ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Looking for something to do in the Tampa Bay area next weekend? There's an app for that — but this one's from a high-schooler familiar to the area.
- Katie McGilvery of St. Pete Lakewood High developed app
- App shows things to do in St. Pete; also has weather, traffic
- McGilvery was Bay Area winner of Congressional App Challenge
Katie McGilvery, a senior at St. Petersburg Lakewood High School, has a passion for programming.
She took on the task of creating a new and user-friendly app that, in addition to showing what's happening in the area, also integrates weather and traffic.
"St. Petersburg has a lot of events going on, but I feel like most people don't really know about them until they're already happening," McGilvery said.
Her app, aptly named DownTown, even caught the attention of Rep. Charlie Crist. As a result, she was named the Bay Area winner of the nationwide Congressional App Challenge.
Last week, she met with teen programmers from across the country and showed off her creation to executives from Microsoft and Amazon.
McGilvery said it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and she's hoping that other girls will follow her lead and give programming a try.
"Even if you don't see someone who looks like you that's coding, you should still try, because you could be that person," she said.
"You always have an idea that's worth it."