Davids Announces 2025 Congressional App Challenge Winner

Today, Representative Sharice Davids announced the winner of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge for Kansas’ Third District: Drake Semchyshyn, a twelfth grader at Blue Valley West High School. Semchyshyn’s winning app, Catalyst, is designed to improve students’ academic experience within Canvas, a widely used learning management system.

“Kansas students are incredibly creative, and Drake’s app is a great example of how young people can use technology to solve real problems they see in their everyday lives,” said Davids. “The Congressional App Challenge is about encouraging innovation, building confidence, and opening doors to STEM careers — and Drake’s work shows exactly why investing in students and education matters.”

“Fueled by the frustrations of the current Canvas application, I decided to build a better application, Catalyst, that works alongside Canvas that is student-focused,” said Drake Semchyshyn, 2025 Congressional App Challenge Winner. “Building this app has truly been a journey, from interacting with students who experience the struggles to building a better experience for everyone. Initially, I was shocked and honored when winning the Congressional App Challenge in my district, and I hope that this is just the start of my journey in the software engineering field.”

Catalyst was created to address common challenges students face with online learning platforms, including confusing interfaces, inaccurate due dates, harsh visual settings, and limited reminder options. The app works alongside Canvas to give students more control over their coursework, allowing them to organize assignments in a to-do list format, customize color themes, set personalized notifications, and better manage deadlines — all with the goal of supporting academic success.

The Congressional App Challenge is a nationwide competition hosted by the U.S. House of Representatives to encourage middle and high school students to learn to code and pursue careers in computer science and other STEM-related fields. The winning students also have a chance to visit the Capitol and see their app on display. As the winning submission, Catalyst will be put on display in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year.