Bullied Teen Creates ‘Sit With Us’ App To Help Other Students Find Lunch Seatmates

When life hands you some lemons, it’s the perfect time to make lemonades.

16-year-old Natalie Hampton used to be bullied when she was in the 7th grade. As a result, she had to sit alone during lunchtime. Instead of being bitter about her experiences, however, this teen from Sherman Oaks, California determined she didn’t want others to be victims of bullying, too.

So she created an app.

Natalie Hampton, 16, used to sit alone during lunches because she was bullied.

The aptly named ‘Sit With Us’ app actually aims to help lonely students find buddies they can sit with during lunch. The app was launched just last September 9. With this tool, ‘ambassadors’ can create open lunch invites which then sends signals to other users who may be alone during lunch break.

To help others avoid the similar experience, she created the ‘Sit With Us’ app.

In an interview with NPR, Natalie shared:

“This way it’s very private. It’s through the phone. No one else has to know. And you know that you’re not going to be rejected once you get to the table.”

The said app has been “designed to promote a kinder and more inclusive school community,” said the website.

A quick browse of the app’s official website tells us that ‘Sit With Us’ has been “designed to promote a kinder and more inclusive school community.” With it, users can connect with other students at their school, post featured lunches for people to join, and add their own lunch events. Actually, users may also create their own profiles, add friends, describe interests, and chat with friends to coordinate lunch.

Watch this video feature:

With this app, lonely students will know they’re not going to be rejected once they approach a table.

So far, ‘Sit With Us’ has been well-received at Natalie’s school. In fact, people are already posting open lunches so that has to be a good thing, said the teen app-maker.

Go visit the ‘Sit With Us’ website in case you are interested to download the app or just to learn more.