Brisbane Student Top 10 Finalist Global Student Prize

Nathan Nguyen, a 17-year-old student at Cavendish Road State High School, Brisbane, Queensland, has been named a top 10 finalist for the Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2022.

A $100,000 award will be given to the winning student who has made a real impact on learning, the lives of their peers and on society beyond.

Nathan, who moved to Australia from Vietnam at the age of 12, was selected from over 7,000 nominations and applications from 150 countries around the world.

Nguyen is founder and CEO of registered non-profit Sciencious, which provides STEM resources to underprivileged and under-resourced students around the world. Sciencious provides a dedicated publishing platform with over 27,000 users where young people who are passionate about STEM can learn from their peers, publish their own findings, and connect with like-minded individuals from around the world.

Its professional tutors also run programs in their regions in which passionate and under-resourced children are provided with free STEM lessons and resources conducted by local STEM-enthusiast students. It also publishes biannual magazines, monthly podcasts, and organizes webinars and science competitions.

Growing up gay in a traditional community in Vietnam, Nathan had to contend with bullying, discrimination, and mental health issues for many years, eventually moving to Australia to pursue his education where he excelled in mathematics and science, winning various awards such as the University of Queensland Young Scientist of the Year. Nathan has raised thousands of dollars for numerous causes during his time at school and was the first ever international student to become school's Vice Captain since it was founded 70 years ago.

The Varkey Foundation partnered with Chegg.org to launch the Global Student Prize last year, 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.

The other top 10 finalists for the Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2022 are Alesyah Asa, from Malaysia; Anagha Rajesh, from India; Gitanjali Rao, from the US; Igor Klymenko, from Ukraine; Kenisha Arora, from Canada; Lucas Tejedor, from Brazil; Mathias Charles Yabe, from Ghana; Maya Bridgman, from the UAE; and Nicolás Alberto Monzón, from Argentina. The winner is expected to be announced later this month during UN General Assembly week in New York.

Actor and humanitarian Hugh Jackman announced last year’s winner, Jeremiah Thoronka, in November 2021. Jeremiah, a 21-year-old student from Sierra Leone, launched a start-up called Optim Energy that transforms vibrations from vehicles and pedestrian footfall on roads into an electric current. With just two devices, the start-up provided free electricity to 150 households comprising around 1,500 citizens, as well as 15 schools where more than 9,000 students attend.

Sunny Varkey, founder of the Varkey Foundation, said, “I extend my warmest congratulations to Nathan. His story is a testament to the crucial role that education plays in building a better tomorrow for us all. It is the key to solving humanity’s greatest challenges, from war and conflict to climate change to growing inequality. As time runs out to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, it is more important than ever to prioritize education so we can face the future with confidence.”

Applications and nominations for this year’s Global Student Prize opened on Thursday 27 January and closed on Sunday 1 May. Students are being assessed on their academic achievement, impact on their peers, how they make a difference in their community and beyond, how they overcome the odds to achieve, how they demonstrate creativity and innovation, and how they operate as global citizens.