A West Michigan student has been named one of the National WWII Museum's "Salute to Freedom" award winners.
As a result, Mackenzie Brandel of Whitehall will be one of 51 students from across the U.S. to take part in January's grand opening of the museum's new US Freedom Pavilion in New Orleans.
The Muskegon Chronicle reports the ninth-grader was invited to participate in the museum's essay contest due to her "Billie the Riveter" project's statewide win in the National History Day Contest.
Mackenzie interviewed women who had worked in Muskegon's World War II defense plants.
Winners and their chaperones will arrive in New Orleans ahead of the festivities in January and spend two nights downtown. Travel costs, the hotel stay and meals are covered by the museum.
