Editor’s note: The following press release was received from the Whitewater Unified School District.

Ferradermis earned the prestigious FIRST Impact Award at the Northern Lights Regional in Duluth, Minnesota, earlier this month. This achievement secured the team’s spot in the championship competition.

The FIRST Championship is a global competition for youth robotics teams, providing a platform for collaboration and creativity. Ferradermis will face off against 83 other Impact Award winners, vying for the opportunity to join the FIRST Hall of Fame.

The team’s trip to Houston was made possible by generous donations from several community members, organizations, and supporting businesses that covered the entire cost.

“I cannot express enough gratitude for the incredible support our program continues to receive from our community,” said Laura Masbruch, the team’s advisor. “I’m confident the team will represent WUSD well in Houston and do their best to bring home another title for our booming program!”

Special regard goes to an anonymous donor, Applied Material Solutions, the Weber family, anonymous WUSD staff, NAES, The Coburn Company, Streib Construction, and Keystone Real Estate Investments LLC for their considerable contributions of $1,000 or more to the Ferradermis program for this trip. The team also received donations from others across the community.

For more information about Ferradermis and the team’s journey to the FIRST Championship, visit www.ferradermis.org.