DES MOINES, Iowa — Des Moines, we don't have a problem!
Five Des Moines students are heading to Houston and NASA as finalists in NASA’s App Development Challenge.
Local 5 has been following their journey since December.
Now, we spoke with them about what their success in the challenge means to not only them but their community.
"We sort of got to realize that people do, in fact, care for us and want us to succeed,” said Team FrostByte member Romas Pokhrel. “So, it was just a really nice experience, to see all of that support in real time."
Team FrostByte, comprised of North High School Students Sujal Pokhrel, Romas Pokhrel, Jefrey Allen, Champ-Pacifique Mukiza and virtual campus student Moss Louvan, was selected as one of five top teams out of over 100 teams across the country. As finalists, the team will visit the Johnson Space Center.
"The support that we've gotten means the world to us, we would not be where we are at the final stage without it," said Sujal Pokhrel.
After months of hard work, from app design and creation to public presentations and interviews, Team Frostbyte heard the words they wanted to hear from NASA: they were selected as finalists.
"I had no hope. Because like when I first saw the first honorable mention, our jaws dropped, their project was really good,” said Moss Louvan. “And then I was almost speechless."
While the teammates and friends are thrilled with their accomplishments, the real prize is the impact they are leaving on their community.
"Something as big as collaborating with NASA, with the potential that they could use our research and data for the Artemis mission is really big, because North isn't really known for having those extracurricular activities outside of sports," said Jefrey Allen.
The team adds they are honored to be leaving a legacy of love for STEM education in Des Moines Public Schools.
"We want to and now can even more so influence younger generations, to show them that they can do what we did, and so much more,” said Champ-Pacifique Mukiza.
Team FrostByte's trip to Houston is in April. During their trip, they'll tour NASA facilities, meet industry leaders, and present their app in person.
While travel and hotels are covered by NASA, the team has to cover other expenses like food and incidentals.
They're holding an online fundraiser to support those costs.