July 17, 2025
Incoming Ferris State freshman with duct tape tux falls shy of top prize, but earns other honors in ‘exhilarating’ contest
Calder Westerman, an incoming Ferris State University freshman who created a tuxedo made entirely from duct tape, didn’t stick the top prize in a national scholarship contest.
But his unique, Brutus the Bulldog-festooned outfit was “most favored by the judges” in the Duck Brand Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest, earning him special honors — and dollars — for college.
The annual contest encourages high school students to take prom fashion into their own hands by creating do-it-yourself duct tape designs for a shot at scholarship awards. Westerman was the only finalist from Michigan.
“It’s been an exhilarating process and a lot of fun,” said Westerman, who won $1,000 for the Trust E’s Choice Prize and another $1,000 as one of four tuxedo runners-up.
Hundreds of youths in the United States and Canada competed in the annual scholarship contest for two top prizes of $15,000; Westerman was one of 10 overall finalists.
Online voting for the best prom dress and tuxedo concluded July 9; scholarship winners were announced today. Emmalyn Holland of Glenmoore, Penn., and Nicholas Moore of Mooresville, N.C., received the greatest number of votes and were awarded grand prize winners.
Contest organizers said each of the finalists, influenced by cultural roots and personal interests, poured creativity and heart into crafting unique outfits that tell their story.
Westerman, 18, spent 85 hours and used 15 rolls of the sticky stuff to create the tux, which also transforms into an auto racing suit.
Westerman will begin Ferris State’s Automotive Engineering Technology program this fall. Along with Brutus the Bulldog images, his tuxedo included past and present university logos. The outfit also paid tribute to his idol, Japanese racing car driver Keiichi Tsuchiya. It included a helmet, driving gloves and a 3D boutonniere incorporating a small racing trophy.
Westerman, who graduated in June from Ann Arbor’s Pioneer High School, is grateful for the prize money and to everyone who voted for him.
“I really appreciate my friends who shared it with their parents, my teachers who shared it among their team, Ferris State for putting my name on the news, and everyone in between,” he said.
“My future won't just get a kickstart from this prize, it'll be launching off the line.”