The ACE Mentor Program of Eastern Pennsylvania announced $113,000 in scholarships at the organization’s 17th Annual Scholarship Breakfast, Wednesday, May 23 at the Crystal Tea Room in Philadelphia. Over 380 members of the design and construction community attended the celebration.

Nine students received ACE scholarships totaling $75,000. An additional $9,500 per year, four-year scholarship to attend Penn State University was presented by PSU Coordinator of Minority Programs and ACE board member Curt Marshall. Scholarships will enable students to continue their education in architecture, construction, and engineering fields.

“As our primary fundraiser, the annual scholarship breakfast directly supports our students,” said ACE Mentor Program Eastern Pennsylvania Affiliate Director Tiffany Millner, AIA, NOMA. “Every year at the breakfast, we focus on the program’s impact, with all remarks presented by ACE students and alumni. The event showcases their poise, talent, and drive for success in the integrated architecture, construction, and engineering industry.”

ACE alumni Rich Vilabrera of Stokes Architecture, LLC; William Bess, currently attending Penn State University; DeShaye Carter, currently attending Drexel University; Kayin Bankole, currently attending Syracuse University; Jennifer Yun of JKRP Architects, LLC; and Ajin Fatima, of the City of Philadelphia Streets Department, provided remarks about the impact of the ACE Mentor Program on their education and careers.

ACE also presented three awards recognizing significant impact on the Philadelphia region’s built environment:

2018 ACE Person of the Year: Douglas Carney of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Carney was honored for his long involvement with ACE guiding students with his background in architecture, facilities management, and real estate development. Carney is Senior Vice President for Facilities, Real Estate, Design & Construction at CHOP. Currently, he sits on the Drexel Presidential Real Estate Advisory Council and Master Developer Selection Committee for the Schuylkill Yards District.

2018 Collaboration of the Year: Market Street Revitalization. Collaboration is at the core of the ACE industry. ACE honored PREIT, National Real Estate Development, and Brickstone for Fashion District Philadelphia, East Market, and The Lits Building. These collaborative projects will establish the region’s first metropolitan destination shopping experience with Class A offices, residential towers, parking and pedestrian improvements, and dramatic lighting and signage to transform Market Street East.

2018 Project of the Year: Mastery Charter Cramer Hill Elementary School. Built in 2017 in Camden, N.J., the school provides bilingual education for 745 K-8 students. The project features a state-of-the-art library and resource center, 3,000-sf green roof, and community rooms available for use by Camden residents. Mastery Charter earned recognition not only for its new school but also for its extensive ongoing partnership with ACE, including internship coordination and career development planning.