Streamwood student honored for his manufacturing skills
Streamwood High School senior, Javier Grimaldo, has been selected as the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Outstanding Manufacturing Student Award, presented by the Greater Chicago Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (GCAMP). Javier’s remarkable achievements in the field of manufacturing, coupled with his exceptional leadership qualities, have earned him this esteemed recognition.
Javier’s passion for manufacturing has been evident throughout his high school career. His dedication to the continuous pursuit of knowledge have not only led to his selection for the Outstanding Manufacturing Student Award but have also garnered him numerous accolades at the national level for his outstanding accomplishments in this field. Javier is the state champion and ranked ninth in the nation in the SkillsUSA CNC 2 axis programming competition. He is also the lead programmer for the district’s ProjectMFG integrated manufacturing team. The team is ranked 16th in the nation.
In his award application, Javier stated: “I love manufacturing. Just the thought of being able to take a block of stock and make something useful out of it still blows my mind.”
GCAMP is also proud to acknowledge two other U-46 students, Laney Mortensen (Bartlett High School) and Soren Erickson (South Elgin High School), who were named finalists for GCAMP’s Outstanding Manufacturing Student Award. Javier’s teacher, Matt Erbach, was a finalist for the Outstanding Manufacturing Educator Award.
Javier will receive his award, which includes a $500 cash prize, at the eighth annual Spark Awards. The Spark Awards, held March 6, at Arrowhead Golf Club, in Wheaton, and presented by the Valley Industrial Association (VIA), honors the best of the best among Chicago area manufacturing.
GCAMP (Greater Chicago Advanced Manufacturing Partnership) is proud to be the charitable arm of the Valley Industrial Association. Founded in 2014, GCAMP’s goal is to build the manufacturing workforce of tomorrow, today. Outreach efforts center around educating young people on the high-quality, high-skills, high-paying opportunities within the manufacturing field; dispelling the myths and negative stereotypes surrounding manufacturing; and highlighting the amazing work accomplished everyday by those who work in manufacturing. GCAMP’s work is funded by the generosity of its manufacturing and municipal partners. To find out more, visit gcamp.org.