Aydin Wilhelm: An Instructor Inspiring the Next Generation

As an eager 6-year-old camper, Aydin Wilhelm attended his first Camp Invention^® the summer after graduating from kindergarten. Thirteen years later, his experience has come full circle as he has taken on nearly every role possible at Camp Invention and is now on an entrepreneurial path. Growing from a curious camper to an inspiring Instructor, he’s seen the camp experience from every angle and made every moment count.

A Camp Invention Journey

Wilhelm’s longevity at Camp Invention is a testament to the pathways available to students as they grow into aspiring leaders. From career exploration to uncovering the versatility of STEM, the life skills he developed through hands-on learning and exploration created a promising foundation.

From early days as a camper to growing leadership skills as a Leader-In-Training (LIT), Wilhelm kept the momentum going by returning to camp as a Leadership Intern (LI) and finally as an energetic Camp Invention instructor. Reflecting on his journey in a conversation with the National Inventors Hall of Fame^®, Wilhelm explained, “It’s bittersweet because I do miss being a camper a lot, and I miss that magic. But at the same time, it's been amazing to evolve outside of that role and learn these other valuable skills in the leadership roles that brought their own magic.”

Recalling his standout memories as a camper, Wilhelm paints a picture of excitement and innovative thinking. “All the upcycle materials we brought [to camp] would be put into one room. That room was like a treasure trove. There were many things there that you would not imagine being useful that were just suddenly the perfect thing you needed to finish a project or an invention. For the campers, it was amazing, and that's one of my favorite memories. Outside of camp, it might be considered junk, but it was perfect.”

Entrepreneurial Ambitions

Now a college student at Miami University Farmer School of Business, Wilhelm is exploring exciting possibilities as he carefully selects a major to complement his co-major in entrepreneurship. Wilhelm attributes his entrepreneurial ambitions to early exposure at camp. “Camp Invention has been a big part of it,” he said. “It’s important, being an inventor, creating your own products, creating your own designs and everything from scratch. You can be innovative in existing jobs, but I would like to be innovative and create something entirely from the ground up.”

From his early exploration of entrepreneurial pathways to fostering engaging camp experiences that highlight those very concepts, Wilhelm already has some major takeaways from Camp Invention. “Although I've never personally patented anything or invented anything [yet], intellectual property is a big subject at camp. That was actually a big part of the module I taught this semester. Every day we talked about intellectual property [because] many inventors put significant time, effort and originality into their creations,” he said.

“I think it's absolutely great to take advantage of the opportunity to attend camp,” Wilhem continued. “At Miami [University], we talked about this a lot — judgment is the No. 1 killer of ideas, creativity and curiosity. And so, if these kids can learn to foster that creativity and curiosity right now and learn that it's actually a great thing to have ideas, it's a great thing to work together, to be collaborative, then they can take that forward in life. The next generation is just going to be even more incredible than the last.”

A Message to Campers

Whilhelm shared, “I'm really excited to see what all the students and kids of the next generation, especially the ones who attend camp, but even in general, what they have to bring to the table.”

Wilhelm has seen the way kids light up at camp. He wants campers to know that those early experiences of thinking outside of the box can prepare them for their future.

“Even if you don't go into a STEM-heavy field when you're older, learning those concepts and skills is still a great foundation for life,” he explained. “All the different skills and concepts associated with STEM subjects, they're super valuable. More schools have gotten innovative in their teaching, but a lot of schools are still standardized and traditional. So, learning those skills of collaboration or even just as simple as logic and reasoning, being able to work out the world around you — it's like figuring out the puzzle of life. When you have that STEM education, it gives you a solid foundation to build upward.”

Having built important skills like problem solving and persistence from an early age, Wilhelm shared, “I would say true innovation is hard — and that's what makes it so special.”

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