EVERETT — Sydney Vo and Azul Rangel are on a coding streak.
What’s app with that?
For two years in a row, the Mariner High School juniors won the annual Congressional App Challenge in the state’s Second Congressional District as part of a nationwide contest to inspire students to code.
The Mariner teens’ latest entry, “HopeHorizon,” is meant to aid people who are unsheltered or struggling financially. The app aims to provide a platform to connect those in need with housing, food and medical resources.
“We are both free or reduced lunch,” said Sydney, 16. “We feel like we can relate to this issue as well.”
The app still needs fine tuning, said Azul, 17.
“We haven’t published it yet,” she said. “The goal is so people can actually use it to find resources.”
The teens created the app after school hours because of their busy curriculum. Azul had just finished an AP Chemistry test. Sydney came from robotics class. She is co-president of the robotics club.
More than 11,000 students participated in the national 2023 Congressional App Challenge, coding over 3,600 fully functioning apps. Winning apps included themes of sports, space and even where users can locate the best public restrooms.
Eight app winners were chosen in Washington districts this year. Other state winning apps were for visually impaired people, teen mental health and using AI to grade practice AP writing tests.
For his district, Rep. Rick Larsen worked with judges in the tech field, who scored the apps based on a set of criteria and provided feedback.
“Sydney and Azul have very bright futures,” Larsen said in an email. “Both impressed me with their ability to code and passion to apply their talents toward addressing homelessness in our community.”
As sophomores, the teens won in Larsen’s district for a different app, WordToASL, which spelled out words in American Sign Language to foster communication among deaf and hearing people.
That landed them an invite last April to Washington, D.C., to the #HouseOfCode expo and conference, where they talked about apps with other Congressional App Challenge contest winners.
The trip was made possible by donations to an online fundraiser that brought in over $5,000. Contributors included former teachers and principals as well as school board members.
“Our community helped us so much,” Azul said. “I never thought I’d go to Washington, D.C., in high school.”
The event connected them with mentors.
“We listened to a lot of panelists,” Sydney said. “We connected with some of them.”
“There was one really cool lady from MIT,” Azul said.
“We asked her a lot of questions at the end of her panel,” Sydney added. “It was nice getting to know her.”
The students are invited back to the conference this year, but might not go due to their schedule demands.
They made time to speak to classes at local elementaries, including Challenger, where Azul went to school.
“A lot are in similar situations like us, first generation and people of color,” Azul said. “They can see that little girls have a place, too, in the world of STEM and technology.”
Both attended Explorer Middle School, but didn’t meet until freshman year at Mariner in an AP computer science principles class.
They are officers in the school’s chapter of the First Gen Support club to empower low-income and first-generation students.
“When I was little, going to college seemed pretty distant and far away for me,” Azul said. “My parents are immigrants and they weren’t able to go to college. They are from Mexico. They have worked hard. I am very grateful. They have always provided even more than I could ever want.”
Sydney also credits support from her parents, who are Vietnamese immigrants.
“My mom had to drop out after middle school,” Sydney said. “I didn’t realize these small things could affect your success.”
She is trying to increase participation at King County coding camps, where at times she was the only student from Mariner.
“We want to get more representation for our school. There are people from schools in the richer areas,” she said.
Both have older brothers who went to college and studied computer science.
The teens make time for the arts and sports. Azul plays the flute in the band and piccolo in the marching band. She is co-captain of the Mariner varsity soccer team. Sydney was in the orchestra and now is on the tennis team. She plays piano and likes to create music compositions.
The 2024 Congressional App Challenge opens in May. Students may compete as individuals or in teams of up to four. Another contest is the Congressional Art Competition, with entries taken through April 8.
Is there a person, place or thing making you wonder “What’s Up With That?” Contact reporter Andrea Brown: 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @reporterbrown.
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