Announcing the Top 10 Global Student Prize 2025 Finalists!

Congratulations to the Top 10 Finalists for the Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2025

This award, now in its fifth year, recognises the extraordinary achievements of young change-makers from around the world. The Chegg.org Global Student Prize of $100,000 will be given to one exceptional student who has made a real impact on learning, the lives of their peers and society at large. The finalists have been chosen from almost 11,000 applications from 148 countries across the globe.  These inspiring students are bold, thoughtful, and making a real impact — tackling urgent challenges, uplifting communities, and showing what’s possible when passion meets purpose. We believe students are some of the world’s most powerful change-makers. By amplifying their voices, we’re reminded that education is one of the greatest catalysts for lasting change. Adama Finda Borway, from Sierra Leone, is the founder of the She-Empowerment League, which has empowered 500+ girls across 14 communities with skills, education, and leadership opportunities. A child rights advocate and the first female President of Kono’s Children’s Forum Network, she has championed child marriage bans and continues to fight for gender equity.

Adarsh Kumar, from Bihar, India transformed a laptop his mother bought with her life savings into a gateway to coding, startups, and social change. At 14, he left home with just ₹1,000, teaching himself through free resources and internships before founding Skillzo, a platform that has already empowered 20,000 underserved students with mentorship and entrepreneurial skills.

Dalia Zidan, a Palestinian first-generation student, living in the UAE is an aspiring electrical engineer and breaking barriers in STEM. She created an award-winning AI app to support first-gen students’ mental health, leads the International Youth Science Journal reaching 72,000 readers worldwide, and founded her school’s first tech club, AMTech, which has won $9,000 in STEM prizes and partnered with the UAE government on Dubai AI Week.

Fatma Deniz Aydin, a Turkish student of Jordanian-Palestinian and Albanian-Macedonian heritage, is redefining inclusive education. She founded a nationwide programme supporting children with cognitive impairments, now reaching 10,000+ students across 47 rehabilitation centres in Turkey.

Gastón Diaz, a student innovator from Argentina, is redefining how technology, education, and policy can drive social change. Founder of Cresify—a startup recognized by Microsoft for Startups—he also co-authored Argentina’s groundbreaking financial and tech literacy law, now reaching over 6 million students across 70+ cities.

Grace Liu, a student from New York, is the founder of Research to Empower (ReTE), a global nonprofit bringing free, entry-level research education to underserved K-12 students. Since launching at age 13, she has reached over 200,000 learners in 141 countries and earned formal endorsement from UNESCO as the only student-led partner for the UN’s International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2025–2034).

Krishiv Thakuria, a 17-year-old Indian-Canadian innovator, is pioneering AI solutions to make education more inclusive. He created Aceflow, an AI tutoring platform used in 20+ countries, and Charm Bears, screen-free AI-powered teddies that support children with dyslexia. Backed by Microsoft for Startups and Emergent Ventures, Krishiv has spoken at global stages including GITEX, Stanford, and World Summit AI.

Omar Ahmed, 17, is an Egyptian student and rising EdTech innovator making STEM education accessible across the Arab world. As founder of Horas Code, his Arabic-language TikTok channel has reached over 6 million viewers with free programming tutorials.

Shohail Ismail, from one of the UK’s most deprived neighborhoods, is harnessing AI to make education more inclusive and create opportunities for underrepresented students. Founder of Career Compass, an AI platform guiding students through personalized career pathways, he also chairs Sheffield Volunteering, supporting 2,000+ student volunteers and leading grassroots AI literacy programs.

Valeria Corrales, 17, is a STEM advocate, YouTuber, and social innovator from northern Spain. At just 9, she co-founded ValPat STEAM, a YouTube channel now reaching 212,000+ subscribers across Spain and Latin America with free STEM education.

The Winner for the Global Student Prize will be announced next month and will be chosen from the Top 10 finalists by the Global Student Prize Academy, made up of prominent individuals!

The Varkey Foundation partnered with Chegg.org to launch the Global Student Prize in 2021, a sister award to its $1 million Global Teacher Prize. It was established to create a powerful new platform that shines a light on the efforts of extraordinary students everywhere who, together, are reshaping our world for the better. The prize is open to all students who are at least 16 years old and enrolled in an academic institution or training and skills program. Part-time students as well as students enrolled in online courses are also eligible for the prize.