A Round Rock High School sophomore was named the Grand Winner of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge.
Aariv Modi was recognized by U.S. Rep. John Carter earlier this month at the App Challenge Honors Presentation in Temple.
“Participating in the 2023 Congressional App Challenge was an amazing experience that I won’t ever forget,” Aariv said. “When I found out about it, I was excited because I had been working with mobile apps for some time, and I thought this challenge was a great way to put my skills to the test.”
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives host districtwide Congressional App Challenges for middle and high school students each year.
The goal of these competitions is to “inspire, include, and innovate efforts around stem, coding, and computer science education.”
For the competition, Aariv created an app called SpellSmart, which uses text-to-speech AI technology to pronounce complex words correctly. Aariv says the app is intended to be used as a spelling tool for immigrant families so they can expand their vocabulary.
“It was great to win, but the best part for me was the validation I received for my idea,” he said. “It was awesome to know that other people also believed SpellSmart could make a positive impact on families worldwide.”
In April, Aariv will represent Rep. Carter at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., for a “House of Code” event.
