September 02, 2025
Meet 2025 Cadet Engineers: CONNOR MCMAHON
This summer, HG&E was excited to welcome Connor McMahon as the 2025 recipient of the prestigious Cornelius J. Moriarty, Jr. Scholarship for Cadet Engineers. A resident of Holyoke, Connor is not only passionate about engineering, but also about contributing to the future success of Holyoke, a community that has supported his family for at least six generations.
Connor's interest in engineering began at a young age, but he didn't necessarily associate his interests with engineering at the time. Growing up, he spent countless hours working with his dad on remote-controlled cars. These hands-on projects sparked his interest in understanding how various things operate. In addition to tinkering with projects at home, Connor always enjoyed math and science in school, these subjects came naturally to him.
When he reached Saint Mary's High School in 2021, Connor noticed there wasn't a space for students to dive into engineering outside of class. Determined to change that, he founded the school's first Engineering Club with some help from his teacher, Mrs. B. What started as a small group of curious classmates experimenting after school quickly grew into a hub of creativity – building rocket prototypes, working on go karts, and tackling real-world challenges.
As a Cadet with an interest in mechanical engineering, Connor is putting some of those skills to work, matching digital records with physical valve locations in the field to ensure accuracy, safety, and efficiency in HG&E's system. The role is giving him an inside look at the collaboration required to maintain critical infrastructure.
“During my first three weeks this summer, I had the chance to go out in the field with several divisions,” Connor said. “It was eye-opening to see how each area plays a role in serving HG&E customers, but the highlight for me was visiting the West Holyoke LNG facility. I didn't even know that facility existed, and it's such an important asset. I am excited to be working in the Gas Division.”
Connor will be attending the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in the fall, with a major in Mechanical Engineering. He is enrolled in the Residential Academic Program and plans to join the UMass Rocket Club.
We look forward to seeing what the future holds for this young engineer. The Cornelius J. Moriarty, Jr. Scholarship for Cadet Engineers is open to City of Holyoke residents who are graduating from a duly accredited senior secondary school and have been accepted into an accredited engineering program. The Cadet Program has allowed HG&E to keep engineering talent local. Currently, 18 full-time employees came through the program at the start of their careers. For additional application criteria, please contact HG&E at (413) 536-9300 or visit www.hged.com/cadet.