Pallone Recognizes Outstanding Students at Spring Awards Ceremony

Long Branch, NJ - Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today announced the recipients of the Congressional Award, this year's U.S. Service Academy nominees, the winners of the 2026 Sixth Congressional District High School Arts Competition, the Congressional App Challenge and the winners of the Poetry Showcase at an awards ceremony. Students representing multiple local schools were honored at a reception at Middlesex College.

Pallone honored the 2026 recipients of the Congressional Award. Created by his predecessor, the late U.S. Rep. Jim Howard, the Congressional Award recognizes the initiative, achievement, and volunteer services of young people. The recipients include:

Bronze Congressional Award Recipients:

• Alperen Akardere, Piscataway
• Brandon Kaiserman, Aberdeen
• Rishi Shah, Parlin

Silver Congressional Award Recipients:

• Neil Arestani, Edison
• Josephine Bednarsh, Rumson
• Brody Gray, Rumson
• Nyla Martin, Rumson

Gold Congressional Award Recipient:

• Alexander Poon, Edison

"The Congressional Award is given to individuals whose accomplishments and dedication to their communities exemplifies the best qualities of the future," Pallone said. "I'm proud to award this honor to this year's recipients, and I wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors."

The New Jersey Congressman also honored the candidates he nominated to the U.S. Service Academies. The nominees include:

U.S. Air Force Academy

• Neil Arestani, Edison High School
• Dev Goel, Metuchen High School
• Liam Kuntz, Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School
• Zijie Ye, Marine Academy of Science and Technology

U.S. Naval Academy

• Angelina Freel-DiPalma, Communications High School
• Jack Furlong, Christian Brothers Academy
• Dev Goel, Metuchen High School
• Robert Noble, Saint Joseph High School
• Donovan Post, Marine Academy of Science and Technology
• Justin Trivino, Metuchen High School
• Matthew Velarde, John F. Kennedy High School
• Zijie Ye, Marine Academy of Science and Technology

U.S. Military Academy at West Point

• Julian Arango, Saint Joseph High School
• Neil Arestani, Edison High School
• Angelina Freel-DiPalma, Communications High School
• John Germak, Regis High School
• Dev Goel, Metuchen High School
• Connor Han, Woodbridge Academy Magnet School
• Christopher Runde, Old Bridge High School
• Yash Sharma, John P. Stevens High School
• Justin Trivino, Metuchen High School

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

• Emma Rollins, Colts Neck High School
• Evan Rollins, Virginia Military Institute

"The value of military service to our nation cannot be overstated, and I am proud of the commitment that these nominees have shown to serving their country," said Pallone. "These nominees showed outstanding academic and extra-curricular achievements, leadership, and motivation in serving our country. Our nation's service academies are some of the highest caliber institutions that are committed to graduating leaders of character, honor, and integrity. New Jersey's 6th Congressional District is home to so many bright and qualified students. I wish all the nominees the very best of luck in the future and thank them for their willingness to serve."

Young artists from various schools in Middlesex and Monmouth counties participated in this year's art competition. Local judges chose first, second and third place winners. They also awarded 15 honorable mentions. The first-place winner, Siqi Ye, will have her artwork displayed for the next year in the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

Congressional Art Competition Winners:

First Place: Siqi Ye, John P. Stevens High School

Second Place: Sophia Lojko, Piscataway High School

Third Place: Tristan Quiapo, Sayreville War Memorial High School

Honorable Mentions:

• Gabrielle Callueng, Edison High School
• Gabriel De Jesus, Sayreville War Memorial High School
• Destiny Diaz, Perth Amboy High School
• Sahiti Garlapati, John P. Stevens High School
• Madeleine Hargreaves, Highland Park High School
• Meghan Jiang, John P. Stevens High School
• Johan Munoz, East Brunswick Magnet School
• Krishna Patel, John P. Stevens High School
• Suhana Patodi, John P. Stevens High School
• Adriana Pereira, Sayreville War Memorial High School
• Elizabeth Poole, Piscataway High School
• Asiyah Sharif, Piscataway High School
• Shelby Streberger, Red Bank Regional High School
• Sophie Sun, John P. Stevens High School
• Lena Jae Zicari, Raritan High School

"I have long believed that Congress should play a major role in encouraging interest in the arts," Pallone said. "This competition provides a forum to help the aspiring young artists of our area gain recognition and exposure. Young artists can gain confidence in themselves and their abilities by displaying their work and having it evaluated by knowledgeable judges."

Pallone also announced the winners of the 2026 Congressional App Challenge. The competition encourages students to explore STEM education and highlights the value of computer science.

First Place: Eric Dai and Vaibhav Sitaraman, both from Edison Academy Magnet School, with the app, RoadWatch, an AI-powered dashcam system that revolutionizes how both drivers and local governments interact with road infrastructure.

Second Place: Vivana Satiani of John P. Stevens High School and Siddharth Mirchandani of Edison Academy Magnet School, with the app, APMaster.ai, an accessible, AI-powered study platform that helps students prepare for AP exams more efficiently and confidently.

Third Place: Vijeta Garg, Tanush Kandpal, Winston Law and Tanush Lingala, all from Edison High School, with the app, Orwell, whichpromotes civic engagement by breaking down the legalese of Congressional bills and conveying them in an accessible manner to the American youth.

"The Congressional App Challenge is an important platform for students to showcase their skills in programming and computer science while supporting the next generation's interest in STEM subjects. I will continue to support investments in STEM education so that our country remains at the forefront of innovation and research. I congratulate this year's winners and encourage everyone who has an idea to submit it for the competition next year," said Pallone.

Finally, Pallone announced the winners of the Poetry Showcase. The Poetry Showcase coincides with National Poetry Month, which is celebrated during the month of April. The showcase allows students of all ages to express themselves in writing under one of three thematic categories: District Pride, Voices of Change, and Our Common Ground.

"The Poetry Showcase is a wonderful opportunity for students of all ages to express themselves in writing while exploring themes that I believe resonate with their community," Pallone concluded. "This year, we received over 500 submissions, which is a testament to our students' dedication to literature and language. I want to thank everyone who participated and commend them for their commitment to this literary art."

Our Common Ground

• Taylon Clarke, Assumption Catholic School, Elementary School Award
• Emma Pitre, Matawan-Aberdeen Middle School, Middle School Award
• Meghan Chewning, Shore Regional High School, High School Award
  
  Voices of Change
  
  
• Amelia Sansaricq, Assumption Catholic School, Elementary School Award
• Jayon Alford, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, Middle School Award
• Ariel Marshall, Long Branch High School, High School Award
  
  District Pride
  
  
• Aarav Arumugan, Woodbrook Elementary School, Elementary School Award
• Sonika Doshi, Edgar Middle School, Middle School Award
• Abdullah Muzammil, South Plainfield High School, High School Award

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