Highbridge Voices students Micheal B. and Samuel O. will appear in a national tv spot for Verizon throughout February for winning the Verizon Innovative App Challenge, a contest designed to keep middle school students interested in math and science. Micheal and Samuel, both 13, won the challenge with four other 8th grade students from Bronx Academy of Promise. The winning app, Quest Math, was chosen from more than a thousand national entries. It helps students understand basic math functions through fun, interactive exercises centering around well-known aspects of Greek mythology. Micheal, Samuel, and their four teammates traveled to Orlando, Florida last June to present their winning app at a Technology Student Association (TSA) conference attended by more than 10,000 TSA members.
“It was nerve-racking in Florida. We felt nervous, but excited,” said Samuel.
“The whole experience was overwhelming. I really thought we were going to lose. We were a small school that actually won.”
The commercial was filmed last month at Bronx Academy of Promise with three other Highbridge Voices students, Esther B., Dominick V., and Daniela V., cast as extras for the 40-second national spot.