Q&A with Priscilla H. ’27: Congressional App Challenge Winner

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives host an annual district-wide Congressional App Challenge for middle school and high school students, encouraging them to learn to code and inspiring them to pursue careers in computer science. Marlborough student Priscilla H. ’27 entered the Challenge in 2023 and 2025 and notably placed in both competitions! 

The Congressional App Challenge is the most prestigious prize in student computer science making Priscilla’s double recognition extremely impressive. In 2023, her app ShopGreen won the competition, awarded by Representative Adam Schiff of California’s 30th District. Then, in December 2025, Priscilla was awarded second place for her app EatGreen by Representative Laura Friedman of California’s 30th District. We had a chance to sit with Priscilla and learn more about her experience of entering and placing in this elite competition: 

How did you hear about the Congressional App Challenge and what inspired you to enter?

Priscilla H. ’27 (PH): I actually heard about the competition from my dad, he works in environmental law. He learned about this competition and noticed that almost no award-winning apps were about sustainability. That inspired me to create a suite of sustainability apps that are natural to use and not super technical. I thought it was a really cool experience because I could put my idea into a physical format and get out of my comfort zone.

You’ve developed two apps: EatGreen, which won 2nd place in 2025, and ShopGreen, which won the competition in 2023. Can you tell us about these apps and what they do?

PH: The first app I created was ShopGreen, it is centered around helping people track their carbon footprint in online shopping and how they can work towards certain goals to lower it. Using the app, they can make goals to help lower the number of deliveries they get to their doorstep. There are also articles linked within the app so users can learn more about why it is important and why they should limit how many deliveries they receive and how it affects other people. The second app is called EatGreen. Similarly, it helps you track your carbon footprint but in relation to food intake. People don’t always think about how everything you eat results in certain amounts of carbon emissions. Again, it helps you to track that based on what you eat and helps people become more aware.

When did you begin coding and app development?

PH: I started learning about app development when I decided to develop my sustainability apps for the competition. I didn’t have formal training in computer programming, so I learned app development on my own. I took standard templates and reimagined them to design and engineer looks, flows, and functionalities that suited a sustainability app. Since the competition only requires a partially-functioning app, this allowed me to focus more on the user experience as opposed to hypertechnical details. This was perfect because my mission was to make the user feel that sustainability is merely a natural and frictionless part of everyday life.

What courses or teachers at Marlborough may have helped along that journey?

PH: The science classes I have taken have helped me learn about climate change, global warming, and carbon emissions. Those lessons definitely inspired me. Right now, I’m in AP Environmental Science and part of the course focuses on how humans affect the Earth. I think science classes really dive into the environmental aspects and helped me to learn about that. For pitching my idea, I used the skills I gained in an elective called Foodpreneurship in 7th Grade. I learned how to  make a business idea and pitch it, so that helped me with presentation, confidence, and how to speak about my ideas.

What drove you to develop two environmentally conscious apps?

PH: I think it’s a combination of what I’ve learned in class and my own passion. It’s such a current issue that’s always changing and people are constantly talking about it. There are just so many facets that you don’t really think about when it comes to carbon emissions and many different environmental aspects. It’s really interesting and important to keep learning about it.

What is next for you as an app developer?

PH: It was so great to learn and put my ideas into a physical format. It was definitely a very good experience to broaden my horizons and I want to continue being engaged in environmental education and making that information more accessible.