For most seventh graders, creating an app might seem impossible. For Kimberli R, it became personal.
The Von Steuben Middle School student developed a mental health app designed to help users manage anxiety, stress, depression, and panic attacks after watching family and people close to her struggle with mental health challenges.
“I wanted people to have something that could help them calm down and stop overthinking.”
What makes Kimberli’s app stand out is its simplicity. Instead of forcing users through long personality tests before offering support, the app focuses immediately on helping people understand what they are feeling and how to cope with it.
“I just wanted to get into my mental health, not my personality.”
The app includes mental health check-ins, assessments, and journaling features that help users better understand their emotions. Kimberli said her inspiration also came from seeing students around her struggle silently with stress and panic attacks during school.
“Some people have panic attacks during class and didn’t really have anything to help them.”
Kimberli also drew from her own experiences with anxiety and overthinking while building the app.
“I second-guess everything I do,” she said. “So, I wanted to help with that too.”
Throughout the development process, Kimberli worked closely with teachers, counselors, classmates, and her mother to test the app and gather feedback. One of the biggest lessons she learned was how to problem-solve when technical issues made creating the app difficult.
“Whatever you put your mind can make a big difference.”
Currently, the app is web-based, but Kimberli hopes to eventually expand it to the App Store and Google Play so more students and families can access it.
More than anything, Kimberli hopes the app reminds students they are not alone.
“I think it could help people express themselves instead of holding everything in.”