Barrett Celebrates Congressional App Challenge Winners, Participants at Lansing Reception

February 20, 2026 Press Release Image Lansing, Mich. — Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) today hosted a reception to celebrate the high school students who participated in the annual Congressional App Challenge . The reception offered students an opportunity to connect with other coders and discuss their projects and experiences with the congressman. “It was a privilege to welcome these talented young coders, including first-place winners Tejas Valisetty and Rithik Parthasarathy, to my office to personally congratulate them on their outstanding work,” said Barrett. “From apps that help farmers identify crop diseases to tools that teach civic engagement and promote healthy living, these students demonstrated exactly the kind of creativity and ingenuity that will drive the next generation of innovation. Mid-Michigan should be proud of each and every one of them.” Image This year's first place winners, Okemos High School juniors Sai Pranav Tejas Valisetty and Rithik Parthasarathy, and their teammates Brian Lee and Vishwas Tattala, took home first place with AgriVerse, a mobile app that uses artificial intelligence to help farmers and gardeners identify plant diseases and insects. They will have the opportunity to visit the U.S. Capitol for the #HouseOfCode reception this spring. Also attending the reception were second-place winner Ishaan Mahapatra, third-place winner Cayla Marzban, and participant Dean Jordan. NOTE: The Congressional App Challenge is a national competition that Barrett and other members of Congress host each year to encourage middle and high school student participation in computer science and coding. The first-place winners will have their app displayed in the U.S. Capitol. For more information about the Congressional App Challenge, click here or visit Barrett.House.gov/App .