Our very own captain, Kavya Bansal, represented Idaho at the 2025 FIRST World Festival in Houston in April as a Dean’s List Finalist! She was one of two selected among many candidates for the hard work, leadership, and expertise she brings to this team and the community around her. She first had to be nominated by a Bananas mentor with several paragraphs about how she exemplifies an ideal FIRST student, which made her a Semi-Finalist. She was then interviewed at the Idaho State Championship, where she was chosen to be a Finalist and go to Worlds!

Here’s what FIRST has to say about Dean’s List students:

“In an effort to recognize the leadership and dedication of FIRST’s most outstanding secondary school students, the Kamen family sponsors an award for selected 10^th and 11^th grade students known as the FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Tech Challenge Dean’s List…

“The students who earn FIRST Dean’s List Award status as a Semi-finalists, Finalist or Winner, are great examples of student leaders who have led their teams and communities to increased awareness for FIRST and its mission. It is the goal of FIRST that these individuals will continue, post-award, as great leaders, student alumni, and advocates of FIRST.”

Congratulations, Kavya, for becoming a Dean’s List Finalist!