At WWDC, scholarship winners get to attend coding and programming sessions, and mix and mingle with app developers, to learn from veterans.

"It was like a dream to be here and meet so many people," Vijay says. "I've just touched the tip of the iceberg in coding, there's so much to learn."

She started coding at age 7 by watching YouTube instructional videos, and was motivated to make an app to teach her younger sister how to identify the names of animals. She's working on a new app, GoalsHi, to give students more confidence in the classroom.

Working the WWDC room like a pro, Vijay finishes the interview by walking up to developers at WWDC and handing out her business card, which has her name and a motto: "I want to make a difference in people's lives through technology."

Back home, she used her mum's iPhone (under mum's name) because you have to be 13 to get an iTunes account.

What does she want to be when she grows up? "I want to be an innovator, to build things that people will learn and benefit from."

Asked to name her favourite app, "besides mine?" she cites Piano Tiles app, which was created in China, in 2014. "It's a game with buttons," she says.

MCT