Desi students shine at North Carolina app competition

The event highlighted how student-led technology can provide impactful, community-focused solutions.

Color Catch team / Instagram/ ncssm_morganton

A number of Indian-origin students emerged as winners in North Carolina’s sixth annual 'Ready, Set, App!' competition, with their innovative applications that offer community-focused solutions.

‘Color Catch’, developed by Rohin Patel, Avika Gera, Sai Yadavalli, Ishaan Joshy and Peter Tenholder from NC School of Science and Mathematics – Morganton, clinched second place. The app helps people with color blindness identify the colors of everyday objects.

Also read: Indians win Penn State Smeal FinTech App Competition

‘ApneaAid’, created by Madhav Annachi, Sehajpreet Bajwa, Aarush Jain, Ahan Jaiswal, and Abhinay Ruddarraju from Enloe High School, won third place. Their app uses AI and a smartphone’s microphone to detect sleep apnea and provide personalized health tips.

Governor Josh Stein congratulated the participants, emphasizing the importance of applying classroom learning to real-world challenges. “We must expand opportunity so that students can apply what they learn in the classroom to solve real problems. I look forward to seeing all that these students achieve in the future,” he said.

Nine teams made it to the finals, where they pitched functioning Android apps and videos to a live audience. Libby Richards, community engagement manager at Lenovo, lauded the students’ innovation.“These high school students have demonstrated not only technical skill, but also a forward-thinking problem solving using technology,” he said.

Hosted by the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE)—a business-led education nonprofit within the Governor’s Office, on May 30 at at Lenovo’s headquarters in Morrisville, North Carolina, the competition brought together high school students from across the state to showcase their creativity and problem-solving skills through original mobile app designs aimed at addressing real-world issues.

Sponsored by Lenovo, the event saw a record 425 students from 30 counties, with nine teams making it to the finals. Participants presented both functioning Android apps and video pitches before a live audience.

The first place title went to ASLephant from Mallard Creek High School, created by Elizabeth Bui, Linh Thai, and Laylah Pegues. Their app—which gamifies American Sign Language learning—was a crowd favorite.

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