Swathi Padmanabhan was honored with two prestigious awards this spring.

She won the Congressional App Challenge in the 6th District of Ohio for 2023. Her winning app, called Nalox-Not-Alone, consolidates locations that sell naloxone over the counter and provides locations to the people who need it.

Naloxone is a FDA approved medication designed to quickly reverse opioid overdoses.

Boardman school board members recognized Padmanabhan's achievement at their February meeting. Also in attendance was former Congressman Bill Johnson.

"I'm a former IT guy, so I know the kind of thought process it takes to create something like you did, and I understand the passion and your heart for wanting to address something that's going to improve the lives of potentially thousands of people who need Naloxone, because the scourge of opioid addiction is so rampant across our country." Johnson said.

The national competition is designed to encourage students to learn how to code, and inspire them to pursue careers in computer science. More then 11,300 students entered the competition. Padmanabhan's winning app will be displayed alongside the best from across the country in Washington, D.C. in April.

The National Honor Society also announced that Padmanabhan has been selected as a NHS Scholarship semifinalist, and will be awarded a national scholarship worth mare than $3,000 as part of that honor. She is one of the only to be recognized as a NHS national scholarship winner in the history of Boardman Schools. 

"I am very proud of Swathi. She is truly deserving. Swathi is driven, compassionate, and demonstrates a true sense of responsibility for her school, the student body, and her community." Said Jenefer Basista, Boardman's NHS Advisor.

Padmanabhan is the Vice President of Boardman High School's NHS, and founded a new chapter of the national Best Buddies program. The program pairs exceptionally talented students with students with specific disabilities. Best Buddies meets monthly at the school, and students take part in a variety of social events planned by Padamanabhan.

This school year, she volunteered at the 16th annual Buddy Walk for the Down Syndrome Association of the Valley, helped organize Thanksgiving meal bags for BHS's food pantry, worked with a district fundraiser to help out another Spartan family in need, all while continuing to serve as a tutor.

Padamanabhan also competes on Boardman High School's Speech and Debate Team. She is competing in Congressional Debate for States and Nationals for the third year. She has also been recognized as a National Merit Finalist, and is awaiting word on whether she will receive the National Merit Scholarship as well.

After graduation, Padmanabhan plans to major in computer engineering, and is still deciding on her college of choice.