Natalie Hampton — From Bullied and Alone to Helping Others Belong
Name: Natalie Hampton | State: California | Known for: Creator of the Sit With Us app
During seventh and eighth grade, Natalie Hampton of Sherman Oaks, California, experienced severe bullying. She was verbally harassed, physically attacked, excluded by classmates, and frequently forced to eat lunch alone.
Natalie later explained that sitting by herself in the cafeteria was one of the most painful parts of the experience. As students repeatedly walked past her table, she felt embarrassed, isolated, and increasingly hopeless. The outgoing girl who had once loved school began losing her happiness and self-confidence.
Eventually, Natalie transferred to another school, where she found a kinder and more welcoming community. Slowly, she began rebuilding her confidence and feeling comfortable being herself again.
But Natalie never forgot how it felt to be alone.
Whenever she noticed another student eating alone, she invited that person to join her group. Some of those students became close friends. Natalie discovered that one small act of kindness could completely change someone's day — and possibly much more.
Building Sit With Us
At age 15, although she had little coding experience, Natalie decided to create an app called Sit With Us. The app allowed students to post open invitations to their lunch tables so that classmates could find a safe and welcoming place to sit.
Natalie began by drawing every page, button, and function in a notebook. With help from a professional programmer, she turned her idea into a working app. Her painful experience became the inspiration for a movement encouraging kindness and inclusion in schools.
Creating Sit With Us also helped Natalie reclaim something bullying had taken from her: the confidence to believe that her ideas, experiences, and voice mattered.
Natalie could not change what happened to her, but she could choose what she did next. Instead of allowing bullying to define her future, she used her experience to make life better for other students.
The Every Choice Matters Lesson
Bullying can make you question your value, but another person's cruelty does not determine who you are. Natalie's story reminds us that self-confidence can be rebuilt — one brave decision, one supportive relationship, and one positive action at a time.
Natalie chose to turn her pain into kindness — and her choice helped other young people know they did not have to sit alone.
If You Are Being Bullied
Do not suffer silently. Tell a trusted parent, teacher, counselor, coach, or another responsible adult. Asking for help is not weakness. It is a courageous step toward protecting yourself and rebuilding your confidence.
This story is based on Natalie Hampton's documented experiences shared by Harvard Graduate School of Education's Making Caring Common and TEDxTeen.