RALEIGH, NC (November 13, 2020) – At a virtual pitch competition and awards reception last Thursday, Representative David Price (NC-04) recognized the middle and high school student finalists and winner of the Fourth District’s Congressional App Challenge.  

During the pitch competition, the top 5 finalists were invited to present their app before a live panel of judges. Overall, this year’s app challenge received a record-setting 42 app submissions with 74 students participating from 24 Triangle-area schools.  

After the scores were tallied, Esha Agarwal from the Enloe Magnet High School won with her app, outSMARTPD, that helps users determine whether they are exhibiting signs of Parkinson’s disease.  

Watch the “outSMARTPD” submission here. 

“This year, students have had to make the difficult transition to a new online learning environment as we combat the COVID-19 pandemic. However, I was encouraged by the innovation, curiosity, and versatility of every single app submission,” said Representative David Price. “Each app revealed students’ exceptional technological skills and an ambition to solve societal problems.  I am proud of every students’ participation in the competition. I would also like to thank our judges and sponsors, Fidelity and N.C. State University’s Friday Institute, for making the App Challenge a success this year.” 

Also placing in the competition were: 

• First Runner Up: GoCOMPOST 
• Bo Chi, Ben Li, Yichen Sun, and Yikuan Sun 
• Chapel Hill High School, East Chapel Hill High School, North Carolina School of Science & Math, and Smith Middle School  
• Second Runner Up: Empathize 
• Harvik Kolla, Aryan, Kokkanti, Abhi, Indukuri, Akhil Surapaneni  
• Triangle Math and Science Academy, Raleigh Charter High School   
• Honorable Mention: StudentAssistant  
• Reyansh Bahl  
• Green Level High School 
• Honorable Mention: Luna 
• Keshav Varadarajan  
• Raleigh Charter High School   

Established by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2013, the App Challenge competition is a nationwide event that allows high school students from across the country to compete by creating and exhibiting their mock-up of a software application, or “app,” for mobile, tablet, or computer devices on a platform of their choice. 

North Carolina State University’s Friday Institute provided the virtual platform and technical assistance for the pitch competition event. In September, Fidelity Investments hosted two Jumpstarter events to help students launch their ideas. 

The winning student’s video mock-up will be featured on the website of the U.S. House of Representatives. It will also be displayed in the U.S. Capitol, and the winning student will be invited to a reception at the Capitol next spring.