Fintelligent wins Rep. Robert Wittman’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Virginia’s First District
Rep. Robert Wittman has named Aleksander Kurgan, Richard John, Kartikeya Jain, and Tom Cech of Deep Run High School as the winners of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Virginia’s First District.
When asked what inspired the creation of Fintelligent, the students said, “As children, we held a burning passion for fishing, from the bursting joys of a successful catch to the trembling anguish of losing a hook solely because we didn’t tie the knot right. Unfortunately, as we’ve grown older, we’ve noticed the increase in pollution in our waterways and wondered how it might affect both people and animals that spend time in those rivers. With fluctuations in the populations of native James River fish and the rise of strange-looking fish being reeled up, we wondered if there was a correlation between water pollution and fish disease.
Later, we found sources confirming our speculations that pollution is a major contributor to declining fish health across the nation. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), more than half of the nation’s stream miles are in poor condition due to pollution. This means that many waterways are too polluted for activities like fishing, drinking, or swimming. More shockingly, while cleanup efforts are underway, almost half of the American population isn’t aware of the extent of the pollution and its effects on their daily lives. In fact, another statement issued by the EPA stated that increased funding could significantly enhance the impact of environmental cleanup efforts. This implies that there is a lack of funding thus highlighting how the issue is often underestimated. With this in mind, we felt inspired to take action.
As passionate students with an aptitude for machine learning and image processing, we quickly realized we could combine our interests in computer science and fishing. By focusing on fish diseases that are visually detectable, we found that algorithms could help quickly and effectively identify those diseases. In fact, advanced machine learning approaches can classify diseases that the naked eye can’t regularly spot, which is crucial for people and businesses who plan on catching fish for consumption, not just fishing for sport.”
This year’s Congressional App Challenge set new records, with an unprecedented 382 Members of the House of Representatives hosting competitions—surpassing the previous high of 374. An incredible 12,682 students from across the country participated, representing a growth of over 1,000 students compared to 2023. These talented students submitted an astounding 3,881 original applications, showcasing their creativity, passion for technology, and the limitless potential of America’s next generation of innovators. This surge in participation reflects the increasing excitement around STEM and highlights a bright future for American innovation.
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.
The program is a public-private partnership made possible through funding from the Broadcom Foundation, AWS, Rise, theCoderSchool, Apple, and others.
The 2024 Congressional App Challenge will launch in May of 2025, and eligible students can pre-register for the competition now.