Sasha Tripathi of Parkway West High School
Sasha Tripathi knows technology offers limitless potential to solve critical problems, and the Parkway West freshman has proven that by creating an app that helps people identify skin cancer. Skin Doctor uses machine learning to predict the likelihood that skin discoloration is a melanoma, and it was awarded first prize in the Congressional App Challenge.
Where did your interest in computer science come from?
A lot of my family is involved in the field. My dad is a computer scientist, and he works for a lot of game companies. My brother is currently pursuing a computer science degree. I’ve spent a lot of time around it, so it piqued my interest.
Do you plan to continue pursuing it?
Definitely. Almost everyone has a smartphone or computer. I love taking something so universal and using it to solve problems by applying it in a way most people can’t.
Why did you decide to enter the Congressional App Challenge?
The opportunity really just came by at the perfect time. I found out about the contest a couple weeks before the next year’s tournament was set to start. I also had a good idea I wanted to build on from a science fair project I had done. In seventh grade, my project focused on creating a way to determine whether someone has melanoma. I was inspired to try and solve a problem that was relevant to people in Missouri. Our state has a lot of agriculture, which means people working outdoors for extended periods of time, which leads to a higher risk of skin cancer. With my contest entry, I wanted to do something grounded in helping people right here.
How did it feel to win?
I found out about a month and a half after I submitted my project, so it gave me some time to forget about the contest a little. I knew I had a competent project and thought I would do well, but I was still surprised when I found out I won. But then I was happy about it.
Are you enjoying high school?
The course selection at Parkway West is really nice for me. There are a lot of things I want to study. I hope I am able to continue to have fun while doing well in my classes. Coming from having my eighth grade experience be online, I was worried I would be unprepared for high school, but it hasn’t been as difficult as I feared. I’ve found that I’m adjusting well, and it’s been a nice experience.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I like baking. It’s nice to be able to create stuff. That’s something that I also particularly like about computer science. I also enjoy playing video games and just solving problems.
Pictured at top: Sasha Tripathi with Congresswoman Ann Wagner
