Texas Gov. Greg Abbott invited St. Michael’s Prep FIRST Tech Challenge Team 12928, the Lightsaders, to represent Texas at the inaugural United States Governor’s Cup FIRST Tech Challenge Showcase in Washington, D.C., held in February. In a formal letter to robotics coach and innovation instructor Mike Scallon, Abbott praised the team’s sustained excellence, innovation, and impact on STEM education across Texas.
The Lightsaders earned four consecutive Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools state championships from 2021 to 2024, advanced multiple times to the FIRST World Championship, and received top innovation, design, and inspire awards. In 2024, they reached their division finals at the world championship, a distinction reserved for the highest-performing teams globally.
“Representing Texas at the first-ever Governor’s Cup was an incredible honor,” said team member William R.
Through long hours of design, coding, testing, and refinement, students mirrored collegiate engineering environments while building leadership and resilience. In Washington, the Lightsaders served as ambassadors for Texas pride and the future of STEM innovation.
