Recently, ACE Eastern Shore Mentor Program held its 11th anniversary celebration. ACE Mentor Program founder Charles H. Thornton and his wife Carolyn hosted the party at their home in Easton. The ACE Mentor Program is a nationwide non-profit organization offering guidance and training in architecture, construction and engineering to more than 40,000 high school students in 106 cities across the United States. The Talbot County program was started in 2004 and has worked with over 200 students from Easton High School, St. Michael’s High School, and Saints Peter and Paul High School, providing professional mentors and scholarships. During the last five years, ACE Eastern Shore has averaged $20,000 per year in scholarships to area students. To date, ACE Eastern Shore has awarded over $189,000 in college scholarships.
According to founder Charles H. Thornton, “Our goal is to raise $40,000 by February 1, 2016, to distribute more scholarships to more students at our March 2016 Scholarship Event. I will donate up to $20,000 in matching funds for funds donated between now and then.”
ACE alumni, current students, and school administrators were present at the event, providing comments about the effectiveness of the program in encouraging young people to consider engineering and design programs across the country and jobs in the architecture, construction and engineering industry. Proud ACE alumni in attendance have attended the University of Maryland, MIT, Manhattan College, Drexel, Embry Riddle, and Virginia Tech among others, and have been employed by the federal government, Exxon, Gipe Engineering, Boeing, Delmarva Foundation, and Thornton Tomasetti, among others.
Linda Seymour, St. Michael’s High School alum and MIT graduate, spoke eloquently about the impact of her involvement in ACE and how it challenged her to pursue a career in engineering. Fellow ACE alumni, Leanna Isom (EHS Class of 2005), commented, “I received a $5,000 scholarship to attend the University of Maryland School of Architecture. I am thankful to be taking my skills I learned at ACE with me.”
In attendance were James Nemeth, Principal of Saints Peter and Paul High School, as well as ACE Mentors: Payne Kilborn, BFree, LLC and Tony Kelly, AECOS Group, as well as ACE Eastern Shore Board Members: Lindsey Hill, Tony Kelly, Richard Edwards, John Nelson, Carolyn Thornton, and Charlie Thornton.
For more information about the ACE Eastern Shore Mentor Program program or to get involved, visit www.acementor.org/index.php/affiliates/maryland/eastern-shore/about-us/. Additional information on the ACE Mentor Program is available on Facebook www.facebook.com/easternshoreace. Interested persons can also contact Lindsey Hill at [email protected] or 443-497-1945.
Pictured back row, left to right, are ACE Eastern Shore students Bria Smith, Linda Seymour, Alec Chosta, Charlie Thornton, founder of the ACE Mentor Program; Lia Pantusa, and Leanna Isom. Pictured front row, left to right, are Shane Fisher and Jamel Pinder.
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