Tyler Technologies honors 2022 Maine App Challenge winners

Courtesy / Tyler Technologies Inc. The Tyler Technologies 2022 Maine App Challenge winners are, from left, Frazier Dougherty, second place; Yuliya Buturlia, first place; and Ian Lajoie, third place. The winners received scholarships totaling $10,000.

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By Renee Cordes

Tyler Technologies Inc. (NYSE: TYL), a Plano, Texas-based company with around 1,250 employees in Maine, on Saturday announced the winners of the 2022 Maine App Challenge at an awards ceremony in Portland.

For ScheduleStorm, an app that allows students to schedule meetings with their teachers, anytime and from anywhere, Scarborough High School junior Yuliya Buturlia won first place and a $6,000 scholarship. A record number of submissions were received this year, a spokeswoman for Tyler Tech told Mainebiz.

Second place, along with a $3,000 scholarship, went to Frazier Dougherty, who just graduated from Yarmouth High School, for Train ME 2, an elevated workout app that allows users of all activity levels to create their own workouts, choose pre-made workouts, set goals and track progress. Dougherty will attend the University of Notre Dame, just outside of South Bend, Ind.

Third place, and a $1,000 scholarship, was awarded to Ian Lajoie, a junior at Biddeford Regional Center for Technology. His app, called Quick Work, helps users find videos and information from experts on how to troubleshoot vehicle problems.

The ceremony was held at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. Winners received scholarships in the form of 529 college savings plans, which are legally known as qualified tuition plans. The tax-advantaged plans are designed to encourage savings for future education costs.

"The annual Maine App Challenge allows for students to explore the world of software design and development in a creative and fun way,” said Chris Hepburn, president of Tyler’s Enterprise Group. “The students’ application designs are always interesting and innovative, and we were pleased to be able to honor our winners in person this year.

"We hope that this contest inspires future technology professionals in the great state of Maine.”

Workshops and other prizes

This year, Tyler collaborated with the Foster Center for Innovation at the University of Maine to host free workshops for students to help with brainstorming, prototyping and testing their applications. Students that attended the workshops began their work to qualify for a University of Maine System Innovation Micro-Credential.

Besides the scholarships for the three winners, Tyler gave tablets to applicants who completed the first 50 submissions. Additionally, a guaranteed internship interview will be given for the top 10 submission participants following each student’s college sophomore year.

Tyler also awarded a $500 check to the Maine high school with the most teams or individuals submitting an eligible entry. This year’s winner was Casco Bay High School in Portland, whose students submitted 13 entries.

The Maine App Challenge, developed in 2015 in partnership with Educate Maine's Project>Login, introduces students to STEM-related disciplines and supports the notion that students can excel in those fields while remaining in Maine.

Since its inception, the Maine App Challenge has awarded more than $70,000 in 529 college savings plans to students in Maine.