Congresswoman Judy Chu celebrated the 2nd place win of these MKHS students. (From left to right: Athicha Chanpradub, Evan Lau, Representative Chu, Drexel Ngo, and Alina Ramos.)
Article by Natalie Tee Gaither
Four Alhambra Unified School District students have claimed second place in Representative Judy Chu’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge, a prestigious STEM competition designed to inspire middle and high school students to explore coding and programming. Mark Keppel High School students Drexel Ngo, Alina Ramos, Evan Lau, and Athicha Chanpradub earned the honor with their app, EyeSpeak, which aims to enhance communication for paralytic individuals.
This marks the third consecutive year this team (who first entered as middle schoolers from Brightwood School) has entered the Congressional App Challenge and the third year they have emerged as top finalists. Principal Alejandra Perez expressed her pride in the students’ achievement, stating, “Year after year, these students impressed the judges with their innovation and intellect. Their success in this competition reflects their hard work and dedication, and encourages other students to strive for similar greatness.”
Representative Chu highlighted the significance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education and the students’ contributions, saying, “I was thrilled to host my 6th Annual Congressional App Challenge Competition and highlight the importance of STEM education in our country. STEM courses are so valuable for our youth and their futures, and the powerful skills gained from coding and programming will help our nation remain at the forefront of global technological progress and advancements. Our record number of submissions came from talented young coders who worked collaboratively to fix a host of problems facing the world. I’m proud of all our winners and everyone who participated in the competition. Congratulations to each one of them!”
A record-breaking 67 apps were submitted to this year’s competition, which were judged by experts from Caltech, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and Motiv Space Systems. The winning projects were evaluated based on their purpose, concept, technical execution, creativity, and overall design.The EyeSpeak team’s achievement underscores AUSD’s commitment to fostering technological innovation and problem-solving skills among its students. To watch a preview of EyeSpeak in action, visit the AUSD YouTube Channel: YouTube.com/@AlhambraUSD.
The MKHS team had one of the biggest and loudest groups of fans to cheer them on at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
MKHS Assistant Principal of Instruction Nicolas Nguyen (far left) and Principal Alejandra Perez (far right) were among the many supporters at the Congressional App Challenge Recognition Ceremony.
