Rep. Ratcliffe Announces Rockwall-Heath Students as 2018 Congressional App Challenge Winners

Rep. Ratcliffe Announces Rockwall-Heath Students as 2018 Congressional App Challenge Winners

(ROCKWALL, TX – December 10, 2018) On Friday, Dec. 7, Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) announced a team of Rockwall-Heath High School students as the winners of the 2018 Congressional App Challenge for Texas’ 4th District.

The winning team included Mikey Bess, Justin Corbin and Kyle Jackson, who worked together to create an app called “Pixel Buster.”

“Today’s job market includes a growing number of jobs that require digital skill sets, and it’s important to encourage students’ participation in programs like the Congressional App Challenge that help them build and refine their abilities in this area,” Ratcliffe said. “Pixel Buster is a truly impressive game demo in itself, and even more so because it was created by folks at such a young age. I’d like to congratulate Mikey, Justin and Kyle for being selected as this year’s Congressional App Challenge winners for the 4th District of Texas.”

Pixel Buster is a game based on a futuristic cyber-punk world that intended to entertain a broad audience. The main player must attempt to escape from enemies located in an underground metro, including a skater boy who throws graffiti and attempts to run away.

The students created the pixel art in Adobe Photoshop and completed the programming using Blueprints Visual Scripting system in Unreal Engine, which is a C++ gameplay scripting system.

The Congressional App Challenge is a prestigious national competition that engages students’ creativity and encourages their participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education fields.

High school students in each congressional district across the country are invited to compete by creating and exhibiting their software application, or “app,” for mobile, tablet, or computer devices on a platform of their choice.

Submitted press release.

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