The Future Is Vivian Phung: The Student Coder Who's Helping People Find Gender Neutral Bathrooms
Vivian Phung, a rising Sophomore at Bryn Mawr College, is using her computer science skills for good. After meeting a friend who struggled to find a bathroom that fit their gender identity, Phung and a team of student coders came up with the idea for GNR: Restrooms for All, an app that helps users find gender neutral restrooms across the United States. Phung, who has a disability herself, says helping people fulfill a basic human need in comfort is her biggest accomplishment yet.
We spoke to Phung about how she found her passion for computer science, how GNR: Restrooms for All came to be and how else she is advocating for a more inclusive community. Then, she shared her best advice for finding a passion project that really makes a difference.
I'm the co-founder and developer of GNR: Restrooms for All, an app that finds gender neutral restrooms anywhere in America. Helping anyone find a restroom that fits their gender identity and makes them comfortable is the biggest impact and the most rewarding feeling I have ever had the pleasure to work on.
As a freshman at Bryn Mawr College, I was the President of the Girls Who Code College Loop Club and the #BUILTBYGIRLS Ambassador on campus and in the San Francisco Bay Area. As someone who is proudly part of a sisterhood of strong women, I love hosting events (ie. at EventBrite HQ), club meetings, sharing opportunities on social media, and maybe along the way, inspiring others to do the same. In high school, I worked a lot on local policy and helped my hometown, Hayward, rewrite their Anti-Discrimination Plan as the Accessibilities Sub-Committee Co-Chair.
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