Booker T. Washington High School’s STEM students have proven that talent and determination can overcome even the toughest challenges.
In their very first attempt, the school’s engineering team reached the semi-finals of the prestigious NASA HUNCH Design competition.
The competition, organized by NASA, challenged high school students across the country to design creative solutions to real-world space problems. Over 500 middle and high school classroom programs collaborated with mentors to create unique solutions. This year’s program involved 2000 students from 48 states and hundreds of schools.
NASA engineers and astronauts identified seven categories of challenges in the HUNCH Program, including culinary, design, biomedical, precision machining, sewn flight articles, video and flight configurations. The Booker T. Washington team focused on an issue astronauts face on the Moon: lunar dust, which can cling to spacesuits and equipment, causing complications.
Their solution was to design a set of innovative stakes designed to secure tarps along astronaut walkways, reducing dust accumulation. The goal is to enhance the safety and efficiency of lunar astronaut operations.
The students brainstormed, researched and designed their solutions through multiple rigorous phases, including a Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and a Critical Design Review (CDR), before earning their spot as semi-finalists.
“For our first year in this competition, making it this far is a major accomplishment,” said Md Arifur Rahman, the team’s mentor. “It’s proof of what our students can achieve with the right support.”
Conquering challenges
The road to the semi-finals wasn’t without obstacles. One of the biggest challenges was access to high-quality resources. While some schools in wealthier districts have state-of-the-art equipment, Booker T. Washington’s team had to work with limited tools. “We have a 3D printer, but it wasn’t working at times,” Rahman said. “The students had to work around its limitations, sometimes redoing prints multiple times.”
Another challenge was the learning curve. Many of the students had never worked with computer-aided design (CAD) software before, but they quickly adapted, teaching themselves new skills in order to bring their ideas to life. “They didn’t just design—they learned as they went. That’s what makes this so impressive,” Rahman said.
The high school educates a large number of African-American students and programs like this offer them a gateway into careers in science, technology, engineering and math fields where Black professionals remain underrepresented.
Rahman believes that the visibility of this success will inspire younger students.
“When the freshmen and sophomores saw what the seniors accomplished, they were excited. They’re already thinking about next year’s competition,” he said.
One of the team’s standout members, Samuel Johnson, is both a leader on the STEM team and a key player on the school’s basketball team. His dual achievements show that students can excel in both academics and athletics, setting a strong example for their peers. As the project manager, he described the experience as both challenging and rewarding.
“STEM has always interested me because it’s the most challenging academic field. It’s like the sport I play—you’re always brainstorming, problem-solving, and executing a plan. It takes a lot of focus and attention to detail,” he said. “When we first started 3D printing our prototype, our printers kept breaking down. We had to fix them ourselves and keep trying. We also had to wait on materials because we didn’t have the funds to get everything right away. But me and my teammates figured out a way to get through it, and in the end, we created a strong product.”
Cameron Johnson is another senior on the team who played a key role in testing the prototypes.
“Honestly, at first, I wasn’t really up to it,” he admitted. “But once I learned more about the competition and realized we had a chance to present our idea to NASA, it changed everything for me. Now, I see how important STEM is and I hope the younger students keep this going and take it even further.”
Johnson would like to see NASA and other organizations continue supporting schools like his.
“I hope NASA keeps coming back to schools like ours,” he said. “Before the pandemic, we had a strong connection with them and I want that to continue. There are so many bright students here and they just need opportunities.”
Despite their impressive achievement, the team’s challenges highlight the need for greater investment in schools like Booker T. Washington. STEM projects of this standard require materials, updated technology and funding. The students could further develop their innovations with better 3D printers, higher-quality computers and additional resources.
“We did great with what we had, but imagine what these students could accomplish with more support. This is where the community can step in—mentorship, sponsorships and better funding. These kids have the talent, they just need the tools.”
