Hunter DeJonge, an Alfred State construction management
student from Clifton Springs, was recently named the recipient of the Reilly
Family Memorial Scholarship by the Mechanical Contractors Association of
America (MCAA).
The scholarship was established by the Mechanical
Contracting Education and Research Foundation (MCERF) and the John W. Danforth
Company to commemorate the memory of the company’s leadership, the Reilly
Family. Kevin “Duke” Reilly serves as Danforth’s chairman and CEO, while Wayne,
Patrick, and Emmett Reilly have contributed a combined 128 years of commitment
and loyalty to their company and the industry. The $5,000 national scholarship
symbolizes the Reillys’ many contributions to the mechanical contracting
industry.
Erin Vitale, chair of Alfred State’s Civil Engineering
Technology Department, said, “Hunter is so deserving of this scholarship. Not
only is he a great student but he is a veteran and is currently in the ROTC
program here at Alfred State. In addition, Hunter is a founding member and
president of our MCAA student chapter.”
To be eligible, a student must be a junior in a four-year
program or a senior in a five-year program and majoring in construction
management, mechanical engineering, architectural engineering or a discipline
related to mechanical construction, mechanical service, or plumbing
contracting. A student must also have demonstrated exceptional scholastic
achievement and leadership skills; interest in developing a career in the mechanical,
mechanical service, or plumbing industry by working part time or as an intern
for an MCAA member for at least one summer or one term; and characteristics or
achievements that distinguish him or her as a nominee worthy of this
scholarship.
DeJonge was presented with a check for the scholarship funds
during a mostly virtual meeting at Danforth’s headquarters in Tonawanda.
