Congratulations to Gianna Delucia on receiving the Foster McCarl Jr. Memorial Scholarship at MCAA26 during the Awards of Excellence Breakfast in Phoenix, Arizona.

The McCarl family established the $5,000 scholarship to commemorate its founder, Foster McCarl Jr., and honor his memory. This national scholarship symbolizes the scope of Mr. McCarl’s impact on the mechanical contracting industry and memorializes his many contributions to its continued advancement.

Gianna graduated in May with a degree in architectural engineering from Kent State University. An active member of her student chapter since 2023, she served as competition chair and helped support chapter activities and student engagement. After interning last summer with MCAA member Cerris Systems, Inc., she returned following graduation and joined the company full time as a project engineer.

“Mechanical construction excites me because it is real, collaborative, and deeply technical. I like being on a team where clear communication matters and progress is something you can see and measure. I’m most engaged when we’re solving problems that don’t have easy answers and the goal is a system that runs the way it should.

What draws me in is how the systems actually work. I like tracing a line on a plan to the equipment in the field and understanding how air, water, and energy move through a building. It clicks for me when I can link design choices to what gets installed and how it performs. I enjoy figuring out how parts fit together, planning the sequence so trades can keep moving, and turning a design into something buildable. The pace keeps me sharp. There is always a coordination question to answer, a detail to verify, or a check to make before installation.

I value strong mentorship, too. I learn the most when experienced teammates share their time, give honest feedback, and push me to own my work. Mechanical construction is where I want to be because it rewards curiosity, teamwork, and follow-through. Seeing a system start up and perform as intended is energizing. It proves the planning, communication, and effort were worth it. That is the kind of work I am excited to do every day.

Involvement in my student chapter gave me real exposure to the mechanical industry. I plan to stay active with WiMI and my local MCA chapter. That means showing up to meetings, helping with student outreach, and connecting classmates to internships and site walks. The goal is simple: keep learning from people who have done the work and give that same access to the next group coming in. These communities helped me find my path, and I want to keep that momentum going as I grow into the role.”