Walnut Creek, CA – Congressman Mark DeSaulnier announced that Seth Raphael of Walnut Creek is the winner of the 2021 Congressional App Challenge (CAC) for California’s 11th Congressional District.
Raphael is a student at Las Lomas High School and designed LinkJoin, a virtual meeting management app that helps users stay organized by listing their virtual meetings in one convenient place, automatically opening meetings, and sending reminder alerts to users. This app is intended to be used by educators, students, and organizations to make online communications simple and efficient.
“It was such a pleasure reviewing all of the creative apps developed by students across Contra Costa this year,” said Congressman Mark DeSaulnier. “I am always impressed by the ingenuity and skill demonstrated by students in our district and congratulate this year’s winner, Seth. In our increasingly digital world, his app can make the lives of both hardworking students and teachers easier.”
Second place was awarded to Jason Chan from San Ramon Valley High School for his app Swype Words, which assists in typing efficiency, and third place was awarded to Adhyayan Singh from Diablo Vista Middle School for his app SmartHomework Planner, which helps students calculate and track their grades.
This year’s winner was selected by a panel of three judges from the STEM and education fields.
The CAC is a public initiative to encourage young people to learn how to code in an effort to inspire creativity and encourage interest in STEM education. Established in 2014, the CAC has now reached over 14,000 students across the country, including those in underserved and rural areas. This is the seventh year Congressman DeSaulnier has hosted the CAC for the 11th District.
