Senior Earns Trip To Materials Camp In France

Nicole Hudak

When Lakewood High senior Nicole Hudak signed up as a freshman for West Shore Career-Tech’s Project Lead the Way pre-engineering program, never in her wildest dreams did she imagine it would lead to an all-expenses paid trip to France. But here she is, headed to Clermont Ferrand, France in June as one of only two United States high school students to attend a materials engineering camp. The camp is sponsored by ASM International’s Education Foundation.

“I never thought Project Lead the Way would lead to something like this,” Nicole said. “I am super excited!”

This is not the first materials camp Nicole will have attended. Last summer, Nicole and two other West Shore Project Lead the Way students participated in the week-long ASM camp at the group’s headquarters in Aurora. It was there that Nicole discovered that materials engineering is the path forward for her and where camp organizers noticed her natural leadership skills that led to the invitation to France.

Nicole and the other camp attendees this summer will experience hands-on learning principles of applied math, material science, and engineering. Two adult mentors will accompany Nicole and the other student from the U.S. Nicole said she is “so thankful” for Project Lead the Way teacher Bob Sedlak for encouraging her to keep an open mind about applying to the first materials science camp and for recommending the opportunity to her.

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Volume 16, Issue 2, Posted 8:04 AM, 01.23.2020