Young people respond to inspiration and opportunity. During my youth, I remember fondly President John Kennedy's goal of sending man to the Moon in ten years. What may have seemed unachievable was not only completed, but was done so in a way that jump-started a global technological revolution.

So much of the technology that we use today was born from the ingenuity of the men and women working in our space program. As we move deeper into the 21^st century, and as technology evolves, we need to continue to inspire new developments by sparking the creativity of the generations of Americans who will one day lead us in the next wave of awe-inspiring American inventions.

That is why the U.S. House of Representatives is conducting the Congressional App Challenge, and inviting high school students to design, create, and submit their digital apps to their Member of Congress.

This competition is a nationwide event intended to engage students’ creativity and encourage their participation in STEM fields. The competition allows students to compete with peers in their own district by creating and exhibiting their software application, or “app”, for mobile, tablet, or computer devices on a platform of their choice.

The Challenge submission period has begun and will run through January 15, 2016.

The apps will be judged by a panel of local judges who work within the academic, software, and entrepreneurial fields. The winning app will be featured on my website, the U.S. House of Representatives’ website, and displayed in the U.S. Capitol.

To submit your app, you must go to my page on challenge.gov. It is also posted on my website.

I look forward to being inspired by the bright high school students of Arkansas’s Second Congressional District!

Sincerely,

Representative French Hill

Little Rock Activist Annie Abrams Visits Washington
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Annie Abrams is old enough to remember when schools were segregated and blacks were required to sit at the back of the bus. On Wednesday, the Little Rock civil-rights activist sat on the front row in Emancipation Hall on Capitol Hill as President Barack Obama and congressional leaders celebrated the 150th anniversary of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
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I rise to honor the life and legacy of one of Arkansas’s great educators – Chancellor Eugene McKay of Arkansas State University at Beebe.

Chancellor McKay will be missed greatly when he retires this year after 50 years of service to our State’s educational system, particularly in helping assure a ready, skilled workforce.

For the past five decades, Chancellor McKay has displayed an unrelenting commitment to education in Arkansas, and has been a beacon for quality higher education at Arkansas State University.

First as a professor and then as the Chancellor at the State University, Chancellor McKay was responsible for the University’s recognition for having the highest student success rate in Arkansas among both two-year and four-year institutions.

He has also been honored as educator of the year by the Beebe Chamber of Commerce, and was also presented with the lifetime achievement award from the Chamber.

Chancellor McKay made an indelible impact on the lives of his students, faculty, and alumni, and our communities and businesses thank him. He will be greatly missed.

I extend my warmest regards and best wishes to Chancellor McKay in this next chapter of his life.