WARNER ROBINS, GA – Today, U.S. Congressman Austin Scott (GA-08) announced the Eighth District winners for the 2018 Congressional App Challenge at an awards ceremony at Houston County High School. The Congressional App Challenge is a competition for current middle and high school students aimed at inspiring and engaging students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), coding, and computer science. Following the event, Rep. Scott released the below statement:

“The Congressional App Challenge is a great way to showcase the innovation and technological talent of students across the Eighth District, and the submissions we received in its inaugural year clearly expressed this,” said Rep. Austin Scott. “I would like to personally extend a ‘congratulations’ to this year’s winner, as well as to each and every application we received, and extend a ‘thank you’ to the teachers who inspired Eighth District students to participate in this competition and expand their skills and knowledge in the STEM, coding, and computer science fields. The demand for these skills will only continue to grow, and we are glad to host this event to give students and educators the opportunity to implement these in our Georgia classrooms.”

The Eighth District’s top winner will have the opportunity to attend a #HouseofCode event in Washington, D.C. this spring to showcase their app to Members of Congress and the public. The winner’s app will also be on display at the U.S. Capitol and on the official U.S. House of Representatives website in the spring.

 

FIRST PLACE WINNER:

A first aid medical assistance app for educating K-12 students on proper medical interventions, “AidMe” by Rumi Lee from Houston County High School. (Click here to watch Rumi's app presentation.)

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Pictured from left to right: Rumi Lee and Congressman Scott.

 

SECOND PLACE WINNER

An app to create entertainment by providing fun, challenging gameplay, “Wraith’s Wrath” by Tien Tran, Donghyun Kwak, Carter Richter, and Connor Richter from Houston County High School. (Click here to watch Tien, Donghyun, Carter, and Connor's app presentation.)

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Pictured from left to right: Tien Tran, Donghyun Kwak, Congressman Scott, Carter Richter, and Connor Richter.

 

THIRD PLACE WINNER

An app to make choosing your next movie an easier experience, “Rate-It R” by Christopher Saetia, Nikita Shetty, and Aaron Mathieson from Houston County High School. (Click here to watch Christopher, Nikita, and Aaron's app presentation.)

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Pictured from left to right: Christopher Saetia, Nikita Shetty, Congressman Scott, and Aaron Mathieson.

 

FOURTH PLACE WINNERS:

An app to allow kids with verbal disabilities to be able to better express their feelings, decompress from stress, and better communicate with their parents, teachers, and peers, “Inside Out” by Kaitlynn Stalvey and Sara Whiddon from Hahira Middle School. (Click here to watch Kaitlynn and Sara's app presentation.)

Unfortunately, Kaitlynn, Sara, and their teacher were unable to make the awards ceremony due to weather. They will be presented with their awards on a later date.

 

JUDGES:

The apps were judged by representatives from BAE Systems, Georgia Tech Research Institute, Mercer Engineering Research Center, Mercer University, the Museum of Aviation Foundation, Robins Air Force Base, and the University of Dayton Research Institute.

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First, second, and third place winners with the compeition judges.

 

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