Apple’s Swift Student Challenge Highlights Jones Mays II: 17 Year Old App Developer

Apple’s Swift Student Challenge seeks to highlight students from around the world for conceptualizing and designing original apps. Utilizing Swift Playgrounds, a revolutionary app that makes learning to code simple and fun,  winners have created apps that address topics such as gender identity, mental health, and the environment in creative ways. The apps that these young people have created are revolutionary, and let us know that the future of technology is more dynamic, diverse, and creative than ever. The crazy part is this generation of teenagers are just getting their feet wet! The possibilities are truly limitless.

One of the students being featured at Apple’s Worldwide Developers conference this year is African American 17 yr old app designer, Jones Mays II.  The Houston native designed an app called IVY to identify invasive vines that cause harm to native plants and animals.  “My grandfather had a garden that he loved, and he grew so much food that he just allowed people from the community to come in and grab what they needed,” said Mays. “Even though he couldn’t walk at the end of his life, he used to point and that’s where I’d put down the seeds for him. But we always had to try to get rid of the kudzu vine — it was an ongoing fight.”  The app not only helps identify the vines but also shows users how to safely remove them.  

In addition to being a Swift Student Challenge winner, Jones participated in NASA’s Cs program and works at the Contemporary Art Museum in his hometown, Houston, Texas.  Jones is gearing up for his senior year of highschool before transitioning into college, where he’ll be able to take his love for computer science even further. Again, he’s just getting started, so be sure to stay tuned to see what other apps he has coming down the pipeline!