Light Teachings wins Rep. Marcy Kaptur’s 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Ohio’s Ninth District

When asked what inspired the creation of Light Teachings, Alexander Preston said, “Ray tracing is something I’ve been learning about for over a year and a half. Along the way, I’ve struggled to both understand the theory and apply it in real projects. After finishing my first custom ray-traced application in C++, I quickly realized how difficult it was to find clear, accessible resources on the subject. Just two months later, I already had the motivation to create something that could make learning the theory of computer graphics, in this case specifically Ray Tracing, easier for others. 

“Over the next ten months, I continued studying and experimenting but struggled to find straightforward explanations or beginner-friendly guides. Many of the available resources were either overly technical or buried in long research papers that were difficult to understand without years of experience. During this time, I discovered a YouTube creator known as Acerola, who makes educational videos about graphics programming. His content inspired me with how he breaks down complex topics into simple, visual explanations that anyone can follow, regardless of their background. Around the same time, my computer science teacher encouraged me to participate in the Congressional App Challenge. This gave me the final push I needed to start building something meaningful. Combining my passion for ray tracing, my desire to make technical concepts approachable, and the inspiration I drew from Acerola’s teaching style, I decided to compete in the Congressional App Challenge with an app that can help teach Ray Tracing in a simple and understandable way.”