Billings Girl Guest Of First Lady

A Billings girl is the guest of First Lady Michelle Obama at the State of the Union Address Wednesday Night.

Mikayla Nelson is currently a freshman at Central Catholic High School in Billings, Montana. As a middle schooler at Will James Middle School, she led her Science Bowl team to a 1^st place finish at the National Science Bowl for the design document of their solar car. They also won 5^th place in the U.S. Dept of Energy’s Junior Solar Sprint. In addition to excelling academically, Mikayla is taking flying lessons in hopes of attaining her pilot’s license, is building a 1932 Pietenpol Sky Scout airplane, runs her own birdhouse business, and is restoring a 1967 VW Beetle . She also works at a local hobby store to help cover the cost of her school tuition. Mikayla is working towards acceptance at the United State Air Force Academy where she hopes to major in mechanical engineering.  Mikayla met the President at the October 2010 White House Science Fair where she represented her Science Bowl team and exhibited their solar car.