Jean (Salek) Camp ’84, a New Jersey native, originally had big dreams of becoming an artist, but an introduction to engineering by a guidance counselor turned the idea on its head. Her interest in engineering and a preference for hands-on learning led Camp, a first-generation college student, to WPI, where she and her drive and passion flourished.
“It led to so many wonderful things,” she says. “It’s a good place; I want to share that.”
While her educational experience was entirely her own, she’s quick to acknowledge the help and generosity of others that also played a pivotal role in her success. On top of her own work-study job on campus, her parents worked multiple jobs and regularly went without to ensure that she’d graduate without debt; she received scholarships from WPI and a New Jersey engineering society; and a dean and his wife offered her a place to stay during summer classes.
Thanks to her own steadfastness, combined with the generosity of others, Camp’s resume is brimming with accomplishments. Her career in the energy industry started at Chevron and eventually led to her becoming a top manager in an international design and construction firm in the United Kingdom. Environmental, hydroelectric and alternative energy projects over the years have included biofuels, shale oil, co-generation, solar and flue gas desulphurization. After living on the west coast, in the United Kingdom and New Jersey, she eventually moved to Hawaii where she started her own project and construction management firm.
Jean is now fully retired and resides on the west coast with her husband David. She is passionate about the environment, sustainable energy, housing and bringing STEM education to grade school students.
Through a generous donation, Camp established the Jean Salek Camp ’84 Endowed Scholarship, a merit-based scholarship offered to students with financial need as well as to first-gen students like herself.
Camp’s plans for future WPI students doesn’t stop there. She was welcomed into the Alden Society when she made plans to further fund her scholarship with an additional gift through her estate. With a bequest to WPI, she aims to provide generations of students the opportunity to experience WPI like she did. There’s no doubt she’s led an impressive life, and she’s more than confident that WPI students will be able to build such lives for themselves in their own ways, regardless of their career paths.
“I’d love to play a part in students going to WPI, in knowing they’ll make a major impact, enabling them to have a better life in multiple ways,” she says.