EVERETT, WA – Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) congratulated Sydney Vo and Azul Rangel, juniors at Mariner High School in Everett, for winning the 2023 Congressional App Challenge with their entry, “HopeHorizon,” which seeks to aid individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

“The Congressional App Challenge has again shown the creativity of talented students from Northwest Washington,” said Larsen. “Congratulations to all students who competed and our winners, Sydney Vo and Azul Rangel, who developed an innovative app to break down barriers to essential resources for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.”

The “HopeHorizon” app is eligible to be on display in the U.S. Capitol and on the House of Representatives App Challenge website.

Vo and Rangel celebrated winning the district App Challenge and emphasized how their app can be a helpful tool to connect people experiencing homelessness with resources and assistance.

"As a resident of Washington, witnessing the pervasive issue of homelessness fueled my determination to create 'HopeHorizon' for the Congressional App Challenge,” said Vo. “Winning this competition carries immense meaning, especially as a student from Mariner High School, where economic hardships often limit opportunities for a majority of low-income students. This victory reinforces my commitment to addressing the challenges firsthand, and I'm eager to continue working on 'HopeHorizon,' playing a role in providing solutions and opportunities to combat homelessness."

"We hope that we can, as we improve our programming skills, elevate our app so that it becomes a beneficial tool to anyone combatting homelessness,” said Rangel. “We are beyond grateful and excited about the positive outcome and feedback we have gotten, which we will use to grow both the app and our abilities."

The Congressional App Challenge is an annual competition that aims to help maintain U.S. competitiveness by inspiring middle school and high school students to pursue crucial STEM skills. For more information about the Congressional App Challenge, visit https://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/. To preregister for the 2024 Congressional App Challenge, visit https://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/students/student-registration/.

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