TRACE

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Project Story

Every year, thousands of people go missing, and a lot of those stories never get solved.

Trace is a platform to keep those cases from fading. It lets people organize what’s known, post new tips, and share cases publicly so others can help. It’s not meant to replace official investigations — just give people a way to keep things moving when everything else slows down.

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Why I Built This

I’ve followed a lot of these cases over the years. Some just stuck with me. It’s frustrating to see how many families are left waiting, never knowing what really happened. And I kept thinking — maybe there’s a way to help. Even if it’s small.

So I built something I’d want to use if someone I cared about went missing. A place to put everything together. To not let the case disappear. If it helps even one person get closer to answers, or gets a few more people to pay attention — that’s worth it.

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What I Learned

I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to build this in just two days.

I started at the very end of the hackathon — last weekend — and pretty much didn’t stop until I had something working. Building it in Bolt was a ride. A lot of learning, a lot of trial and error, and moments where I wasn’t sure it would come together.

But it did. And weirdly, I had fun doing it — even when it was stressful.