Five Communications High School students rose to the challenge of using their filmmaking and programming skills to earn top honors in contests sponsored by the United States Congress and the Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
Charlotte Mathias of Long Branch, N.J. and Avery Garr of Aberdeen, N.J., both juniors at Communications High School, won the Third Circuit American Democracy Video Contest for high school students. Contest entrants were tasked with creating an original-content video, five to seven minutes in length, depicting why democratic institutions and the fundamental rights and principles associated with them are critical to the future of the country.
The video created by Mathias and Garr includes interviews with several Communications High School students about what democracy means to them, touching on human rights, immigration, freedom and the Constitution.
“When I first saw my video posted to the U.S. District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania’s YouTube channel, I was thrilled for this opportunity,” Mathias said. “Not only was my work recognized by the government, but my art will be one of the first things many people becoming citizens will see on a very memorable and important day in their lives.”
“It was really interesting to hear so many different stories of where my peers came from and where their families came from,” Garr added. “I believe that different people and different voices are what makes a democracy strong. Making this video allowed me to emphasize the idea that everybody’s voices and stories contribute to a better world.”
As the winner of the contest, Mathias and Garr will be recognized during a future naturalization ceremony in the District of New Jersey. In addition, the winning video will be played during all federal court naturalization ceremonies throughout the Third Circuit – including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and the U.S. Virgin Islands -- until the next winner is selected. The video also will appear on the Third Circuit’s website, district websites, and related social media platforms.
In addition to Mathias and Garr’s winning entry, a team of three Communications High School students combined their coding skills to create an app that won the 2025 Congressional App Challenge in New Jersey’s Fourth District, represented by Congressman Chris Smith. Skye Huang from Oceanport, N.J.; Ava Obara from Brielle, N.J.; and Abigail Riddle of Colts Neck, N.J. -- all seniors at Communications High School -- created an app named Food Fight, which makes detailed nutrition information easy to understand.
A video about Food Fight, produced by the winning team, explains how the app helps students and parents to make informed food choices.
“We were inspired to create Food Fight as we looked into the lunch food offered to students. Many times, these students rely on the food offered at their schools, with no other alternatives,” the students said in a statement. “Schools often resort to quick, convenient meals, though nutrition is sacrificed in return. This led to our epiphany that an app could be created to battle these concerns. At Food Fight, we believe that students can manage their own health with delicious and nutritious school lunches.”
The Congressional App Challenge is an official initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives that encourages middle school and high school students to learn coding, explore computer science, and build practical technology solutions for their communities. Each participating Member of Congress selects a winning app from their district, and winning teams are invited to showcase their projects to Members of Congress, staff, and industry leaders at the annual #HouseOfCode celebration on Capitol Hill.