Alfred State construction management student wins national scholarship

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.