Thomas A. Edison Career & Technical Education High School is basking in more than good end-of-semester grades this term.
The Web Design and Software Engineering students have won first place honors in two of America’s most rigorous national competitions INFYAPP and Games for Change exhibiting creativity, technical skill, and ability to apply technology to real-world problems.
INFYAPP: Innovation Meets Impact
For Edison juniors in its Web Design program, the INFYAPP challenge was not just another assignment it was the assignment of the semester. Created by Infosys Foundation USA and funded by Pencil, the competition invites students to design innovative digital products to address real-world problems in their own local communities. Edison students did not disappoint.
“Everyone knew that this was the most important part of our shop class,” added Janatul Jaini, a member of one of the victorious teams. “We were all working until this moment, even though only a couple of us were going to be chosen, we all gave it everything we had.”
Jaini and her teammates created a financial literacy app to help teens and young adults better manage their money something they felt personally connected to.
“We wanted something that personally affected us,” Jaini explained. “I helped pitch the idea because financial literacy is something I’ve struggled with, and so did my teammates. That personal aspect is what helped us win.”
Their semifinal process wasn’t easy. Students balanced AP classes, family responsibilities, and several projects at once. Scheduling issues and artistic visions made things difficult. But diligence and teamwork eventually paid off.
“We were constantly texting, calling, and checking in to ensure everything was good enough not only for the judges but for us,” Jaini said. “Ultimately, we made something of which we could be proud.”
Jerlyn Isles, a semifinalist, explained how the project helped her. “It brought me out of my shell a little bit. Presenting before judges pushed me harder creatively and personally.”
The other finalist team created Sober Path, a wellness app designed to support people with substance addiction. Member Nibrus Chowdhury explained the idea behind the project: “We looked at people in our life who were dealing with addiction friends, even family members. We wanted to create something authentic that could really have an impact.”
What set Sober Path apart from other entries was a unique feature called Book a Therapist, which connects users to real world help outside the app. “Other apps just give you tools in-app,” Chowdhury explained. “We wanted our app to give people access to professional help.”
Fahim Ahamed, a member of the Sober Path team, admitted that the project did not start well. “We were behind schedule and unorganized, but at the end we gelled and somehow we won.”
The INFYAPP finals would be next Monday, and the winners would be awarded iPads. But for all of them, the real prize in view was the journey and experience itself.
“It wasn’t so much about winning,” Jaini stated. “It was about proving to ourselves what we could do.”
Marissa Ramautar Takes Games for Change Finals
Whereas INFYAPP was all about teamwork, another Edison student was alone on the stage at the Games for Change Student Challenge and won.
Marissa Ramautar, a junior who enjoys coding and storytelling, created a video game called Rations, which was about peace in the wake of an apocalypse.
“Getting the team and getting the job done to make sure resources were allocated and peace was maintained,” Ramautar explained.
She coded the game in JavaScript, though she had to learn the language from scratch. “I was sort of apprehensive at the start,” Ramautar said. “I wanted to make sure it was accessible enough for younger audiences and user-friendly in general.”
In spite of the difficulties, the experience proved to be one that Ramautar would never forget. “I liked the programming and was truly thrilled when I learned that I made the finals,” she said.
Her achievement is not only a testament to the skill at Edison but also the school’s commitment to offering students hands-on, real-world learning experiences in technology and design.
At the conclusion of the school year, students such as Janatul, Jerlyn, Marissa, and their peers are evidence that Edison is not only getting students career-ready it’s getting them ready to change the world.