CAC: How did participating in the Congressional App Challenge contribute to your personal journey, career path, and accomplishments so far?

DV:Participating in the Congressional App Challenge was a turning point in my personal journey as an inventor and entrepreneur. Developing the AID App, which provided assistance to those in disaster, demonstrated that code extended beyond just academic exercise. It showed me that my app had the potential to directly serve those in life-threatening crises. Winning district FL-19 not only gave me the chance to present my work to Congressman Byron Donalds and Mobile Product specialists at FEMA, but also validated my belief that technology has the power to address urgent community needs. That served as a stepping stone for me to engage in other larger-scale projects that would serve my community like Transcend Traffic™, an AI-powered traffic management system, and Dextera, a robotic arm for patients with ALS. CAC connected me to a budding network of young innovators and mentors, who inspired me to view invention as both a technical and human-centered endeavor.

CAC: Try to remember back to competing in the CAC – what was your app about and why did you create it?

DV: When Hurricane Ian tore through my hometown, I watched neighbors stranded without food, power, or a way to reach help. Relief efforts existed, but information moved too slowly. I kept wondering if there was a simple way for people to connect directly, neighbor to neighbor, in real time? That thought became A.I.D. (Assistance in Disaster), the app I created for the Congressional App Challenge.

A.I.D. lets users post what they need, whether it be shelter, water, transportation or what they can offer. During testing, I saw posts like “I have a generator, come charge your phone” appear instantly beside “I need baby formula.” It felt like a digital lifeline.

For me, the Challenge wasn’t just about coding an app; it was about transforming empathy into impact. Winning my district confirmed that technology, when built with people at the center, can turn disaster into resilience.

CAC: What are you most proud of in your academic or professional career thus far?

DV: What I am most proud of is leading my robotics team in creating a robotic arm for an ALS patient who had lost mobility. The project began as a technical challenge with sketches, CAD models, and countless prototypes, but it quickly grew into something greater. Each design choice mattered because it was not just about optimizing performance; it was about restoring independence to another person.

When we delivered the arm, he lifted his hand for the first time in over a year and reached for his wife’s. Watching that moment showed me that engineering is more than circuits and code. It has the power to directly improve lives.

This experience shaped my belief that innovation is most meaningful when guided by empathy. It also changed my understanding of leadership, which is not only about directing a team but also about listening, adapting, and working toward a purpose that matters.

CAC: Let’s look into the future – where do you hope to be in 2035?

DV: In 2035, I hope to be at the intersection of technology and impact, leading ventures that make advanced engineering accessible to communities that need it most. My journey began with small projects, like taking apart toys and coding simple programs, and has grown into building traffic management systems, assistive devices, and disaster-response apps. Each step has reinforced my belief that invention is most powerful when it empowers people.

By 2035, I envision myself as both an engineer and an entrepreneur, collaborating with global partners to bring scalable solutions to challenges in mobility, infrastructure, and sustainability. I also see myself mentoring young inventors and creating opportunities for students who may not have had the same resources I did.

Ultimately, I want to look back and know that I built more than devices or companies. I want to know I built technology that impacted lives.

CAC: What excites you most about the future of technology and innovation?

DV: What excites me most about the future of technology is the way it turns imagination into reality. Concepts that once seemed like science fiction, such as vehicles that communicate with each other, prosthetics that move with thought, and cities that respond intelligently to the flow of people, are now becoming possible.

The excitement comes from the unknown. Every advancement not only solves an existing problem but also sparks new questions we have not yet considered. As a student inventor, I have felt the excitement of watching a sketch evolve into a working prototype. Looking ahead, I am inspired by the idea of scaling that experience to technologies that can reshape how entire communities live, work, and connect.

The future of innovation is not simply about building smarter machines. It is about expanding the boundaries of human potential and creating tools that allow more people to thrive.