North Texas News

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), Vice Chairman of the House Rules Committee, and Chairman of the House Budget Committee's Health Care Task Force, has announced the winner of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge (CAC). The annual app competition, which aims to encourage students to participate in STEM and learn coding, was open to middle and high school students in the 26th Congressional District of Texas.

Over 11,000 students from across the nation participated in this year's Congressional App Challenge, submitting over 3,600 fully functioning apps. The Congressional App Challenge is considered the most prestigious national prize for students in computer science.

A panel of three expert judges reviewed the submissions from the 26th District contest. The panelists included Maria-Kristina Hayden, Founder & CEO of OUTFOXM, Inc., Bekah Sanchez, Division Chair, Information Technology & Computer Science at North Central Texas College, and Darrell Smith, Interim Dean, Industrial & Engineering Technology at North Central College.

The winning app, entitled "Auditory," was created by Sanchana Shanmuga, a senior at Flower Mound High School. Originally designed as an audio-based studying app to assist visually impaired students, the app's features - "Learn," "Quiz," and "Scan" - were found to be beneficial for all students. The "Learn" feature reads the student's notes aloud, helping them become more familiar with the content. The "Quiz" feature tests the student's ability to answer questions and can be used for vocabulary or memorization. The "Scan" function allows students to take pictures of their physical notes and convert them to text, which can be copied for use in the "Learn" or "Study" functions.

Congressman Burgess praised the creativity of all the students who participated in the contest and congratulated Sanchana for her winning app. "Each student who participated in this year's contest will receive a 'Special Certificate of Congressional Recognition'," added Congressman Burgess.

As the winner of the 26th District contest, Sanchana will be invited to join other winners from across the nation at the #HouseOfCode Reception in April 2024. This event serves as a platform to recognize and celebrate the innovative contributions of these young minds in the field of computer science. In addition, Sanchana's "Auditory" app will be displayed electronically in the U.S. Capitol building for the next year. The winning apps from other congressional districts will also be showcased on the U.S. House of Representatives' website and the Congressional App Challenge website for one year.

For more information about the Congressional App Challenge, interested individuals can visit www.CongressionalAppChallenge.us or contact Robin Vaughan, Deputy District Director, in Congressman Burgess' Lake Dallas district office by email: robin.vaughan@mail.house.gov or phone: 940-497-5031.

To find out more, go to this link: https://burgess.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=403826