Prosthetics, biomedical engineering and degenerative myelopathy are not the kinds of things most 10-year-olds think about, but eight years ago, these thoughts triggered a passion for Lewis-Palmer High School senior Camryn Pivarnik.

It started when the family dogs began to lose mobility. This marked the beginning of her interest and, ultimately, work in assistive devices. She was invited by an orthopedic veterinarian to participate in the back leg amputation of a cat. Where some kids might cringe at the thought, Pivarnik was entranced.

“I found my purpose at age 10,” she stated in her Best and Brightest application. “The surgery sparked a passion deep inside and I confidently declared I would make prosthetics for animals.”

Of course, kids change their minds as they get older, which is what she did. However, instead of focusing on animals she turned her attention to people, but staying with her fascination with prosthetics.

“Three years later, when I was at a volleyball tournament, my vision shifted as I saw the most inspirational game of volleyball I had ever witnessed: a Paralympic women’s competition,” she continued. After the game she overheard the athletes discussing how uncomfortable their prosthetics were.

Pivarnik took action. As a preteen, she began researching phantom pain, interviewed amputees, studied human kinetics, and more, all as a self-directed independent study. Her goal was to help engineers bridge the disconnect between functionality and comfort when it came to prosthetics. Since she’s been in high school she has designed Myoelectric Prosthetics as part of an independent study program. As she explained, “These devices utilize more nerve endings in a residual limb to activate electrical pulses that drive a robotic prosthetic.”

She has also attended junior medical school at a local hospital, where she was able to shadow professionals and make connections with those in different aspects of the medical field. Of that experience, she wrote: “This program affirmed my love for the prosthetic profession and bestowed a new perspective on teamwork.”

The word “leadership” may appear more often than almost any other in Pivarnik’s Best and Brightest application packet. At Lewis-Palmer High School, she has continued to pursue her interest (in prosthetics) and serves as president of the Health Occupations Student Association while playing volleyball at an elite level.

Her leadership roles are associated with numerous awards, community involvement and school activities. As Pivarnik’s Advanced Placement and honors biology teacher, Monica Tupper, wrote, “Camryn is a natural leader using her superb executive functioning skills to guide peer groups to success. Camryn has been leading her high school HOSA chapter as a student officer for three years.”

Her involvement with HOSA includes organizing the school’s annual blood drive and other service projects.

Pivarnik is also president of the school’s Women Interested in Science and Engineering group. She has leadership roles in numerous other campus and extracurricular groups. She accomplishes this and more while maintaining her No. 1 class ranking.

Yet, as Tupper noted, “She cares for others clearly shown in her aspirations to be a medical professional, her passion inspired by Paralympic athletes.”