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Structural engineer Ed Carter finds satisfaction in helping young people learn, whether he is reading with his two children, teaching 5-year-olds how to ski, or mentoring future engineers, like Jessica Barros. That's why he chose to become involved in the Mentor Connection program at Hopkins High School, where Jessica is a senior. The program pairs professionals with students who wish to acquire a challenging real-world experience in their field of interest. By graduation, Jessica will have completed a professional-quality project for school credit and gained a better understanding of a structural engineer's daily work life.
Jessica is accomplishing her learning objectives by designing one of the floors of a real building. Using an MBJ project, Ed is helping her learn first-hand about beams, columns, loads, shear walls, lateral resistance, driven piles, and all things structural. Jessica's floor will eventually be compared to the actual floor design (designed by a professional engineer) to see how her choices align with or differ from the real thing. By accompanying Ed and other helpful engineers to various construction sites, Jessica is able to see what structural engineering looks like as the buildings take shape.
MBJ has long been an advocate for young people who are interested in entering the engineering profession. Last year, four engineers on MBJ's staff worked with University of Minnesota seniors on a capstone project, involving weekly meetings throughout the term and a final presentation. MBJ also reaches out to students by sponsoring summer internships, presenting to local middle- and high-school classrooms, and counseling civil engineering students on career development.
As for Jessica Barros, she has already been accepted by the University of Minnesota as a civil engineer major for the 2007-2008 school year.
If you or someone you know is interested in working with a mentor at MBJ, check with your local school or contact Ed Carter at (612) 338-0713.
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Ed Carter, P.E., oversees the mentoring program at MBJ.
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Jessica Barros, at the MacPhail School for the Arts job site, as construction workers pour the post-tensioned concrete floor.
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Updated 2/5/2007 Back
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