Debugged S4 E5: Engineering Solutions in Science with CAC Alumni

Hello! Welcome back to Debugged, the Congressional App Challenge’s alumni-led podcast that connects the country’s youth with technology by debugging the intricate world of computer science.

In this special episode of the show, guest host and Debugged team member Suhaani Sodhi chats with two Congressional App Challenge alumni involved in the intersection of the hard sciences and technology: Antonia Kolb, and Hamza Wadiwala. Antonia is a freshman at Harvard University, planning on studying either statistics or environmental science. She was a winner of the Congressional App Challenge from Connecticut in 2022. Hamza is a freshman at MIT majoring in electrical engineering and computing, with a minor in finance. He participated in the Congressional App Challenge in 2023.

To start off, Hamza and Antonia share what they hope to do with their majors, and what drew them to that field of study. Hamza talks about always enjoying computer science classes, but knowing that he didn’t want to just sit on the software side of things. Studying electrical engineering gives him the opportunity to see more applications of his work, making it a great choice of major for him. Antonia, on the other hand, discusses her motivation for environmental science and engineering coming from conducting research on photocatalysis at Yale University’s Hu Lab. Later in the interview, she goes on to discuss how lab work like this is such a great experience for high school students.

Antonia and Hamza then go on to share projects that they’ve worked on at the intersection of hard science and technology. Antonia discusses her Congressional App Challenge submission, Detickt It. She discusses the need for such an app—rooted in her own personal experience—and what she learned making it. She also shares some of the resources she took advantage to learn how to make it. Hamza then goes on to discuss a project he did for NASA Hunch. He shares what he learned from a realistic experience of working on a space product, and what it was like to get critiqued by real NASA engineers.

Finally, both interviewees stress the importance of taking advantage of your resources to get hands-on experience with your passions, whether it be by reaching out to your network, or just cold emailing professors at your local university. Tune in to this week’s episode of Debugged to hear more of Antonia and Hamza’s fascinating projects, and high school journeys!

More about Debugged

Founded in 2021 by the Congressional App Challenge’s Alumni Advisory Board, Debugged is a unique podcast experience that seeks to redefine STEM education, shine a light on diverse voices, and further the narrative around a myriad of computer science topics. By highlighting trends in the industry, breaking down complicated concepts, and interviewing high profile guests, listeners are given the opportunity to delve into the world of technology in an analytical yet engaging way.

Debugged is free to stream on your favorite platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more via Anchor.fm! To be the first to know about new episodes, and to learn more about the team of eleven alumni behind every one, follow @cacdebugged on Instagram and X. Thank you so much for your viewership; we hope you enjoy the episode!