With applications now open for the Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2025, 18-year-old Ángela Elena Olazarán Laureano, who developed an AI-powered virtual medical assistant, urges Ghanaian students to apply, emphasizing that their incredible work deserves recognition in shaping a better future for all.
Ángela Elena Olazarán Laureano, the 18-year-old Mexican prodigy and winner of last year’s $100,000 Chegg.org Global Student Prize,[1] is calling on Ghanaian students to apply, now that applications are open.
Chegg.org partnered with the Varkey Foundation to launch a sister award to the Global Teacher Prize in 2021. Now in its fifth year, the award serves as a powerful platform to recognize outstanding students who are making a meaningful impact on learning, their peers, and society.
Ángela helped create Ixtlilton, a prize-winning AI-powered virtual medical assistant that can diagnose 21 diseases based on a series of questions. Designed with local medics during COVID-19, Ixtlilton helps people living in remote areas or far from medical centers determine if they need medical care. She was selected as the winner of the 2024 Chegg.org Global Student Prize from nearly 11,000 nominations and applications across 176 countries around the world.
Ángela believes that students across Ghana have made remarkable contributions to their communities and society more widely, and that they deserve recognition through the Chegg.org Global Student Prize.
Ángela Elena Olazarán Laureano, winner of 2024 Chegg.org Global Student Prize, said:
“Trailblazing students across Ghana are dedicating themselves to shaping a brighter future for everyone. Their extraordinary achievements deserve to be celebrated and recognized on the world stage. This is why I urge them to apply for the Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2025.”
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 and students enrolled in online courses are also eligible for the prize. Ghanaian students have a history of excellence when it comes to the Global Student Prize. In 2021, Clement Ngosong secured a spot in the top 50. In 2022, Mathias Charles Yabe
was named a top 10 finalist, and in 2023, Kezia Sanie was recognized among the top 10 finalists.
Nathan Schultz, President and CEO of Chegg, Inc. said:
“The world is changing at an outstanding rate, and students today are confronted with monumental challenges – from climate change and social inequality to the pressures of navigating a rapidly evolving job market in the age of AI. Despite these hurdles, many are working relentlessly to create a more just and equitable world for all. I encourage student changemakers from everywhere to apply for the 2025 Chegg.org Global Student Prize. Their dedication, innovation, and resilience deserve a powerful platform, where their ideas and stories can inspire and drive meaningful change for generations to come.”
Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Varkey Foundation, said:
“Both the Global Student Prize and the Global Teacher Prize were created to highlight the vital role education plays in crafting solutions to humanity’s greatest challenges. Policymakers must always remember the importance of education, and it must be top of their agenda as it is the key to facing the future with confidence.”
Students applying for the Global Student Prize will be evaluated based 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, demonstrate creativity and innovation, and operate as global citizens.
Students can apply for the Chegg.org Global Student Prize at www.globalteacherprize.org and the closing date for applications is 27 April 2025.
The prize will be narrowed down to a Top 50 shortlist and then to 10 finalists, both announced later in the year, highlighting exceptional students on a global stage. The winner will be chosen from the top 10 finalists by the Global Student Prize Academy, made up of prominent individuals.
If a student is nominated, the nominator will submit a brief online description explaining why. The student will then receive an email notification and invitation to apply for the prize. Applicants can apply in English, Mandarin, Arabic, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian. To join the conversation online, follow @cheggdotorg.