Glo Up wins Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s 2023 Congressional App Challenge in New York’s 14th District
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez has named Gioia Marchi, Bianca Siguencia, Somaih Sharhan, and Marufa Uddin of The Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria as the winners of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in New York’s 14th District.
When asked what inspired the creation of Glo Up, the students said, “Due to the lack of knowledge or attention on different hair types, skin types, etc, people tend to not know how to care for themselves. This can make people insecure and unsure about themselves. This is especially common among young adolescents who are struggling with their self-image. Our purpose for our app is to include products that are not as known or as mainstream and can help skin or hair concerns. Our goal with this app is to encourage inclusivity and unite everyone, regardless of their gender or identity. This app can help anyone with any kind of hair type, skin type, skin complexion, etc.”
This year’s Challenge saw an unprecedented level of participation, with 374 Members of the House of Representatives hosting competitions, surpassing the previous record of 340. A remarkable 11,334 students from across the United States competed in this year’s Challenge, marking an impressive increase of nearly 1,000 participants compared to the previous record set in 2019. The enthusiasm and creativity these students display is a testament to the growing interest in technology and signal a bright future for American innovation. The surge of ingenuity continued with a whopping 3,645 original applications flooding in, nearly a thousand more than the previous year’s high. This remarkable growth showcases the exceptional talent and innovation within our nation’s youth.
The Congressional App Challenge is an official initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives, where Members of Congress host contests in their districts for middle school and high school students, encouraging them to learn to code and inspiring them to pursue careers in computer science. This resounding show of bipartisan support emphasizes the critical importance of STEM education in today’s rapidly evolving world. Each participating Member of Congress selects a winning app from their district, and each winning team is invited to showcase their winning app to Congress during our annual #HouseOfCode festival.