Benton Times

Congressman Steve Womack recognized Ronak Pai, a senior at Bentonville West High School, as the winner of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge. This competition encourages middle and high school students to engage in STEM education and pursue careers in computer science.

Womack expressed his admiration for Pai's achievement, stating, "Congratulations to our winner, Ronak, on his impressive achievement. I deeply admire his work to support those who courageously and selflessly served our great nation." He praised the talent and innovation shown by participants from Arkansas' Third District over the past decade.

Dr. Debbie Jones, Superintendent of Bentonville Schools, highlighted the significance of this award: "The Congressional App Challenge Award is widely recognized as one of the most prestigious accolades in computer science." She thanked Congressman Womack and other representatives for making this opportunity available to students.

Bentonville West High School Principal Dr. Jonathon Guthrie commended Pai's academic abilities and compassion: "Ronak Pai is one of the most academically gifted and compassionate students to matriculate through Bentonville West."

Startup Junkie Managing Director Brett Amerine noted the excitement surrounding this year's challenge: "This year was very exciting for the Congressional App Challenge... We are excited for the winner, Ronak Pai, founder of Veteran Connect."

Pai's app, Veteran Connect, aims to assist veterans in accessing benefits and services more easily. Built with Dart and Flutter along with C++ and Swift components, it offers features like GPS directions to VA offices and a questionnaire predicting benefit eligibility.

At a ceremony held at Bentonville West High School, Womack presented Pai with a certificate and congressional medallion. The entries were evaluated by local technology experts based on originality and design quality. Veteran Connect will be displayed digitally at the U.S. Capitol.

Other honorees included Veera Unnam and Harshith Guduru in second place with their app AiDA; Sanjay Javangula, Avinash Devineni, and Sripath Badhika took third place with ParkinDetect.

This marks the tenth year that Womack has hosted this challenge in Arkansas’ Third District. The state remains a leading participant per capita nationwide. The next edition will commence later this year.