The Stony Brook School is proud to celebrate Angelina Zhang '26 and Jason Lu, a Stony Brook School alumnus. The pair was named winners of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge in New York’s First Congressional District for their project, Fulltray.
The Congressional App Challenge is a nationwide STEM competition sponsored by the U.S. House of Representatives. It invites students to develop apps that demonstrate meaningful community impact. In a record-setting year, the challenge drew participation from over 13,800 students with more than 4,600 app submissions nationwide.
Fulltray is designed to reduce food waste by connecting local restaurants, grocery stores, and individuals with surplus food to nearby food pantries in real time. The project was inspired by Angelina and Jason’s direct experiences running local food drives and partnering with community organizations on Long Island.
“Through our previous experience running local food drives and partnering with organizations in our community, we noticed that the need for non-perishable and donated food was always high. Especially in recent years, food pantries have been stretched thin. In the beginning stages of building the app, we visited many local restaurants, bakeries, and food businesses. Many restaurants had excess food that they didn’t want to throw away, yet they were having trouble connecting with those who could take it. Besides, both food waste and food insecurity are common problems that Long Island, as well as the rest of America, faces.”
As district winners, Angelina and Jason have been invited to participate in the House of Code showcase this spring at the U.S. Capitol, where they will present Fulltray to Members of Congress, staff, and industry leaders.
Congratulations Angelina and Jason!