Council Bluffs High School Students Inspired by Alumnus Working on Artemis Missions

A Council Bluffs graduate is now a software engineer for the Artemis missions, motivating current robotics students to reach for the stars.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 12:33am

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A bold, abstract painting in earthy tones of green, blue, and orange, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise spirals, conceptually representing the complex forces and concepts behind the Artemis space program.A Council Bluffs high school graduate's work on the Artemis missions inspires the next generation of local STEM students to reach for the stars.Council Bluffs Today

Engineering students at Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa have been following the progress of the Artemis missions, inspired by the fact that a fellow alumnus, Alex Brewer, is working as a software engineer on the project. Brewer, a 2015 graduate, monitors the liquid fuel systems on Artemis and credits the strong STEM focus in the Council Bluffs school district for preparing him for his current role.

Why it matters

Brewer's story demonstrates how the STEM education and hands-on engineering experience provided by the Council Bluffs school district can lead to exciting careers in the space industry. His success is motivating current students to pursue their own dreams, showing them that with determination, even a "B student" can end up working on major NASA missions.

The details

Juniors Matthew Ochsner and Mikey Donovan, who are part of the school's robotics team, say Brewer's involvement with Artemis is inspiring them to believe they can also find success in STEM fields. Engineering teacher Ryan Higgins praised Brewer's problem-solving skills, noting he was "very determined" and good at "going nose first into a problem." Brewer monitors the liquid fuel systems on Artemis and wants young people to know that the space industry needs a variety of skilled workers, not just engineers.

  • Brewer graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs in 2015.
  • Brewer is currently working as a software engineer on the Artemis missions.

The players

Alex Brewer

A 2015 graduate of Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa, who is now working as a software engineer on the Artemis missions, monitoring the liquid fuel systems.

Matthew Ochsner

A junior at Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs who is part of the school's robotics team and inspired by Brewer's work on the Artemis missions.

Mikey Donovan

A junior at Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs who is part of the school's robotics team and inspired by Brewer's work on the Artemis missions.

Ryan Higgins

An engineering teacher at Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs who praised former student Alex Brewer's problem-solving skills and determination.

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What they’re saying

“I think it's, like, motivating to know that somebody who was in the same building as me was able to be someone that was so important on this project.”

— Matthew Ochsner, Junior, Abraham Lincoln High School

“It makes me believe that I can also end up in a profession like that.”

— Mikey Donovan, Junior, Abraham Lincoln High School

“Going through the Council Bluffs school district they very much pushed doing STEM.”

— Alex Brewer

“He was really good at just going nose first into a problem and coming up with good results.”

— Ryan Higgins, Engineering Teacher, Abraham Lincoln High School

“I would say, follow your dreams and even if you don't think you can, keep pursuing them and eventually it can work out.”

— Alex Brewer

What’s next

Brewer's role on the Artemis II mission is complete, and he is already turning his attention to next year's Artemis III launch.

The takeaway

This story highlights how the strong STEM education and hands-on engineering experience provided by the Council Bluffs school district can inspire students to pursue their dreams and land exciting careers in the space industry, even if they don't consider themselves the top students. Brewer's success is motivating the next generation of Council Bluffs students to believe in their own potential.