A Brisbane teenager who designed an app for primary children to manage their emotions is the only female from Australia and New Zealand to win Apple’s 2026 global coding challenge.
Siena Catholic College, Sippy Downs Year 9 student Martina Recabarren’s app Calm Corner is designed to support student wellbeing.
Apple’s annual Swift Student Challenge invites students to bring their ideas to life by designing original app playgrounds built with Apple’s Swift easy-to-learn coding language.
Martina’s app was selected as one of 350 winning submissions worldwide.
“My app helps primary-aged children manage big emotions, such as anger and anxiety,” she said.
“It uses guided check-ins and simple calming strategies to help them understand what they’re feeling, and manage it in a healthy way, allowing them to get back to learning sooner.”
This is the second time a Siena Catholic College student has won the award, with 2025 Year 12 student Kobe O’Connor winning for his app Deconstruct.
Curriculum Leader Paul Dionysius from Siena Catholic College, a Brisbane Catholic Education school, said Martina’s app would make a real impact on the school.
“Martina’s app not only addresses the student’s emotional needs but also aligns with the school’s goal of improving reading standards,” Mr Dionysius said.
He noticed Martina had real coding talent when she took his Digital Technologies class in Year 8.
“From the moment Martina started coding, she was completely immersed and coding at every opportunity.
“It was clear she needed opportunities beyond the standard curriculum.
“My role as her teacher was to support that passion, challenge her thinking, and give her the space to grow her talents.
“We are incredibly proud of Martina and this outstanding achievement, which reflects her dedication and the strength of her talent.”
Mr Dionysius said it was also rewarding to see the impact Martina had on other students.
“She’s inspiring more students, particularly young women, to see coding and STEM as something they can also pursue and see success in,” he said.
Martina is already aiming to develop another app designed to control a robotic arm using wrist motion on an Apple Watch.
To find a Brisbane Catholic Education school on the Sunshine Coast, click here.
