Horsford Announces NV-04 Winners of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) announced the winners of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge for Nevada’s Fourth Congressional District.
“The students who participated in this year’s Congressional App Challenge demonstrated creativity and a drive to solve real-world problems through technology,” said Congressman Horsford. “I’m inspired seeing them use their skills to make a difference in our community and beyond. I’d like to extend my congratulations to all the participants and especially to our first-place winner, Abesalom Webb, whose app, Emotion Matcher, stands out as an innovative tool to foster emotional intelligence.”
First Place: Emotion Matcher by Abesalom Webb
Emotion Matcher uses artificial intelligence to help users recognize emotions by analyzing hand-drawn facial expressions. It’s especially beneficial for individuals seeking to improve their emotional intelligence or those with conditions like Alexithymia that make emotion recognition challenging. The app’s inspiration came from personal experiences with his cousin Nate, who struggles with identifying emotions.
Second Place: Diplomat by Asher Kay
Diplomat streamlines the process of organizing Model United Nations tournaments by eliminating the need for email communication. The app’s inspiration came from Asher’s involvement in Speech and Debate and his desire to bring similar efficiency and modernization to the Model UN community.
Third Place: Mental Health Forum by Ronan Fay
Mental Health Forum facilities community support through user-generated posts and provides a map of mental health facilities in the Las Vegas area. The app’s inspiration came from a desire to provide accessible resources and support for those experiencing mental health challenges.
Additionally, Congressman Horsford would like the recognize these Honorable Mentions:
- Fresh Start 2Day by Kai Boulware: Connecting incarcerated individuals with housing, employment, and other reintegration resources.
- Winged Words & Equations by Jonah Lee: An educational game for children to strengthen their skills in math and English through interactive challenges.
The Congressional App Challenge aims to engage students in STEM education and celebrate their technical achievements. As the First Place winner for Nevada’s Fourth District, Abesalom Webb will have the opportunity to present Emotion Matcher at the #HouseOfCode event in Washington, DC and have the app displayed in the United States Capitol Building.