2020-2021 FIRST Tech Challenge Volunteers of the Year
July 22, 2021
As we work as a community to prepare young people for a STEM future, FIRST® aims to ensure its programs have a lasting, positive impact on participants. Our global network of dedicated and passionate teachers and schools are key in delivering this lifechanging experience to students of all ages, empowering them to explore the possibilities of STEM and recognize their limitless potential.
This Teacher Appreciation Week, we are proud to announce our fifteen educator and ten school honorees as we welcome them into the 2025 Inspire the Future: FIRST Recognition Program cohort. Selected from nominations made by the global FIRST community, these outstanding PreK-12 FIRST educators and schools engage students in STEM through classroom or afterschool activities and demonstrate an outstanding commitment to expanding access to FIRST programs.
Join us in congratulating our honorees on FIRST social media using the hashtag #InspireTheFuture.
Follow FIRST on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram for more to celebrate our honorees!
2025 FIRST Educators Recognition Program Honorees
🍎 Jeanette McLeod from Waterford Township, Michigan (PreK-1)
🍎 Ruth Adams from Knob Noster, Missouri (Grades 2-5)
🍎 Jennifer Manning from Ladson, South Carolina (Grades 2-5)
🍎 Ryan Rich from Pasadena, Maryland (Grades 6-8)
🍎 Loriana Donovan from Astoria, New York (Grades 6-8)
🍎 Kanwardeep Singh from Davis, California
🍎 Edward Levine from Penfield, New York
🍎 Tonya Stelter from Wyandotte, Michigan
🍎 Jessica Thompson from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
🍎 Catherine Walker from Anchorage, Alaska
🍎 Enmanuel Abreu from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (Grades 9-12)
🍎 Gülsüm Yasemin Uz from Istanbul, Türkiye (Grades 6-8)
🍎 Ian Preston from Leeton, Australia (Grades 9-12)
🍎 Caroline Black from Ontario, Canada (Grades 9-12)
🍎 Algirdas Augustaitis from Vilnius, Lithuania (Grades 6-8)
2025 FIRST School Recognition Program Honorees
✏️ Mount Olive High School in Flanders, New Jersey
✏️ Salem Academy in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
✏️ St. Anthony Catholic School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
✏️ Jones Intermediate School in Mount Airy, North Carolina
✏️ Career Technical Education Charter High School in Fresno, California
✏️ Merrill Middle School & High School in Merrill, Michigan
✏️ Nevis Public School in Nevis, Minnesota
✏️ West Side Elementary School in Cumberland, Maryland
✏️ Macomb Mathematics Science Technology Center in Warren, Michigan
✏️ Mission Collegiate High School in Alton, Texas