Anthem teen becomes Intel’s youngest employee

GLENDALE, Ariz. — First, Joe Hudy caught the eye of President Barack Obama at a White House science fair in 2012.

His extreme marshmallow cannon demonstration with the president helped catapult Hudy to rock star status among the “maker” community.

Then, first lady Michelle Obama invited him to join her box at last week’s State of the Union address.

“It was awesome, it was quite an experience, it was really fun,” Hudy said. “The people there were really nice.”

Hudy’s credo, “Don’t be bored, make something” captured the attention of Intel Chief Executive Officer Brian Krzanich. After Hudy spoke at a fair in Rome, Krzanich offered him a paid internship, making the 16-year-old the company’s youngest employee.

“My title is product development in the wearables department,” he said. “They told me I’d be working in the maker area with the new Galileo and Edison boards.”

So far, Hudy has only spent one day at Intel. He’ll spend more time there during breaks from classes at the Gary K. Herberger Young Scholars Academy at Arizona State University’s West campus and should have his own cubicle this summer. He continues to make things like LED cube shields and attend various fairs and conventions around the world.

While he spends a lot of time with people twice his age, Hudy remains focused on his generation.

“I want to get a lot more kids into the making community, show them the maker fairs and show them there’s a lot more opportunities out there for them,” he said.