Elk Grove HS senior honored for success in manufacturing competitions

Elk Grove High School senior Kacper Migacz was recognized by the manufacturing community on Oct. 15, for his repeated success at the SkillsUSA state competitions over the last three years.

At the Made in Elk Grove Manufacturing & Technology Expo, Migacz was honored for being a part of a three-person team in May 2018, that won the state championship in the automated manufacturing category. In both 2016 and 2017, Migacz and his teammates were awarded second place in the same category at the SkillsUSA state competitions.

Migacz has taken nearly every manufacturing and engineering course offered at Elk Grove, where he has been a leader in and out of the classroom, his teachers said. Besides his involvement in SkillsUSA, Migacz has also participated in the school's robotics and high-mileage vehicle programs.

He has also excelled in a variety of Advanced Placement courses, including AP Biology, AP Environmental Science, AP Chemistry and AP Physics.

"He's a quiet leader and he leads by example," said Jon Pieper, an Elk Grove High School career and technical educator. "Other students can see his passion, and they feed off that."

The courses and co-curriculars at Elk Grove helped Migacz discover his passions and interests, and he plans to study chemical engineering in college. He said he is grateful for his teachers at Elk Grove and the real world learning experiences they have facilitated.

"The teachers are really amazing," Migacz said. "There are a lot of opportunities if you work hard, and I appreciate it."

The Made in Elk Grove Manufacturing & Technology Expo recognizes the best Elk Grove Village-based manufacturers in innovation, sustainability and community service. The awards this year were presented by Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson and Illinois Deputy Governor Leslie Munger, who is also the acting director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

As part of the SkillsUSA automated manufacturing competition, Migacz and his teammates designed parts on the computer, generated tool paths and simulated the manufacturing of the parts. His teammates in the 2018 SkillsUSA state competition are recent Elk Grove High School graduates Jonathan Faughn and Maram Safi.

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