William Ferenchick has always been interested in mathematics.
The Wilson High School senior had an aptitude for it at a young age, traveling from the middle school to the high school in eighth grade in order to take an algebra 2 class.
But it was another class, one called I-STEM, that really caught his attention.
The course integrated science, technology, engineering and math. And Ferenchick was fascinated to see how what he had been learning from books could be seen in the real world.
“That’s how I began to see how math can be applied to real-life scenarios,” the Spring Township resident said. “We learned math, but applied it to engineering things.”
That discovery has led Ferenchick down a path of using math to tackle real-life challenges — which included his creating award-winning science fair projects. And he plans to continue the journey toward a career in engineering.
His dedication to and skill in the world of numbers has earned Ferenchick the distinction of being named the Reading Eagle’s Berks’ Best 2026 winner in mathematics.
Ferenchick said he enjoys math because of how it builds on itself, how each concept he learns related to others. But he also loves how it’s more than just theories.
Like, for example, how calculations about the relationship between acceleration and velocity can be seen when you’re driving in a car.
“While you’re driving, moving through space, you can feel the implications of the math,” he said.
Ferenchick took that fasciation and used it to fuel his success in the Reading-Berks Science and Engineering Fair.
He first entered the fair as a sophomore, building a rover with wheels that could move to adjust to different terrain.
As a junior his project on bioplastics took him all the way to the international level. And his senior year project saw him design and create a robot that, using the human knee as inspiration, could jump.
That project could be a preview of Ferenchick’s future, as the 18-year-old is set to head off to Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the fall to pursue mechanical and materials engineering. His plan is to use that education to springboard a career creating medical devices.
“I really like being able to help people with the things I make,” he said.
Outside of math, Ferenchick said he also has an interest in music. He played saxophone in the high school jazz band, and is an accomplished pianist.
Ferenchick has also been active in the Boy Scouts, recently earning his Eagle Scout rank.