Recognizing the Achievements of the Alpena Community College Remotely Operated Vehicle Team

Floor Speech

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Mr. BERGMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary achievements of the Alpena Community College which is remotely operated and located in Alpena, Michigan, in the lower peninsula on the Sunrise Coast. The college's team is known as the Aquajacks. It is a great name, and it tells us right there what they are about.

The Alpena Community College remotely operated vehicle team, the Aquajacks, proudly represented Michigan's First Congressional District at the 2025 Marine Advanced Technology Education ROV World Championship hosted in Alpena, Michigan.

I will digress for just a couple of seconds here on what this team actually accomplished. For those who don't know the geography of Michigan, as I put my hands up, to those looking at me, this hand is the upper peninsula of Michigan. This hand is the lower peninsula of Michigan. Alpena is located right down here in the lower peninsula on the shores of Lake Huron.

Michigan's First District, which I am blessed to represent, encompasses 48.1 percent of the landmass of Michigan and more freshwater and deepwater shoreline than any other district in the United States. The only singular district that has a larger big water shoreline is Alaska, but that is all saltwater. That is the difference. We catch different kinds of fish in those two different kinds of waters.

What we have in Michigan surrounding the lower peninsula and capping the northern border of the upper peninsula before it transitions into Canada is some of the world's, if not the world's, finest, freshest, deepest, and clearest water that is available on the face of the Earth.

We use it for good. We fish in it. We farm in it. We experiment in it. We advance our country and also other countries in the world through research and development, especially when it comes to underwater activities, whether it is mapping the bottom of the ocean or looking at cables and pipelines that go from continent to continent. All of that education and training on the front end is what is happening at Alpena Community College in my district.

We see all the smiles and happy faces of the team here. They were excited by not only competing but also winning such a prestigious award. These talented students, who both live and study in northern Michigan, showcased remarkable ingenuity, teamwork, and technical skills. They earned an impressive third-place finish against nearly 80 teams from 22 States and 18 countries.

After months of design and testing, their ROV successfully completed complex tasks, while the team impressed judges with their professional presentations and real-time strategic thinking.

Their performance is a testament to Alpena Community College's commitment to hands-on STEM education. I commend their mentor, David Cummins, and their entire faculty for fostering such excellence.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize the Alpena Community College Aquajacks. These students not only represent the future of my district but also highlight the critical role that skilled innovators play in strengthening our Nation's infrastructure and advancing our national security.

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