High-Profile: July 2026 | Page 37

July 2026 High-Profile: Training and Recruitment

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Farmington, CT – The KBE Foundation recently announced the recipients of its scholarship awards program, encouraging 18 graduating technical high school seniors to pursue industry careers.

Now in its 11th year, the foundation’ s annual Construction Careers Scholarship program awarded $ 1,000 scholarships to students pursuing post-high school careers in the commercial construction industry at a special awards night on May 12 at Farmington Gardens in Farmington. In all, the foundation has awarded a total of $ 180,000 to 190 students since launching the program in 2014. Guest speakers at the awards event included Robert G. Dunn, president of the KBE Foundation and Marcie Addy, vice president of Workforce Development and Education and director of education for the Construction Education Center in Plainville.

While most scholarships are typically earmarked for college tuition, the KBE Foundation’ s Construction Career Scholarships can also be used to pay for the costs of post-high school education programs, certifications, and tools needed in the pursuit of a construction career. These programs include training programs in carpentry, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing trades, certification classes for state licensure, as well as 2- and 4-year degree programs in construction management.

THIS YEAR’ S RECIPIENTS:

From E. C. Goodwin Technical High School:

• William Bourgoin, New Haven, CT( HVAC)

From Eli Whitney Technical High School:

• JaDa Brantley, Bristol, CT( Carpentry)

From Ella Grasso Technical High School:

• Alex Castagna, Mystic, CT( Electrical)

• Elias Dominguez, Niantic, CT( Welding)

Scholarship recipients

From Harvard H. Ellis Technical High School:

• Ava Desjardins, Plainfield, CT( Masonry)

• Dax Sforza, Hampton, CT( Carpentry)

From Henry Abbott Technical High School:

• Matthew Green, Danbury, CT( HVAC)

• Istvan Hatlaczky, Danbury, CT( Electrical)

• Mikey Sweeny, Danbury, CT( HVAC)

• Sabrina Viveros, Newtown, CT( Electrical)

• Hunter Von Minden, New Milford, CT( Electrical)

From Norwich Technical High School:

• Gavin Caswell, Canterbury, CT( Plumbing)

• Brandon Cedio, Norwich, CT( HVAC)

• Logan Ruszczyk, Oakdale, CT( HVAC)

• Killian Stimson, Canterbury, CT( Plumbing)

From Platt Technical High School:

• Ellie Davidson, Stratford, CT( Carpentry)

From Vinal Technical High School:

• Noah Sardinskas, Portland, CT( Electrical)

• Amanda Valk, Portland, CT( Electrical)

“ The need to encourage young women and men to get into this industry is huge,” said Robert Dunn, Esq, president of the KBE Foundation, a non-profit public charity which now oversees all charitable giving for KBE Building Corporation and its affiliates.“ The construction industry in Connecticut and across the nation is facing a dire shortage of qualified workers, from trade craftworkers to construction project managers and superintendents. At KBE, we believe we have a responsibility to encourage young women and men to pursue construction careers and help ensure a solid workforce for the future. One challenge is convincing students and their families that a construction career can be highly rewarding, both financially and personally.”

Boston— ACE Mentor Program of Greater Boston held its 12th Annual Networking & Fundraising Event on June 4 at the Artists for Humanity EpiCenter. With more than 400 attendees representing over 160 companies and organizations across the architecture, engineering, construction, and trades industries, the event raised more than $ 535,000 to support ACE Greater Boston’ s free after-school mentoring program and scholarships for local high school students.

Yordy Tesfaye and Pedro Sifre

The event featured networking opportunities, sponsor recognition, student stories, and fundraising activities that directly support ACE’ s year-round programming. During the 2025-2026 school year, ACE Greater Boston awarded $ 279,000 in scholarships to 32 graduating

ACE Mentor Program of Greater Boston’ s 12th Annual Networking & Fundraising Event Photos courtesy of Julia Krupp Photography

seniors. Since 2015, the organization has awarded more than $ 2 million in scholarships to students pursuing higher education and training opportunities.

“ The overwhelming support from our sponsors, attendees, and industry partners reflects our industry’ s commitment to investing in the next generation,” said Alejandro Miranda of Boylston Properties, event co-chair and newly elected president of the ACE Mentor Program of Greater Boston board of directors.“ The funds raised through this event will help ensure students continue to have access to mentorship, scholarships, career exploration opportunities, and connections with professionals who can help shape their future.”

At the event, the late Mike Tecci, a mentor, board member, past president, and one of the founding forces behind ACE Greater Boston, was recognized. He helped establish the Boston affiliate in 2007 and spent nearly two decades mentoring students, recruiting volunteers, and expanding opportunities for young people interested in careers in the built environment.

In recognition of his contributions, ACE Greater Boston established an annual mentor recognition award, the Mike Tecci Mentor of the Year Award. The inaugural award was presented by Pedro Sifre, principal at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger and a longtime colleague of Tecci’ s, to Yordy Tesfaye, project manager at Shawmut Design and Construction. Tesfaye, ACE alumni and current ACE Mentor, was recognized for her outstanding commitment to mentoring students and exemplifying the spirit of service and dedication that Tecci brought to ACE throughout his career.

The evening highlighted the impact of ACE Greater Boston, which served more than 175 students from nearly 40 high schools across Greater Boston during the 2025-2026 school year. Guests heard from ACE student and scholarship recipient Xintong Guo, a senior at Boston Latin School, who shared how the program helped shape her educational and career aspirations and provided valuable exposure to the architecture, engineering, and construction industries.

“ This event is a powerful reminder of the opportunities the ACE Mentor Program provides students across Greater Boston,” said Kristen Hurley, executive director of the ACE Mentor Program of Greater Boston.“ As we celebrate another successful year in 2026, we are incredibly grateful for the unwavering support of our industry partners, mentors, sponsors, and community members. Their commitment allows us to inspire and prepare the next generation of diverse talent in architecture, construction, and engineering through hands-on mentorship, scholarships, and career exploration opportunities.”

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