Leading the Congressional App Challenge with Joe Alessi
On Episode 2 of Season 5, Suhaani and Teddy interview Joe Alessi, director of the Congressional App Challenge. Tune in to hear more about Alessi’s interests in politics, STEM, and education! Plus, Alessi offers some advice to App Challenge participants.
Hello! Welcome back to Debugged, the Congressional App Challenge’s alumni-led podcast that connects the country’s youth with technology by debugging the intricate world of computer science.
In this episode, our hosts Suhaani Sodhi and Teddy Lampert speak with none other than the program director of the Congressional App Challenge, Joe Alessi! He has been with the program for six years and is honored to be leading it.
He has been fascinated with public service and the work of Congress since he was a child, and that interest grew into active involvement during his time at the University of Maryland studying government and politics.
At the same time, he’s been acquainted with STEM since middle school, where he was part of a team that created projects to be launched on the International Space Station as part of a NASA program in Washington, D.C. There was national recognition for his project, and his team was invited to present it at the Smithsonian Institute. He ended up meeting former astronaut and senator John Glenn, which served as an unforgettable and rewarding experience. Such experiences have now influenced his career in the nonprofit sector, such as in organizations that build educational programs.
His dual experience in technology and public service made him a perfect fit to lead the Congressional App Challenge program, which enables students to use technology to create solutions for society in front of Congress.
Tune in to this week’s episode of Debugged to hear Joe’s reflections, advice for App Challenge participants, and visions for the future!