ACE Mentor Program is a non-profit lead by fellow industry professionals who mentor high school students in the careers of Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Engineering, and Construction. Every year, ACE has more than 100 students participate in the program and award 20-25 scholarships to graduating seniors. This past March, ACE awarded over 145k to 22 students, who will all go on to major in ACE! Landscape Architect, Thu Ngan Han has volunteered for the ACE Mentorship program for several years and sees her experience as a rewarding endeavor, one that helps build and diversify the industry through direct influence with the next generation.

My first encounter with the ACE Mentor Program was through a colleague who was mentoring at the time. As I learned more about the program, I thought it would be a great way to volunteer with an organization doing something I love, landscape architecture and design. My first year as a mentor, we had two students in our discipline group (landscape architecture/ civil engineering). It was their first year as well and we were tasked to design a community space in the bustling Haymarket area of Boston. We talked about the design process, programming and took them for a site visit along Rose Kennedy Greenway. It was delightful to see something spark as they made the connection that the spaces we were walking through started off in a similar fashion with a site plan, trace paper and an idea.
I continued to stay involved in the ACE Mentor Program since then because I enjoy seeing my students grow and discovering possibilities for their future careers. A majority of our students are from diverse backgrounds and the ACE Mentor Program is sometimes the first exposure they have to the field of design and engineering. As a minority woman, it is important for me to provide representation to help support and diversify the industry’s next generation.
Thu Ngan Han, LWSI Project Manager