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

IA: Participating in the CAC showed me that coding could be more than just a skill, it could be a way to solve problems in my community. It inspired me to keep creating projects with a purpose.

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

IA: I competed in the CAC for several years. With my teammates, I created DriveRight, an app to help teens learn Montana driving laws through quizzes and simulations. A few years after that, I created Found, which educates teens and young adults about the dangers of human trafficking. It includes prevention resources, a missing person reporting feature, and a simulation for handling grooming situations. Both apps came from wanting to solve problems I saw in my community.

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

IA: I’m proud of my work at Code Girls, where I mentor and teach the same after-school coding classes that inspired me when I was younger. Being able to give back and encourage young girls to pursue STEM has been incredibly rewarding.

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

IA:By 2035, I hope to be developing solutions for real-world problems while also mentoring the next generation of innovators. I want to keep blending computer science with community impact, just like I started with my first apps.

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

IA: I’m excited about technology’s potential to solve problems that affect real people’s lives. The future holds endless opportunities to create tools that are innovative and impactful.