A 17-year-old Mexican student is a finalist in the top 10 for the ‘Nobel Student Prize’

Ángela Elena Olazarán Laureano, a 17-year-old computer science student at the Colegio Nacional de Educación Profesional Técnica (CONALEP) in Papantla de Olarte in Veracruz, Mexico, has been named one of 10 finalists for the Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2024, an annual prize of 100,000 dollars to be awarded to an exceptional student who has made a real impact on learning, on the lives of their peers and on society at large. 

Ángela Elena Olazarán Laureano was selected from more than 11,000 nominations and applications from 176 countries. 

Chegg.org partnered with the Varkey Foundation to launch the annual Global Student Prize in 2021, a sister prize to the 1 million dollar Global Teacher Prize. 

The intention was to create a powerful new platform that highlights 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 programme. Part-time students, as well as students enrolled in online courses, are also eligible for the award. 

Ángela Elena Olazarán Laureano, 17, was born into a humble, hard-working family in Veracruz, Mexico. Her parents are both teachers, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ángela's father helped her use her time at home productively by teaching her about robotics, electronics, application development and the Internet of Things. Today, Angela is a leading figure in STEM education at the local, state, national and global levels. She promotes STEM education for youth and students across Latin America, and encourages the participation of women in STEM on international panels such as InspiraMET.

Mexican students have a history of excellence in the Chegg.org Global Student Prize. Esmeralda Medina, a 20-year-old student from Coahuila, Mexico, who studied Mechanical Engineering at the Instituto Tecnológico de La Laguna in Torreón, Mexico, and also studied at the Colegio Nacional de Educación Profesional Técnica (CONALEP), along with Guadalupe Calderón, a 17-year-old student in Biotechnology Engineering at the Universidad Abierta y a Distancia de México (UnADM), Mexico City, were included in the list of 50 finalists for the Global Student Prize Chegg.org 2022. Cinthia Karely Ovando López, an 18-year-old student at Colegio de Bachilleres de Tabasco Plantel No. 21, Mexico, was included in the list of 50 finalists for the Global Student Prize Chegg.org 2021. 

Heather Hatlo Porter, Director of Communications at Chegg, said: ‘I am delighted to congratulate Angela on becoming one of the 10 finalists. This honour not only reflects your outstanding achievements, but is also a testament to the brighter future you are actively shaping for all of us, day in and day out.’ 

‘Chegg is committed to its Student First mission. Through the Global Student Prize, we shine a spotlight on inspiring students around the world, giving them the opportunity to share their stories, connect with each other and make their voices heard. Now, more than ever, students like Angela deserve recognition, as their dreams, creativity and remarkable efforts are essential to addressing the urgent challenges facing our world,’ she said.  

Sunny Varkey, founder of the Varkey Foundation, said: ‘Angela's story serves as a powerful reminder of the critical role education plays in shaping a better world for all. As the clock ticks towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, prioritising education has never been more crucial if we are to face the future with confidence.’

The other 10 finalists for the Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2024 are: 

• Alanna Sethi, 19, a Psychology student at the University of Toronto, Mississauga, Canada. 
• Bejan Tekay, 19, Science and Technology student at Diyarbakir Bahcesehir College Science and Technology High School, Diyarbakir, Turkey 
• Divaa Uthkarsha, 16, Science student at National Public School RNR, Bangalore, Karnataka, India 
• Maha Nawaz, 17, student of Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and EPQ A-levels at Dubai College, UAE 
• Martina Bahiana Basgall Sequeira, 18, Commerce student at the Escuela Superior de Comercio Carlos Pellegrini, Buenos Aires, Argentina 
• Max Han, 23, from Malaysia, studying Environmental Studies at Yale-NUS College, Singapore. 
• Mikołaj Wolanin, 22, a law student at the University of Warsaw, Poland. 
• Millena Xavier Martins, 17, student at CAp-Coluni (Colégio de Aplicação da Universidade Federal de Viçosa), Brazil. 
• Raphael Stark, 17, home-schooled in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. 

The winner is expected to be announced in New York later this month during the week of the UN General Assembly, and will be chosen from among 10 finalists by the Global Student Prize Academy, composed of prominent individuals. 

Applications and nominations for this year's Chegg.org Global Student Prize opened on Thursday 1 February and closed on Sunday 5 May. The list of the top 50 candidates for the award was announced on Wednesday 17 July. Students are being evaluated based on their academic performance, impact on their peers, how they make a difference in their community and beyond, how they overcome adversity to achieve their goals, how they demonstrate creativity and innovation, and how they act as global citizens.

Last year's winner was Nhial Deng, a 24-year-old Sudanese refugee who empowered more than 20,000 refugees in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya through peacebuilding, education and entrepreneurship programmes, as well as creating a safe space for young people to heal from trauma. 

He was selected as the winner of the Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2023 from nearly 4,000 nominations and applications from 122 countries around the world. Nhial accepted his award in New York during the week of the UN General Assembly. 

The 2022 winner was Ukrainian teenager Igor Klymenko, a 17-year-old student from Kiev, Ukraine, who moved to the countryside at the start of the Russian invasion to finish his final year of high school. Sheltered in the basement of his new home, Igor successfully completed his studies while perfecting the mine-detecting drone he had been working on for eight years. He was selected as the winner of the Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2022 from more than 7,000 applications from over 150 countries. 

The first winner in 2021 was Jeremiah Thoronka, a 21-year-old student from Sierra Leone, who launched a startup called Optim Energy that transforms the vibrations of vehicles and pedestrian crossings on roads into electric current. With just two devices, the startup provided free electricity to 150 households, comprising around 1,500 citizens, as well as 15 schools attended by more than 9,000 students. 

If students were nominated, the person nominating them was asked to write a short description online explaining why. An email was then sent to the nominated student inviting them to apply for the award. Applicants could apply in English, Mandarin, Arabic, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian. To join the conversation online, follow @cheggdotorg. 

Chegg.org Global Student Prize.