CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2024 CGI I.T. GIRL CHALLENGE BOSTON WINNER - NORTH QUINCY HIGH SCHOOL

CGI I.T. Girl Challenge 2024 | Boston: winners and executive sponsors
Left to right: Bernie Mongilio, CGI SVP, North Quincy HS students: Melani Wijaya, Alexia Laci, Xuan-Mai Ippolito, Hannah Moriarty, and Arun Saigal, CEO of Thunkable

CGI partnered with Junior Achievement of Greater Boston on this year’s competition. Four teams of local high school girls competed to build smartphone apps, and the team that received the highest innovation score from a panel of local women business leaders won a $20,000 scholarship prize.

The team from North Quincy High School was selected as the winner during an awards ceremony on March 18. The North Quincy High School team members Alexia Laci, Xuan-Mai Ippolito, Hannah Moriarty, and Melani Wijaya developed the FalconFocus app that provides a productive and goal-oriented environment for students struggling to remain focused while also encouraging social interaction amongst users.

“The CGI IT Girl Challenge was an experience unlike any I've had before, and our group worked so hard to make FalconFocus. Winning the challenge was such an amazing feeling knowing that all the work we put in paid off,” commented Alexia Laci from North Quincy High School.

“I would encourage anyone that’s interested to take part in the CGI IT Girl Challenge. I learned so much from this unique experience and I’m so grateful that I was a part such a wonderful group of girls and mentors,” said Hannah Moriarity from North Quincy High School

About the Challenge 

CGI I.T. Girl Challenge is a mobile app challenge for high school girls. Small teams partner with CGI mentors to develop a smartphone app utilizing a mobile app-building platform. Each team will present its mobile app to a panel of judges. The most innovative, applicable, and creative mobile app design team will receive college scholarship funds.  

The challenge originated at one of CGI’s Innovation Centers in Pittsburgh. Thanks to CGI’s Dream Connectors program, it has become an annual event in Pittsburgh and expanded across the U.S.  

The CGI I.T. Girl Challenge is one of our mentorship programs of STEM@CGI, a nationwide K-12 program that aims to train and mentor young people for STEM careers. It strives to provide experiences that inspire students with the drive to learn for a bright future in the digital workforce. STEM@CGI focuses on students in underrepresented demographics in STEM fields, including women, minorities and the economically disadvantaged.