Jeremiah Thoronka 21-year-old wins $100,000 global student prize

 

A  21-year-old Sierra Leonean student, Jeremiah Thoronka, who invented a device that uses kinetic energy from traffic and pedestrians to generate clean power, has won the 2021 Chegg.org Global Student Prize.

 

 

The prize is worth $100,000. This year also saw US teacher Keishia Thorpe named as the winner of the 2021 Global Teacher Prize.

Jeremiah, is the first winner of this prize, which is awarded to an exceptional student who has made a real impact on learning, on the lives of their peers and on society. He was selected from over 3, 500 nominations and applications from 94 countries across the globe

Actor and humanitarian Hugh Jackman announced Jeremiah as the winner of the inaugural prize at a virtual ceremony that took place at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris.

“Students everywhere are fighting for their very future. They are part of a generation that are on the frontline of the greatest challenges of our time – from climate change to global inequality. So, we must listen to their voices and shine a light on their stories,” he said.

 

Congratulating Jeremiah, he also said: “You have made an enormous difference to your community and far beyond. I am sure that you will now use this incredible platform to make an even bigger impact.”

Dan Rosensweig, CEO & President of Chegg, said: “My warmest congratulations to Jeremiah. His inspirational work in pioneering clean, affordable energy makes him a thoroughly deserving winner of the inaugural Chegg.org Global Student Prize. This prize honors students everywhere. While many stakeholders are busy debating, students like Jeremiah are busy doing. They truly are the change makers our world needs.

“And congratulations to Keishia for her incredible work in opening up access to college education for low-income, first-generation American, immigrant and refugee students.”

Congratulating Jeremiah for becoming the first ever winner of the Chegg.org Global Student Prize and to Keishia for winning the 2021 Global Teacher Prize, Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Varkey Foundation, said “their incredible stories show the vital role education plays in tackling the great challenges of today and tomorrow.”

Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO, while also congratulating Thoronka and Keisha, averred that UNESCO was proud to host this year’s Global Teacher Prize ceremony at its headquarters in Paris. “Inspirational teachers and extraordinary students alike deserve recognition for their commitment to education amid the learning crisis we see today. Now more than ever, we must honor and support our teachers and students as they look to rebuild a better world in the wake of COVID,” she said.

The Varkey Foundation launched the Chegg.org Global Student Prize, a sister award to its $1 million Global Teacher Prize, earlier this year to create a powerful new platform that shines light on the efforts of extraordinary students across the globe who are reshaping our world for the better.