West Hills : Young Valedictorian Takes to Science Camp

For many kids, summer vacation means hitting the beach or prowling the mall.

For Meredith Protas, this year’s summer break meant the educational opportunity of a lifetime.

The 17-year-old West Hills resident was one of two California delegates to the National Youth Science Camp in Bartow, W. Va., where for the month of July she participated in everything from science lectures to spelunking expeditions.

“I liked it a lot,” she said. “I’m really happy I did it.”

The state’s other delegate, Erika Woltz, is from Paradise, east of Chico.

The annual event was established in 1963 by the state of West Virginia to develop youngsters’ interest in science. It draws up to 100 of the country’s brightest students to a rural campsite in the Monongahela National Forest.

Meredith, who was valedictorian of this year’s graduating class at Van Nuys High School, said she was unaware of the program until a counselor urged her to apply.

“I was really surprised. I didn’t think I would get it,” she said.

The camp had activities seven days a week the participants weren’t given homework. In addition to the on-site lectures and study projects, campers visited Washington, D.C., and Charleston, Va.

She said her favorite part of camp was several hands-on projects involving origami, geology and protein crystals and she’d gladly recommend the program to youths who are considering applying next year.

Although she had planned to get a summer job, Meredith only has a few weeks left before returning to school. She’ll study biology at Pomona College and hopes to become a research scientist, she said.

Why biology?

“There’s so many unanswered questions.”