While many high schoolers are lounging beside the pool or sleeping in, Greenville High School’s Laun Pryor is staying busy by attending Envision’s National Youth Leadership Forum: Engineering and Technology at the Georgia Tech.

It’s a conference that’s right up his alley.

At NYLF Engineering & Technology, students have the opportunity to explore college and career opportunities and get firsthand experience putting applied knowledge to the test by participating in the program’s interactive curriculum. Students explore emerging fields such as sustainable design, 3-D modeling, web and game development, robotics, electrical engineering and much more.

“This is a significant step into the future for students with a passion for innovation,” said Jan A. Sikorsky, vice president of education for NYLF Engineering & Technology. “Exposure to real-world applications provide today’s students with a significant competitive edge in these ever-changing fields.”

Pryor began his eight-day journey in the program on Wednesday.

“The program has been challenging and a test to my abilities,” he said. “The highlight, so far, is the amazing people I have met with the same passion as me.”

Pryor, a junior at GHS, said he plans to pursue a career in engineering.

“This will benefit me in the future by developing my skills as an engineer and a person,” he said. “My goal after high school will be to graduate with a degree in civil and structural engineering.”

Along with the conference at Georgia Tech, conferences are also being held at the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering (Boston, Mass.) and the University of California, Berkeley

All three of these universities are recognized for excellence in engineering and technology, and are ranked among the top five engineering schools nationally by U.S. News & World Report.

Many of the students who attend the conference are nominated by teachers and guidance counselors based on their leadership potential and interest in engineering and technology fields.

Greenville High School guidance counselor Todd Henderson nominated Pryor.

Pryor is an honor roll student that is a member of Beta Club, Mu Alpha Theta, Spanish Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, and the National Honor Society.

He’s a member of the Scholar’s Bowl team and has competed at the state level in the Poetry Out Loud competition.

He represented GHS at the University of Alabama’s Capstone Leadership Academy and the HOBY Leadership Conference.

He is a section leader in the Tiger Pride Marching Band, a Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce Chamber Page and an Eagle Scout.

NYLF Engineering & Technology is part of the Envision family of programs, serving more than 800,000 students in more than 145 countries since 1985.