During spring break, members of this year's Central DeWitt Robotics Team were given a unique opportunity travel to Puerto Rico to compete in the FIRST Tech Challenge Puerto Rico Championship.
This opportunity came about when an affiliate partner for FIRST in Puerto Rico, Mr. Roberto Gorbea, reached out to other affiliate partners from the United States to help organize the inaugural island championship.
After receiving some help and training from Iowa's affiliate partner, Ms. Rebecca Whitaker, he asked for recommendations of Iowa teams that might be interested in participating. Ms. Whitaker reached out to Central DeWitt robotics coach Eddie Mercado, who had family from the island and lived there for a time.
Mr. Mercado began to lay the groundwork for the team to participate, and received approval from the administration and school board. Thanks to generous donations from Guardian Glass, John Deere, and the Central DeWitt Robotics Booster Club, $7500 was raised to pay for transportation and hotels.
The event was a huge success, and the Central DeWitt team was proud to help make it possible. Their efforts earned the team the Innovate Award, sponsored by RTX. The Innovate Award celebrates a team that thinks imaginatively and has the ingenuity, creativity, and inventiveness to make their designs come to life.
The students were also able to connect with new teams and hope to remain in contact with them to help grow FIRST across the island. And, this opportunity gave them a chance to experience a new culture and language, as well as explore some of the island's natural beauty including Old San Juan, the only tropical rainforest in the US national forest system, several of the island's pristine beaches, and a bioluminescent bay that is unique to the island's special ecosystem.
What an incredible experience for our students and congratulations to Mr. Mercado and the Central DeWitt RoboticsTeam on a successful competition!
CDHS students included: Garrison Chrones, Tyler Ritz, Alivia Crandall, Camila Reyna, Isaac Lewis, and Drew Stroud.
