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Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) announced the winner of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge from Virginia’s 10th District: Focusr, designed by Aarnav Bujamella of Independence High School, Saurish Tripathi of Thomas Jefferson High School, and Parthiv Maddipatla of Thomas Jefferson High School.

“I’m so impressed by the brilliance, passion, and ingenuity displayed by our district’s incredible young coders in this year’s Congressional App Challenge,” said Congresswoman Wexton. “Congratulations to Aarnav Bujamella, Saurish Tripathi, and Parthiv Maddipatla as the winners of this year’s contest for their innovative app that helps users improve their attention spans. These remarkable young people have made their community proud, and I look forward to their invention representing Virginia’s 10th District among winners from all across the country.”

Focusr helps individuals strengthen their attention spans and elevate their overall focus levels in an increasingly distracting world. The app accomplishes this by providing users with a comprehensive diagnostics test to measure their current attention spans and identify particular areas that need improvement. After this evaluation is complete, Focusr creates a personalized mental exercise program tailored to each individual user’s own unique needs.

The Congressional App Challenge was created in 2013 with the mission to inspire, include, and innovate student efforts in STEM and computer science. The competition has reached remarkable levels of urban, suburban, and rural participation and participation from underrepresented communities. Winning apps will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building and featured on the House of Representatives’ website, House.gov. Students from winning teams from each participating district are invited to #HouseofCode Capitol Hill Reception, where they can demo their apps.

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