BloodSoldiers wins Rep. Veasey’s 2023 Congressional App Challenge in Texas’ 33rd District
Rep. Veasey has named Sanjay Alluri, an 11th grader at Coppell High School as the winner of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in Texas’ 33rd District
When asked what inspired the creation of BloodSoldiers, the students said, “Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood for surgeries, cancer treatments, childbirth, anemia, serious injuries, blood disorders, and other conditions. Additionally, across the nation, the demand for blood has been rising while blood donations have not been able to keep up. Due to this high demand for blood, blood banks often do not have enough supply to meet all patient’s needs. I believe that my app can help resolve some of these issues in this realm of blood donation. I was inspired to create this app by my grandmother who underwent heart surgery and needed a large amount of blood, yet her doctors struggled to find blood that was suitable for her. My app aims to directly connect people in need of blood with people willing to donate blood in order to solve this issue.”
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.