Raleigh, N.C — Governor Josh Stein announced the winners of North Carolina’s sixth annual Ready, Set, App! competition, celebrating innovation, problem-solving, and technical excellence among high school students. The final event, hosted at Lenovo’s headquarters, featured nine student teams from across the state pitching original mobile applications to a panel of industry experts, educators, and a live audience.

“I am proud to recognize these competitors for their technical acumen and hard work to develop apps that will make a difference for their friends, family, and neighbors,” said Governor Stein. “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.”

2025 Ready, Set, App! Winners

• First Place: ASLephant – Mallard Creek High School (Mecklenburg County)
  Team members: Elizabeth Bui, Linh Thai, and Laylah Pegues
  Their app introduces users to American Sign Language (ASL) through an engaging, gamified learning system with quizzes and flashcards.
  [Watch ASLephant’s presentation]
• Second Place: Color Catch – NC School of Science and Mathematics – Morganton (Burke County)
  Team members: Rohin Patel, Avika Gera, Peter Tenholder, Sai Yadavalli, and Ishaan Joshy
  This app assists individuals with color blindness by identifying object colors in real time, enhancing accessibility and independence.
  [Watch Color Catch’s presentation]
• Third Place: ApneaAid – Enloe High School (Wake County)
  Team members: Madhav Annachi, Sehajpreet Bajwa, Aarush Jain, Ahan Jaiswal, and Abhinay Ruddarraju
  ApneaAid uses AI and a smartphone’s microphone to detect sleep apnea symptoms and provide personalized tips to improve sleep quality.
  [Watch ApneaAid’s presentation]

A Record-Breaking Year of Innovation

This year’s competition, hosted by the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) and sponsored by Lenovo, saw record participation, with 425 students forming 107 teams across 30 counties. Of those, 51 teams submitted completed apps and pitch videos, and nine finalists were selected to present live in the final round.

Students were judged by professionals from Lenovo, educators, business leaders, and government officials. Winners received brand new Lenovo tech and statewide recognition.

Libby Richards, Lenovo’s Community Engagement Manager, praised the students’ achievements.

“These high school students have demonstrated not only technical skill, but also forward-thinking problem-solving using technology. We congratulate the winners on their impressive achievements and applaud every student who took part in this inspiring competition.”

Empowering Future Tech Leaders

Ready, Set, App! encourages teams of three to five high school students—supported by an advisor—to design original Android apps that address real problems in their school or community. The competition fosters creativity, collaboration, and real-world experience in computer science and software development.

This year’s student leadership team included Kishan Rajeev Jagadeesh (Apex Friendship High), Wisdom Walker (Harper Middle College), Evan Kim (Weddington High School), Mariya Tinch (Nash-Rocky Mount Early College), Nachammai Annamalai (South Iredell High School), and Swayam Shah (Enloe Magnet High School).

What’s Next?

The Ready, Set, App! competition will return in the 2025–2026 school year, with the kickoff planned for Fall 2025. Intern applications open in September, with team registration following shortly after.

For more details and to learn how to participate, visit the official Ready, Set, App! Competition website.