ACE club, Architecture Construction and Engineering club, is an after school program held every other Wednesday by the ACE Mentor Program of America. For 16 weeks, they go into different high schools to show students the industry and day to day life of these jobs.

Jeffery Hofmann, a 1976 Atherton graduate, is the school’s team leader. He is also the programs treasurer, finance and fundraising committee lead, and the admin.

“I’ve done a little bit of everything in the industry, and worked with a lot of engineers and architects,” Hoffman said.

He believes that promoting this field to the youth is very important.

“20 to 30 years ago, nobody wanted to do anything around construction,” Hoffman said.

Since 1994, ACE has grown to having 77 affiliates around the country, helping over 15,000 students find what they want to do in the future.

Saoirse Tenney, (12), has been attending the program since her sophomore year, and is planning to be a civil engineer.

“ACE gives you a lot more perspective on the day to day life of certain careers,” said Tenney.

Working with many different teams, she gets to have an overview of what to expect, as well as experience and support.

Torsten Basham, (10), just started his first year at ACE Mentor. He plans on having a career in chemical or mechanical engineering, the ACE program is helping him explore his options.

“They’ve helped me figure out more things I’m interested in, and I’m not interested in,” Basham said.

The next meeting will be on December 17th, 2025. If you’re interested in architecture, construction, or engineering, come explore your options!