Sabrina McCauley, an assistant project manager on the capital projects team, mentors teens interested in architecture and interior design.
As a senior in high school, Sabrina McCauley dreamed of becoming an interior designer, but she had little to no real exposure to the field.
A teacher encouraged her to check out the ACE Mentor Program of Greater Boston, a free after-school program that introduces students to architecture, construction management, engineering and the trades.
One of the meeting locations was at the Boys and Girls Club in Woburn, Massachusetts, where McCauley lived.
“I got to work on drawings for the first time, learned about different materials,” says McCauley, an assistant project manager on the capital projects team at Northeastern University. “I got to see how the architects, construction management and engineers all work together.”
Together with other students, she designed a new Boys and Girls Club and presented the project to the Woburn city officials and the public.
“It was a great way to get presentation experience,” McCauley says.
The skills she had acquired through the program were highly useful, she says, as she didn’t have to start from scratch upon entering college.
McCauley also received a scholarship through the program, she says, which helped her pay for textbooks she needed in every year of school.
McCauley stays in contact with her mentors from ACE Greater Boston, so when she heard they were looking for mentors, McCauley decided to volunteer.
“I loved the program, and it very much helped me as a senior,” she says. “So I wanted to be able to help the kids now.”
For the last four months, McCauley and several other mentors have been meeting every week with about 30 high school students for two hours. First, all of the students learned from the mentors about each field, including McCauley’s specialty — interior design and architecture.
Six students chose to focus on architecture for the remainder of the program. Over the next five weeks, McCauley says, they will design a sports facility for a hypothetical high school, including a gym, workout rooms and yoga studios.
“The kids are very interactive and excited,” she says. “I like helping them get exposure to the different fields that really aren’t shown in traditional public schools.”
At Northeastern, McCauley is finishing work on the Snell Library renovation as the assistant project manager. But she still finds the time to give back to her community.
“Mentors are critical to the program’s success,” says Kristen Hurley, executive director of ACE Greater Boston. “Through their weekly dedication, they empower students to develop technical skills, build confidence and discover the broad opportunities within our industries.”
Last year, over 135 students from 35 high schools across Greater Boston participated in the program. More than 75% of the program’s students identify as people of color and nearly 42% are females.
ACE Greater Boston awarded $250,000 last year in scholarships to graduating seniors pursuing post-secondary education or trade programs in the related industries.