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Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) announced the winner of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge: Texas Online Preparatory School student, Mia Arreola, who won with her submission of the application MyTime.  

MyTime is an app that helps students to focus and study. Mia’s app has a Pomodoro timer that allows students to use the Pomodoro study method and notifies them when their work or break session has ended. Additionally, it lets students create a to-do list and gives them the option to listen to background music while working. Aurora shared that she was inspired to create her app based on her own busy schedule as a high school senior.  

“Congratulations to Mia Arreola from the Texas Online Preparatory School for her winning app, MyTime,” said Congresswoman Escobar. “Through her submission, she has demonstrated her talent and commitment to ensuring students have the resources to focus on their studies. I am amazed by Mia and all the talented coders in our community who have created innovative apps to address everyday problems. I also extend my sincerest gratitude to everyone who made this possible, from the judges to the educators and supportive family members.”

The office of Congresswoman Escobar received a total of 22 submissions from across seven middle and high schools within Texas’ 16^th Congressional District.  

This year’s judges were Cathy Chen-Arriaga from FabLab, Natalie Eckberg from La Nube Children’s Museum and Alvaro Maldonado from Mission Early College High School.  

Below are the full results of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge:

• 1^st Place: MyTime by Mia Arreola, 12^th grader at Texas Online Preparatory School 
• 2^nd Place: Migrational Assistance by Ryker Johnson, 8^th grader at Parkland Pre-Engineering Middle School

• 3^rd Place: Wonder Color App by Mercedes Lopez, 12^th grader at Socorro High School  

Mia Arreola, alongside other participants, will be recognized by Congresswoman Escobar and her app will be showcased to Congress and the broader tech community during the #HouseOfCode Festival in the spring of 2024.  

Officially launched by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2015, the Congressional App Challenge is a nationwide competition that encourages middle and high school students to learn how to code by creating their own applications. The App Challenge is intended to highlight the value of computer science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education.  

More information on the Congressional App Challenge can be found here.