Atlanta, a city full of elaborately designed buildings, rapid innovation, and one of the finest engineering schools in the country, is full of budding creators, and North Atlanta High School is no exception. A new club, the Ace mentor program, invites the more design-inclined students to work collaboratively on projects and learn more about the craft of architecture, construction, and engineers from professionals. 

The ACE mentor program is a national organization whose mission is to “engage, excite, and enlighten high school students to pursue careers in architecture, engineering, and construction through mentoring and to support their continued advancement in the industry.” Junior Daishalyn Satcher, the founder of club and an aspiring architect, acknowledged the need for a club for students to further their interests in innovation. Satcher was involved in this program at Georgia Tech in the past, and decided to bring it to North Atlanta. It was curiosity about the intricacies of the architecture industry the ultimately drew Satcher into ACE. “I wanted to learn more about architecture to decide if I would continue to pursue it, and ACE was very helpful in exposing me to the kind of work that people in this field do,” she said.

ACE meetings are designed to be a hub for innovation, and the club has big plans for the coming months. This semester, ACE will host guest speakers who are professionals in the various industries they focus on. The group, consisting of 15 people, may even take trips to visit Georgia Tech and different construction sites. The most anticipated activity on the to-do list for the club is the semester-long group project. The club will come up with a project to design– with options ranging from a national pavillion to a stadium for North Atlanta– and incorporate the elements of architecture into the model. This activity provides hands-on exposure to the work that is done in these different professions. For some members, like Junior Jillian Dacey, this activity provides not only an outlet for creative ambition to mesh, but also serves to introduce students to new areas where these skills are applied. “I really love art, so this club is a great way to branch out to different career paths and put my creative skills to work,” she said.

Interested in architecture, construction, or engineering? The ACE mentor program meets every Wednesday in Ms. Brookins room from four to six to envision the future of design itself. Who knows? Maybe the next Elon Musk will come out of the North Atlanta ACE program.