Selma High student wins 2025 Congressional App Challenge for her "Community Support" app

SELMA, Calif. (KFSN) -- The COVID pandemic was challenging for galore people.

That includes adolescents similar Natalie Bonilla, who was successful mediate schoolhouse astatine the time.

With classes each online, she says she spent overmuch of her clip connected the internet, utilizing it to find connections and resources she could beryllium on.

"We were each trapped wrong of our house, and I knew that determination was specified a large occupation going connected successful the country, particularly for me. I went done specified a hard clip and my household supported maine each done it," Natalie said.

Now a senior, the virtual schoolroom is down her, but she drew connected that acquisition erstwhile her Computer Science Teacher, Kate Long, encouraged her to participate the 2025 Congressional App Challenge.

"I've known astir this contention for years. I've tried for years to get kids to participate, and this twelvemonth I really got 10 kids to bash it," Long said.

The situation is unfastened to each mediate schoolhouse and precocious schoolhouse students.

The app tin beryllium astir immoderate taxable but indispensable beryllium original.

"And my thought was, well, I was connected the net a lot, and however could I scope retired to radical who are besides stuck there, and that's their main mode of connection and uncovering resources," Natalie said.

In an effort to trim the stigma astir intelligence wellness and marque resources much accessible, she spent 5 days creating the app "Community Support."

It features entree to hotline numbers and a assortment of enactment groups.

She submitted it to the contention and, successful December, received an email that she was the victor for Congressional District 21, represented by Congressman Jim Costa.

"I was shocked. I didn't cognize however to react," Natalie said.

In a statement, Costa said, "Natalie's app demonstrates however exertion tin beryllium utilized to fortify communities and enactment those who whitethorn beryllium experiencing hard moments."

As the winner, she got to conscionable Congressman Costa, and her app volition beryllium connected show successful the U.S. Capitol for a year.

Natalie hopes to marque it disposable connected the app store for everyone and plans to amended it by adding proscription resources and enactment for different languages.

Long says she was excited astir Natalie's triumph and hopes it encourages others to instrumentality part.

"The machine subject satellite needs a batch much young women similar Natalie who are compassionate and attraction astir their community, to get progressive successful coding, due to the fact that they tin bash it and they volition marque the satellite a amended spot by doing so," Long said.

Because Natalie won the challenge, she has been invited to the U.S. Capitol successful April.

There she tin conscionable each the different winners from crossed the country.

For quality updates, travel Jessica Harrington connected Facebook, X and Instagram.