Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. French Hill (AR-02) today announced Episcopal Collegiate School student, Neil Sash, as the winner of the winner of the 2021 Congressional App Challenge for Arkansas’s Second Congressional District.

“I congratulate all participants in this year’s competition, and you should be proud of your hard work. It is always exciting to see where central Arkansas students’ creativity can lead and the impact participating in this competition can have in your future in computer science,” said Rep. Hill. “I’m proud of not only Neil’s work creating his Global Home Doc app, but all of the innovations from our future leaders because they are a testament to Arkansas’s efforts to lead the nation in computer science and STEM education.”

This year’s panel of judges included Jay Chesshir (President and CEO, Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce); Errin Stanger (Director, Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub); Thomas Wallace (Web Services Liaison, UALR Information Science Department); and Daniel Schutte (Managing Director, Accelerator Programs, The Venture Center).

First Place:

Neil Sash – Global Home Doc, Episcopal Collegiate School – 11^th grade
Neil’s app estimates the risk for the three most deadly diseases in the world – cardiovascular disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. By answering a few questions, users can estimate and monitor their risk for these diseases. Based on the individual’s risk, the app will give recommendations to help monitor their health based on advice gathered from top doctors in each field. During the pandemic access to hospitals became severely limited, inspiring Neil to develop an app that allowed users an easy way to assess risk and monitor health from home.

You can learn more about Neil’s app HERE.

Second Place:

Walt Hill – Inventory Management System, Central High School – 9^th grade
Walt’s app stores a list of items, entered by the user, and generates a QR code for each item. Upon scanning the QR code, the user will be taken to a web page with a form where they can immediately check out the item. This app was inspired by Walt’s Scout Troup, who needed a way to keep track of their tents and its contents.

Third Place:

Zac Bevill, Hanna Vantseyeva, Vincent Twidwell and Eli Rose – State Park Findr, Benton High School – 12^th grade
This team’s app gives users an easily accessible list of national parks, separated by Congressional district and activities offered at the park. Users may select the congressional district they wish to find a park in, select an activity, and are matched with a park. The app will then give individuals the park name, county, and additional park information. This app was inspired by the team’s motivation to get outside and explore the beautiful state parks located in Arkansas.

Honorable Mention:

Jackson Lemons, Thomas Anderson, and Evan Sanders – Vaccine Trivia Game, Bryant High School – 11^th grade
This team’s app is a trivia quiz game about the COVID vaccine, which encourages users to learn more about the vaccine in a fun and informative manner.

Honorable Mention:
David Evatt – Formula Calculator, Maumelle High School – 10^th grade
David’s app allows users to select from numerous mathematical formulas, giving users a quick and efficient way to solve math problems.