By: Brenna Hehman, PSE and ChE ’28

June marks the beginning of a beautiful summer at NC State, but leaves our academic buildings woefully empty and lonesome. What better way to keep campus alive than by hosting a week of summer fun? Rising high school juniors and seniors were invited to have a taste of what the College of Engineering can do, while our own PSE program enjoyed a rare spotlight and opportunity for outreach.

Twenty-four talented students from across the country (and beyond!) experienced a week-long intensive full of all things paper: lectures from faculty, hands-on labs, a tour of campus, and a musical serenade courtesy of Dr. Byrd. The camp program is designed to hook potential new students, get them interested in engineering at State, and spread the word about our tiny, and unique program. Every year, we get kids that have never before heard of paper engineering who, after their camp experience, end up joining our ranks in the next class of incoming freshmen- here’s hoping this year is no exception!

The kids started off their week with a welcome lecture from Dr. Byrd, followed by the first of many labs, making paper from sugarcane bagasse!  This lab hits all the papermaking benchmarks- pulping, cooking, dilution, and handsheet formation. Most engineering programs here host their own flavor of summer camp, but PSE is unique in our interactive activities and on-site experts: lecturers are strictly made up of faculty with teaching, research, and professional industry experience to give the campers the best ‘first taste’ possible of our program. 

During the sugarcane lab, the kids also began distilling sugarcane juice into ethanol, a more sustainable fuel source. “From Biomass to Brilliance” is a title the kids got to see firsthand, by transforming a stick of sugarcane into both a functional sheet of paper and a vial of clean-burning fuel. Along with the College of Engineering, our program is jointly run by the College of Natural Resources-. Faculty were able to show the kids a unique window into the natural world and define our place in it as consumers, educators, and industry leaders.

The remainder of the week was chock full of other activities to showcase different aspects of our industry and our program here, including lunch at Oval Dining Hall, a walkthrough of Hunt Library, and a bus tour of the rest of Centennial Campus. The highlight of the tour, at least from the camper’s point of view, was the time spent inside Carmichael Gym on main campus. Culture is just as important as academics when it comes to college decisions, so we made the strategic choice to take a break and enjoy some Howling Cow ice cream while breaking in the new Pulp and Paper Advisory Board funded patio space. 

The campers ended the week by presenting their hard work to their families and participated in a Q&A with faculty and our camp counselors, who are all current PSE students. It’s amazing how much 5 days can do to transform a shy and unsure teenager into a motivated speaker excited about their next steps. We hope to see many familiar faces in the next few freshman classes. GO PACK!  

Interested in camp for your rising 11th or 12th grader? Applications open in January 2027. NC State College of Engineering Residential Camps