Rep. Johnson Celebrates 4th Congressional App Challenge Winners

DECATUR, GA – This week, Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) celebrated his 2019 Congressional App Challenge winners via a virtual meeting with three graduates from Arabia Mountain High School in Lithonia.

Assitan Ndiaye of Decatur; Ayomikun Akin-David of Conyers; and Danait Issac of Stone Mountain: won the 2019 competition with their mobile application: RAMPAGE. The mobile app serves as a one-stop-shop for students to keep up with current events at their school, navigate through their campus and learn things that benefit them according to their grade level.

The App Challenge is designed to encourage student participation in computer science and coding. Officially launched by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2015, the nationwide effort allows students to compete against their peers by creating an application or "app," for mobile, tablet, or computer devices. The Challenge is designed to promote innovation and engagement in coding and computer science.

Also, on the call were the students' teacher Shenica Mathieu, Arabia Mountain Principal Tanya Mason and Kamal Carter, from NASA and Fernbank Science Center.

"I want to congratulate you all for being at the very top of your class," said Rep. Johnson. "I want to congratulate your Principal Mrs. Tanya Mason and recognize the great attributes of your teacher Mrs. Shenica Mathieu. All of you have my deep congratulations for what you've accomplished with the App Challenge. I hope that you will use this time that has been very challenging as a steppingstone to great heights and great success into the future."

Mr. Kamal Carter, former NIH Research Fellow, now of NASA and the Fernbank Science Center and NASA program, said:

"What I always see is that we have all of this talent but it's under recognized or under celebrated. The fact that you all were able to build the app and have the mindset to say that I see an opportunity in this; versus just spending time on social media and basically just participating to make some other company richer. I realize that I can build my own social media company or build my own my app. I cannot just be an end-user of technology but I can actually develop it and get paid for it. Tap into that access of information and change that is going on and reimagine the world. There is another Facebook to be made. There's new technology we need in our space program in order for us to live n Mars and we need black astronauts."

Principal Tanya Mason said:

"As educators we don't get a lot of rewards as it relates to our paychecks. But the rewards come in later when we see students like this go on to colleges and universities and make something of themselves and become change agents we always talk about."

Mrs. Shenica Mathieu said:

"I am so thankful to make these connections and build these relationships."

Student quotes

Danait Issac

"Arabia Mountain Magnet Valedictorian—Vanderbilt University: Pre-Law and minor in environment and sustainability."

Ayomikun Akin-David

"Kennesaw State University, majoring in Biology and my career goal is to become a cardiologist."

Assitan Ndiaye

"Georgia State University and plans to major in Computer Science."

For more information on the Congressional App Challenge, visit: /serving-you/congressional-app-challenge