevant to mechanical contracting/equipment manufacturing that supports the mechanical contracting industry.

Yulien is a Mechanical Engineering major at Fairleigh Dickinson University and is anticipated to graduate this December. He has been an active member of his student chapter since 2022 and has held the positions of President and Vice President. He has interned at MCAA member companies Mid-Atlantic Service 360 and Binsky & Snyder. This summer, he will be returning to Binsky & Snyder as a Junior Estimator.

“I know this is a professional organization, but I can’t help but get personal when describing what I have gained from my experience with MCAA. I often tell new members that the value MCAA has brought to my life is immeasurable. During my time with the student chapter, I have learned technical skills that I could not have acquired in the classroom, significantly improved my public speaking abilities, and been given incredible opportunities for scholarships and internships. I’ve also taken on leadership roles within my chapter, all of which have contributed to my personal and professional growth. My journey with MCAA has shaped who I am today.

I have completed two internships and built a network of fellow students across the country, as well as forged strong relationships with industry professionals. The friendships I’ve formed with classmates through this program are invaluable; they will last a lifetime.

Looking ahead, I plan to remain actively involved in my student chapter and become a mentor for future members. I want to motivate and guide them, helping them achieve their own success in this field. I believe that by giving back, I can play a role in shaping the next generation of industry leaders, just as my mentors have done for me.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Yulien on this prestigious scholarship and thank EVAPCO, Inc. for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.

Congratulations to Jeffrey Woodard, Recipient of the DEWALT Patriot Scholarship

The DEWALT Patriot Scholarship was created to recognize two veterans, or those who are currently serving in the United States military, who have valiantly served their country and have chosen to enter a career in the construction industry. Thank you to DEWALT for honoring our military, and to our scholarship recipients for their service to our country. These scholarships were presented at MCAA25 in Austin, TX by Jon Howland (U.S. Navy Veteran) and David Steiner.

Jeffrey Woodard served in the US Navy as a Hospital Corpsman Third Class (Fleet Marine Force Enlisted Warfare Qualification). He served his country through multiple oversees deployments, displaced training exercises, a troop exchange, and as a permanent duty instructor for Jungle Medicine at the Jungle Warfare Training Center.

Jeffrey is currently studying Construction Management and anticipates graduating in May 2026 from the University of Nebraska. He has been an active member of his student chapter since 2023 and has served as the Competition Co-Chair. This summer, he will return to his internship with MCAA Member, Mainelli Mechanical Contractors.

“I really value the small size of the company I’m interning with and the family-oriented culture. Additionally, I’ve been lucky enough to work with the health care team, which is important to me given my background in military medicine. After graduation, I’d like to either end up as a project manager or an estimator. In a perfect world, I’d like to work as an estimator first, because I think that flushing out that skillset to the highest level possible would ultimately make me a better project manager.

Before joining my student chapter, I was unaware of what mechanical construction actually was. Since then, I’ve been exposed to ideas, events, and people who have shaped the trajectory of my future career. Previously I was planning on taking whatever job for whatever contractor to now intentionally seeking out a mechanical contractor upon graduation, hopefully with Mainelli, a company I was connected with and hired as a result of our student chapter’s mentorship program.

After graduation, I’m very interested in continuing to attend educational offerings at MCA-Omaha, and I hope to eventually go into education. I want to pursue a role at the university as an instructor or adjunct instructor because the curriculum is primarily taught by people from the general contracting world. More classes taught by specialty contractors, especially MEP, would open more students’ eyes to possibilities, even when those students aren’t interested in joining a student chapter. Even the students who end up working for a GC would be better at their jobs, more well-rounded, and better at working with mechanical contractors if they had the extra exposure to and understanding of mechanical construction.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Jeffrey on this prestigious scholarship and thank DEWALT for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.

MCAA GreatFutures Forum – Registration Now Open

Registration for the 2025 MCAA GreatFutures Forum is now open. Join us for this three-day annual conference designed to connect MCAA members with students interested in internship and full-time opportunities in mechanical contracting. MCAA Student Chapter Members, Faculty Advisors, Members, Affiliated Association Executives, and GFF25 Sponsors all enjoy complimentary registration, so register today!

2025 MCAA GreatFutures Forum
October 9 – 11, 2025 | Salt Lake City, UT

GreatFutures Forum Registration

GreatFutures Forum – Registration Opens Tuesday!

October 9 – 11, 2025 | Salt Lake City, UT

Registration for the 2025 MCAA GreatFutures Forum will open on Tuesday, July 1st, with a registration and hotel deadline of Tuesday, September 9th.  Registration for the three-day conference, including the job fair, is complimentary for MCAA Student Chapter Members, Faculty Advisors, MCAA Members, Affiliated Association Executives, and GFF25 Sponsors.

Program Highlights

  • Mountains of Opportunity – Hot Potato Panel
  • The Power of No
  • TP Challenge & Dinner
  • Job Fair Breakfast
  • Presidential Message from Brian Hughes
  • Keynote from Winter Olympian Vince Poscente
  • The Mechanical Puzzle Round 2: Hot Water
  • Competition Skills: From VDC Strategy to Coordination Success
  • Tour of Mechanical Service & Systems, Inc.
  • Utah Olympic Oval Dinner, Behind the Scenes and Rink Time
  • 2025-2026 Competition Introduction
LEARN MORE

Congratulations to Tyler Currie, Recipient of the Josam Endowed Scholarship

Congratulations to Tyler Currie, recipient of the Josam Endowed Scholarship. Josam Company, a Watts Brand, established this scholarship for a sophomore in an MCAA Student Chapter pursuing a degree in construction management, mechanical engineering or a similar field. Provided that all qualifications are met each year, the recipient will receive the scholarship during their sophomore, junior and senior years of college.

Tyler is studying construction management at Alfred State College and intends to graduate in May 2027. He has been an active member of his chapter for the past two years and served as Treasurer and President. This summer, he will be interning at MCAA member, John W. Danforth Company.

“The thing that is most appealing about mechanical to me is that every job is different no matter what. You may be doing similar work, but it is never the same. Each job will have different components from your last job, different mechanical systems, different plumbing, and different mechanical equipment. Even the materials that you work with will be different: stainless piping, cast iron piping, galvanized piping, PVC. You can have different fittings: welded, grooved, threaded. Even when it comes to duct work you have different sized lines, and you could have round or square duct. You could have baseboard heating or conditioned air to heat.

There is always something to learn. I started in the trades as a carpenter and there are only a few materials to use such as metal or wood. That didn’t require enough learning for me and the jobs were very similar. With mechanical, you can’t get bored no matter how hard you try. There is always something more to learn. Mechanical is a versatile trade and you can even have specialties. Some people prefer to work on wastewater plants, some people only do hospitals, or you can work on whatever job you get. I always knew that I would want to work with a specific trade and I think that I have found my niche with mechanical. This is what I plan to stick with for as far as I can see into the future.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Tyler on this prestigious scholarship and thank Josam Company, a Watts Brand, for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.

Congratulations to Gina Carnovale, Recipient of the Robert T. Armistead Memorial Scholarship

Congratulations to Gina Carnovale, one of two recipients of the 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.

Gina was a Construction Management major at Kent State University and graduated in May. She was an active member of her student chapter from 2022-2025 and served as Recruitment Chair, Competition Chair, Vice President and President. She previously interned with Southland Industries and returned this summer to start her full-time position as Project Engineer I.

“I am most excited to work for a mechanical contracting company because of the unique problem-solving involved and the intricate knowledge I’ll gain. Rather than only relying on the architect or owner for solutions, the mechanical contractor is responsible for developing creative solutions to project challenges, giving us real influence over the work and impact on each project. I am also eager to learn the finer details of the systems we put in place and understand how each component contributes to the project as a whole.

My involvement with MCAA has been incredibly rewarding throughout my college career, making it challenging to summarize its impact. Since joining my sophomore year, I’ve attended 8 MCAA conferences, visited 8 new cities, built hundreds of new connections and friendships, won scholarships, and gained a wealth of knowledge. If I had to choose one standout experience from college, it would undoubtedly be our MCAA student chapter.

After graduation, I’ll be moving away from Ohio and won’t be able to stay involved with the MCA of Cleveland. However, I still hope to continue mentoring the student chapter – answering questions, offering advice, and celebrating their achievements. I also look forward to attending future conferences to support Kent State from the other side!”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Gina 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.

Congratulations to Olivia Kiefer, Recipient of the Ferguson Women in the Mechanical Industry Scholarship

Olivia is one of two recipients of the Ferguson Women in the Mechanical Industry (WiMI) Scholarship. Annually, the two scholarship recipients are invited to attend the WiMI Conference with complimentary registration. This year, the conference will take place in Kansas City, MO from June 16th-18th.

Olivia anticipates graduating from Iowa State University in May 2026 with a degree in Construction Engineering. She has been an active member of her student chapter since 2022 and has served as Community Service Chair and Vice President.  For the 2025-2026 academic year, she will hold the role of Student Chapter President.

This summer, she will be working at MCAA Member, AZCO, as a Project Coordinator Intern.

“Mechanical systems are the lungs of every project. They ultimately make the project usable and continue to get more and more complex. As a construction engineering student specializing in mechanical systems, I have realized that they have the greatest effect on energy consumption, sustainability, and human comfort. The largest problems that construction will face in the coming years are water and energy. Mechanical systems directly affect these problems, and I want to have a personal hand in how these problems can be mitigated. There is a huge opportunity for continuous learning, and I love to learn. Being in an industry that values growth and learning is exciting to me.

In my student chapter, I have grown as a leader by bringing new people to the club and nearly doubling its size. I have been very involved with MCA of Iowa and their members, which has allowed me to see a mixture of large and small contractors. In the local chapter, I have built a lot of strong relationships that will carry me through my career.

MCAA’s GreatFutures Forum and the MCAA Convention have made me see and feel the culture of mechanical contracting. With this culture comes the opportunity to network and ask questions to a variety of people. Having a space where students can interact with contractors in a social setting allows students to learn and network. I can’t stress enough how many relationships being part of MCAA has given me. I plan to come back to Iowa State and speak to the MCA chapter after graduation and attend as many events as possible to support the chapter as best I can.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Olivia on this prestigious scholarship and thank Ferguson for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.

Congratulations to Sophia Bernhard, Recipient of the Ferguson Women in the Mechanical Industry Scholarship

This is the eighth year for the Ferguson Women in the Mechanical Industry (WiMI) Scholarship, which is presented at the Awards of Excellence Breakfast during the MCAA Convention to two high-achieving female students working toward a degree relative to the mechanical industry.  Both recipients are invited to attend the upcoming 2025 WiMI Conference in Kansas City, MO as honored attendees with complimentary registrations to continue their advancement in the mechanical industry.

Sophia is a Mechanical Engineering major at the University of Maryland, College Park with an anticipated graduation of May 2027. She is an active member of her student chapter and has served her chapter as the Fundraising Chair. Last summer, she interned with MCAA Member, Poole and Kent and is returning this summer as a Mechanical Engineering Intern.

“From my involvement with MCAA, I have gained a plethora of valuable resources and skills that further advance my personal and professional development. For instance, I acquired new perspectives from other members of the student chapter who have experience in the mechanical contracting field. Specifically, I learned their tips and tricks for tackling the student chapter project and how to successfully navigate the provided Procore software.

My networking skills grew as I was able to connect with a variety of mechanical contracting professionals and hear their stories and perspectives on the field. Most importantly, I’m gaining a multidisciplinary background with my involvement with MCAA. Not only am I learning how to efficiently and effectively address a problem and dive deeper into the nuances of mechanical contracting in general, but I’m now sharing the knowledge I acquired from my internship with fellow team members.

In five years, I strive to further advance my career in the mechanical contracting field by taking on greater responsibilities and transitioning into a project management role where I can continue leading my company to success and expand my critical thinking strategies. Moreover, I also plan to take on a position within MCAA where I hope I could be a mentor for a student chapter in a university setting. I want to give back to the community that has continuously helped me grow.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Sophia on this prestigious scholarship and thank Ferguson for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.