After years of honing his programming skills, Aditya Varma, a senior at Syosset High School, won the 2024 Congressional App Challenge for his app, “Rent Your Driveway.”
“Winning the 2024 Congressional App Challenge for my app ‘Rent Your Driveway’ was an incredible and humbling moment,” Varma said. “I am honored to have my work recognized on such a prestigious platform.”
The national competition challenges high schoolers to use programming language to create an app for PC, web or smartphone devices.
“Rent Your Driveway” is designed to connect drivers to private driveway parking near congested destinations, like schools and hospitals. He said the inspiration behind the app is his mom, who commutes often for work and struggles to find parking.
With “Rent Your Driveway,” homeowners with unused driveways have an opportunity to earn additional income and drivers have a stress-free parking option, Varma said. The app has an impact beyond user-convenience, however. Varma said the app will help save fuel and decrease air pollution by limiting time spent circling blocks for parking.
“Beyond meeting these immediate needs, the app also helps reduce traffic congestion and pollution, making it a win-win solution for individuals and communities alike,” he said.
Varma has programmed for four years, but his interest in the subject is nothing new.
“As a kid, I was curious about how the apps and games I used every day were made,” he said.
Varma said he began programming in middle school when he joined a weekend class and created a simple video game. From there, he started to program in different languages and sought to solve problems.
“Programming, for me is more than just a skill—it’s a way to bring ideas to life and solve real challenges,” he said. “It keeps me curious and excited to keep learning and building.”
He said creating “Rent Your Driveway” was rewarding because it solved a problem he knew affected people. Varma said problem-solving is a skill that he valued during the programming process.
“I enjoyed thinking through real-world scenarios, collaborating with my mentors, and testing various solutions until we found the one that worked. Seeing the app evolve from a concept to a functioning prototype that addresses a tangible problem was exhilarating,” he said.
The process of creating the app took about 10 months, he said. Varma said throughout the process, his dad mentored him, helping him think critically about design aspects like user experience and usability. Th app is not available to the public.
Varma said he had to troubleshoot issues during the programming process, which involved extensive testing. He said one of the most challenging aspects of the project was the pricing model, which had to account for scenarios like leap years, months with varying days and user subscriptions beginning at different times. He said he ran simulations and tests to uncover where problems were in his model, ultimately improving his algorithm.
“These challenges taught me the importance of perseverance, creative problem-solving, adaptability and leveraging available resources.”
Designing “Rent Your Driveway” sparked Varma’s interest in how “technology, entrepreneurship and finance intersect to drive innovation and solve challenges,” he said. In the future, Varma said he hopes to study computer science and finance, which will allow him to create sustainable and impactful ventures.
“Rent Your Driveway” was recognized among 28 submissions. The challenge has been hosted by U.S. Rep Tom Suozzi for the students in the Third Congressional District since 2017.
“I am constantly amazed by the talent of our students and the creativity of the applications that they have put together to address real-world issues,” Suozzi said.
Manhasset student Stephanie Sze’s app “College Buddy” earned second place.
“Congratulations to Aditya and Stephanie, and thank you to all the students who participated this year. You are our future.”
Read More: Syosset Ed Board introduces new initiatives for eighth-graders
