WORTHINGTON - Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12) today announced Dublin Coffman High School junior Steven Speck as the winner of the 2020 Congressional App Challenge. Inspired by his mother, a pathologist, Speck developed an app to streamline the process for assigning cases to specialized pathologists working in a laboratory setting. Use of the app could lead to quicker turnaround of lab results for patients and their doctors.
The Congressional App Challenge is an annual competition showcasing the value of computer science and STEM education by encouraging middle and high school-age students to learn how to code through the creation of their own apps.
"Throughout 2020, American ingenuity has proven time and time again to be an unparalleled force for good in the world, and Steven's creation is no exception," said Balderson, a member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. "He identified a need, developed a plan to remedy it, and put in the hard work necessary to realize his goal of creating a usable product."
First conceptualized in February of 2020, Speck created the app with the intent of designing a tool to help his mother and her colleagues more efficiently assign cases to pathologists within their team based on their areas of specialization and workload.
"A lot of time and effort went into creating this app over the summer. I'm really happy about winning," said Speck.
Entries from students across Ohio's 12th Congressional District were assessed by a panel of local experts on several criteria, including the demonstrated knowledge of coding and programming skills, as well as the quality and implementation of their ideas.
Speck's winning app will be eligible for exhibition in the U.S. Capitol Building, and will be featured on the House of Representatives’ website.
