Since he was in seventh grade, Juan Campos, Jr. of Aurora, has been waiting for the opportunity to enter Apple’s Swift Student Challenge. With the start of high school came his chance to finally participate. At just 14, and with his first application, Campos, a sophomore at Marmion Academy in Aurora, was named a winner in the 2022 Swift Student Challenge.
The Swift Student Challenge, sponsored by Apple, allows students to show their passion for coding by creating an app on the topic of their choosing. Students from around the world submit their app ideas according to the Swift Student Challenge terms. Submissions are judged on technical accomplishment, creativity of ideas, and content of written responses.
At a young age, Campos recognized the importance of being attentive to mental health issues in children, teens, and adults. His extreme interest in this topic is what drove him to the creation of Uplift, an app which is meant to provide resources for those who struggle with anxiety and suicidal thoughts.
“In the app there is a map which shows different locations around the United States where people can go see counselors,” Campos said.
Uplift can provide individual with medication reminders. “The third thing my app does is provide phone numbers you can call for help, like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the Crisis Text Line, and 911,” Campos said. He hopes that his app will help reduce the amount of deaths by suicide as well as help people improve their lives.
As an award winner, Campos will receive a free year’s membership to the Apple Developer Program, plus Worldwide Developers Conference outwear, a customized pin set and a free pair of Apple AirPods Pro. He is eligible to participate in conference activities for developer program members which includes one-on-one lab appointments with Apple experts.
Coding since the age of six, Campos plans on a career in software engineering, preferably at Apple! Marmion Academy is incredibly proud of Campos and his accomplishments and wish him success in his future endeavors.
Marmion Academy, a Catholic-Benedictine college preparatory school for young men, is a community dedicated to spiritual formation, academic excellence and leadership development. For more information on Marmion Academy visit www.marmion.org.
— Marmion Academy