ACE Mentor Program

The photo above is Soraya and Mariam Rajabu and Firestone CLC ACE Academy coach, Cassandra Hanna. See below for information on an ACE Mentor Program fundraising event.

Akron Public Schools offers a nationwide program for high school students interested in architecture, construction and engineering. The ACE Mentor Program provides business professional mentors from the design-related industries.

Four high schools participate in the program: FIrestone, Ellet and Garfield clcs and Akron Early College. The program usually has an average of 10 students per school in attendance.

Each school brings in a different set of professional mentors who come into the schools every two weeks for two hours to work with the students. The program runs from October to April.

“The mentors don’t just come in after school and talk about their careers. They also have the students working on a real, live project using some of the programs that architects use on the job to design the buildings and structures they are working on,” said ACE Academy Coach Cassandra Hanna at Firestone.

She said, at the end of the program year, students will present their project to family members, teachers and mentors at a banquet in April.

“Also at the banquet, the students will share their solutions and ideas in a professional way with other professionals in the field; and those professionals will give the students feedback on their projects,” Hanna said.

So far, the ACE students have designed a Tiny House project in their freshman year and a Community Center in their sophomore year.

Sixteen-year-old twins, Mariam and Soraya Rajabu, juniors at Firestone, have been in the program since their freshman year.

“It is fun working with mentors in organizations designing different places. We’re learning so much,” said Mariam. “This year, we are designing a restaurant; so right now we are brainstorming the design of the kitchen and seating area.”

Mariam wants to major in business management and start her own business, an interior design firm. 

Her sister, Soraya, wants to major in aerospace engineering. She said the mentors also give advice that will help students after high school. “You can get a head start on which schools are best for the career path you want to pursue, what classes you should take and what scholarships are available,” she said.

The ACE Mentor Program has been in Akron Public Schools since the 2018-19 school year.

The Akron-Canton program director for the national ACE program, Barbie Obermeier, said they recruit mentors from local business professionals in the industry. 

“We like to stay in our own backyard and, respectfully, not poach from other communities,” Obermeier said. “We work with many architecture, construction and engineering firms in the industry. People from those firms, including the mentors, pitch the program to other companies; so it’s really through word of mouth.” 

Obermeir said, last year, there were 27 different firms represented in the schools, all from the Akron-Canton area. The mentors volunteer their time.

The program, which is run through grant funding and donations, also offers paid summer internships, summer camps, scholarships and alumni support. Last year, nine scholarships were awarded.

“That is the most scholarships we’ve ever been able to give out,” Obermeier said. “It is usually just four or five. But the more we expand and raise more money, the more scholarships we will be able to award.”

One of the twin students said the ACE Mentor Program also helps bring out creativity.

“It opens the door for your future success,” Soraya Rajabu said. “It improves all creativity, your speaking skills and art skills.” 

A Fundraising Event for the ACE Mentor Program

When: Jan. 17, 2025 
Where: Clutch Lanes & Sports Center Bowling Alley, 4190 State Road, Cuyahoga Falls
Registration: Contact Akroncanton@acementor.org, or call Barbie Obermeier at 330.419.1920.