Innovative App Earns Cinco Ranch High School Student Third Place in Congressional Challenge
A bright young mind from Cinco Ranch High School has earned third place in this year's Congressional App Challenge (CAC) for Texas’ 22nd congressional district. Suhhyun Kim, a senior at the school, created an innovative app called A+tendance, which is designed to automate and streamline attendance tracking for clubs and organizations.
The app was born out of Kim’s personal experience as secretary of her school’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter. She was responsible for managing attendance for over 300 members at various meetings and events. Recognizing the need for a more efficient method, Kim developed A+tendance as a solution to simplify the tracking process for large groups.
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“I was responsible for tracking attendance at our meetings and events, and it was a challenge to keep everything organized manually,” Kim explained. “I created A+tendance to automate the process and make it easier for schools and clubs to track member participation and attendance.”
While still deciding where she will attend college, Kim is passionate about continuing her work in the tech space. She plans to study coding and sees immense potential in her app.
“It’s something that I’ll have to work on, but I feel like it’s something that I can actually develop more, especially in college,” Kim said. “I don’t know if clubs work the same way in college, but a lot of clubs need an attendance tracking app.”
The Congressional App Challenge, which aims to foster interest in computer science and coding, was launched in 2014 by the U.S. House of Representatives and the Internet Education Foundation. It is designed to encourage high school students to explore STEM fields by creating original apps. The competition is district-specific, with winners from each district invited to attend the annual House of Code event in Washington, D.C., where they can demonstrate their apps and network with lawmakers and fellow students.
Rep. Troy E. Nehls, who represents Texas’ 22nd congressional district, recognized Kim’s achievement and praised her for her innovation.
"We are proud of Suhhyun Kim for her impressive work in creating A+tendance," Rep. Nehls said. "This is exactly the kind of innovation and initiative we want to encourage among our young people. Suhhyun’s app has the potential to make a real difference in how schools and organizations track attendance."
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Kim’s app was among the top submissions in her district, and as a third-place winner, she was honored for her creativity and dedication. She is excited about the future of her app and plans to continue refining it as she pursues her studies in coding.
“I’ve learned so much from this experience, and it motivates me to keep working on my skills,” Kim said. “I’m excited to see where this app could go in the future.”
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
