Angelina Tsuboi, 16, always looks for ways to use her programming skills to help others. The Los Angeles teen has created many different tech tools, including an Apple Watch app that guides people through performing C.P.R., an air quality monitoring device, and a language app that helps non-English-speaking people find resources such as housing, child care, and translators.
Q: Why is helping others with coding important to you?
A: I want to be an impetus for good. Despite all the chaos in the world, we are all capable of making it a better place by employing our skills and creativity.
Q: How do you get your ideas?
A: Most of them come from my experiences or problems I’ve encountered. It’s good to be involved in different communities. The intersection of skills and experience is where innovation takes place.
Q: What’s it like seeing people benefit from your creations?
A: Building a product can be arduous, but it makes me really happy to see people using the things I make.
Q: What have you learned?
A: Communication is so important. You can make a fantastic product that can help lots of people, but if you’re not able to show off the utility of it, nobody will use it.
(This interview was edited and condensed for length and clarity.)