IBUCK wins Rep. Paul Tonko’s 2023 Congressional App Challenge in New York’s 20th District
Rep. Tonko has named Michael Tong, Kush Malwatkar, and Ayush Patel of Shaker High School as the winners of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in New York’s 20th District.
When asked what inspired the creation of IBUCK, the students said, “As high school students interested in both finance and computer programming, we are trying to find a way for our peers and other people who are interested in making an investment of their own to be able to do it with the proper knowledge needed. When I was trying to make my first investment in 10th grade after my dad allowed me to with the money I saved, I was shocked by the different investment choices I got. Then, when I was talking to my grandparents and their friends about the investments, I figured they were also bothered by the issue of wanting to invest but didn’t know what type of investment they should make. They also worry about whether they make a lot of the estimated profit from these types of investments. Thus inspired by these experiences, I decided I was going to develop a website that provides people with basic information and knowledge on what to do and what it is for financial products and provides them with a way to calculate their estimated profits.”
This year’s Challenge saw an unprecedented level of participation, with 374 Members of the House of Representatives hosting competitions, surpassing the previous record of 340. A remarkable 11,334 students from across the United States competed in this year’s Challenge, marking an impressive increase of nearly 1,000 participants compared to the previous record set in 2019. The enthusiasm and creativity these students display is a testament to the growing interest in technology and signal a bright future for American innovation. The surge of ingenuity continued with a whopping 3,645 original applications flooding in, nearly a thousand more than the previous year’s high. This remarkable growth showcases the exceptional talent and innovation within our nation’s youth.
The Congressional App Challenge is an official initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives, where Members of Congress host contests in their districts for middle school and high school students, encouraging them to learn to code and inspiring them to pursue careers in computer science. This resounding show of bipartisan support emphasizes the critical importance of STEM education in today’s rapidly evolving world. Each participating Member of Congress selects a winning app from their district, and each winning team is invited to showcase their winning app to Congress during our annual #HouseOfCode festival.