On March 24, 2026, a group of Pleasant Valley students traveled to Iowa State University to compete in a cybersecurity competition.
With growing interest in cybersecurity throughout, many students were very eager to participate when the opportunity was offered. Chaperoned by Jason Landa, most of the students involved were from his AP Computer Science class. The school sent two teams to compete in a challenge.
During the competition, teams were tasked with securing a virtual machine and defending their systems from cyberattacks. This year’s scenario involved a previously fired employee hacking into a company’s systems and disrupting its services. Students also had to create documentation explaining the steps and changes they made throughout the competition.
Many students said the challenges were especially difficult. However, Pleasant Valley student Maryl Meeboer completed one of the most challenging tasks they made throughout the competition. The teams traveled on Friday and stayed overnight at a hotel in Ames, where most of their preparation took place before the event. Although the competition was demanding, students said the experience was entertaining and worthwhile.
“Although our website got completely hacked, the group had a ton of fun, and we learned a lot about what not to do,” PV student Grant Cabay said. Many students also felt that they gained important life skills through the experience, particularly learning how failure can be just as valuable as success.
The competition also served as a bonding experience, as students worked together to solve real-world cybersecurity problems and develop technical skills. Pleasant Valley student Thomas Bacon reflected on the experience.“The cybersecurity competition was very exciting, from mapping a phone maze to making memes with my teammates,” Bacon said.
The teams were also pleased with their overall performance. “The day finished with us taking 6th but with memories that made it worth staying up so absurdly late,” Bacon added. Despite the pressure and long hours, students left the competition with stronger cybersecurity knowledge and memorable experiences.
Overall, PV students thoroughly enjoyed the trip and are excited to return next year for another challenge.
