Every year, CDEFI (Conférence des Directeurs des Ecoles Françaises d'Ingénieurs) shines a spotlight on women in engineering through the Ingénieuses awards. The goal is to increase the number of women in engineering schools, where they represent, on average, only 20% of the student body. Out of the 115 entrants, the 2018 jury selected three as the most impressive, Amandine among them. From 2002 to 2006, Amandine was a military engineering student in the Weapon System Design Engineer program at ENSTA Bretagne.

Before attending ENSTA Bretagne, Michel attended math and physics preparatory classes at the military lycée in Aix-en-Provence. He then enrolled at ENSTA in the Weapon System Design Engineer program, specializing in pyrotechnics. After his three years in the program, he went on to work for the Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA), where he stayed for five years before joining the Ariane Group.