Queenslanders have dominated Apple’s list of winners for the WWDC25 Swift Student Challenge which has unearthed some of Australians most talented young developers.
Of the eight winners, four are from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast – and three from the same school.
Apple’s Swift Student Challenge gives thousands of student developers a chance to showcase their coding abilities and creativity using app playgrounds and learn skills that can create a career path.
And one of the eight Australian winners will be attending the Worldwide Developers Conference at Apple headquarters in Cupertino for three days.
Globally Apple selected 350 winners and offered 50 of those winners from around the world the trip to WWDC25.
Apple received a wide variety of apps from Australian entrants including an app to monitor anxiety, and Apple Vision Pro app to visualise woodworking projects, an app for Parkinson’s patients and a bushfire safety app.
All winners receive a free one-year membership in the Apple Developers Program, a complimentary voucher to take an App Development with Swift certification exam, a personalised certificate from Apple and AirPods Max headphones.
Here are the eight Australian Swift Student Challenge winners:
Edward Mann, Sunshine Coast QLD
App: Graphics Handbook
– Edward is this year’s Australian Apple Distinguished Winner and first-time Swift Student Challenge entrant. The 16-year-old is in Year 11 at St Andrew’s Anglican College in Peregian Springs on the Sunshine Coast, QLD.
– He first learned to program by developing games using C Sharp but started using Swift last year after being influenced by his twin brother Oscar, who has entered the SSC the past three years and is a first-time winner this year.
Edward’s entry is called Graphics Handbook, a fun and interactive approach to learning how to develop computer graphics. Edward found it hard to keep himself motivated with traditional computer graphics, which involve text-based explanations and code examples, and wanted to create a more user-friendly, visual approach to developing computer graphics. This is his first project using SwiftUI.
– Edward will be attending this year’s WWDC, where he is excited to learn more about app development and meet like-minded developers.
– He is a passionate coder and is keen to pursue coding graphics after school. He’s also interested in sailing and is learning Japanese.
Oscar Mann, Sunshine Coast QLD
App: Nail Anxiety
– 16-year-old Oscar is Edward’s twin brother and also in Year 11 at St Andrew’s Anglican College in Peregian Springs on the Sunshine Coast, QLD.
Oscar’s winning entry is called Nail Anxiety, which scans and analyses a person’s fingernails to track anxiety. Having seen the effects firsthand through a friend’s anxiety disorder, Oscar wanted to create an app that monitors anxiety without being intrusive and chose to explore one of the symptoms: fingernail picking and biting.
– Oscar taught himself to code and was introduced to Swift when he was 14. He applied for the Swift Student Challenge the past three years; this is Oscar’s first time winning.
– He plans to pursue Computer Science at university and hopes to eventually develop software that will make an impact.
Noah Moller, Sunshine Coast QLD
App: Tremor Check
– Noah Moller is 16 years old and is in Year 11 at St Andrew’s Anglican College in Peregian Springs on the Sunshine Coast, QLD.
– His entry into this year’s Swift Student Challenge is called Tremor Check, an intuitive, accessible, and privacy-focused experience for Parkinson’s patients to track their symptoms effectively. Inspired by his own Grandfather’s Parkinsons Disease, Noah wanted to modernise and expand the current tracking system, incorporating both voice and fine motor control while ensuring the app was reliable, unbiased, and easy to use, and can be sent to a doctor.
– Noah started to learn Swift when he was 13 years old. He has developed two other apps, including Digicare to track medication and a study app, Brain Buddy, using the Screen Time API. He also started a business called Tetrics, where he has developed his own productivity software.
– Noah loves music and plays the trumpet and piano. As part of The Peregian Digital Hub, an initiative by the Noosa City Council, Noah will soon run a senior citizens Helpdesk, teaching people how to develop iOS apps.
Kobe O’Connor, Sunshine Coast QLD
App: Deconstruct
– Kobe is a 15-year-old student at Siena Catholic College on the Sunshine Coast, QLD. He learnt to code in primary school where he started playing with HTML and then learnt Swift in high school.
– Kobe’s entry into the Swift Student Challenge is an application providing woodworking students an opportunity to visualise their projects in their surrounding environment via Augmented Reality on Apple Vision Pro and iPad. This allows users to gain practical experience prior to commencing the construction phase of a project, which conserves resources and helps solve the problem of safety in the workplace.
– His approach to creating the app was to focus on a problem he could solve in the school community and for his classmates.
– Outside of coding, Kobe loves to play basketball and he hopes to work in coding as a career.
Kyle Graham, Sydney NSW
App: Scribble
– Kyle is a 21-year-old Darlington student, studying at the University of New South Wales. He is in his final year of an Advanced Computing degree, majoring in Software and Data Science.
– His entry, Scribble, allows users to express themselves in a spatial environment. In 2D mode, users can draw on a customisable canvas to create flat objects, and in 3D mode, iPad lets users fill an entire room with 3D creations using AR, and share with friends who can view the creation without the need for the app.
– Kyle started coding in his final year of high school and has developed 30 of his own games and apps, with approximately 15 of those using Swift. He started developing apps that he felt his friends and family needed, including a travel planner app and a budgeting app.
– His future goal is to eventually publish Scribble.
Shabinda Sarkaria, Sydney NSW
App: Element Explorer
– Shabinda is a 22-year-old student from Blacktown, NSW. She is studying Computer Science at the University of Sydney.
– Shabinda learnt to code at university, though her interest was first piqued in high school.
– Her iPhone and iPad app, Element Explorer, revolves around the periodic table, providing users with a way to make learning chemistry interactive and accessible. Using a quiz format, users are tested on their understanding of chemical elements and formulas. Shabinda has always had an interest in chemistry but came from a high school where there weren’t enough students to have a chemistry class. This is her first time entering the Swift Student Challenge.
– Shabinda’s goal after university is to work as a software engineer. With a passion for digital art, she would love to find a way to combine coding with art.
Leo Nankervis, Canberra ACT
App: Ponder
– Leo is a 17-year-old O’Connor student studying at Canberra Grammar School.
– Leo’s entry, Ponder, is a simple, fun, and interactive resource which helps explain the core concepts behind Machine Learning and helps users understand Generative AI. The app was inspired following a conversation with his Dad around the myths of Generative AI.
– This was Leo’s first time entering the Swift Student Challenge.
– Leo is passionate about education technology and he mentors and tutors students in his school’s computer science program.
– Leo loves coding and wants to pursue this as a career.
Dylan Karunanayake, Perth WA
App: Fire Plan
– Dylan is a 15-year-old in Year 10 at Perth Modern School. He taught himself to code when he was 7.
– Dylan developed a fire safety app with the goal to bring awareness around how to deal with a potential fire. He was inspired by recent bushfires in the Perth region and developed the app in three weeks. This is Dylan’s first time entering the Swift Student Challenge.
– Dylan has a passion for coding and has been a part of CoderDojo WA, a volunteer-driven organisation empowering youth through coding by developing games for their annual events.
– Outside of coding, Dylan loves to play basketball. He hopes to study a degree in Computer Science when he graduates high school.
Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off on June 10.
