At just 15, Heman Bekele, a high school sophomore from Virginia, has achieved a remarkable scientific breakthrough that many seasoned professionals aspire to.
Bekele, named TIME magazine’s 2024 Kid of the Year, developed an innovative soap designed to deliver medication for treating skin cancers, including melanoma. This potential breakthrough could transform countless lives.
Bekele expressed his awe at the recognition, saying, “It’s an incredible feeling, it’s surreal.” His interest in science was sparked during his childhood in Ethiopia, where he observed the severe effects of the sun on people’s skin.
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This early experience inspired him to find a solution and led to his groundbreaking invention.
Bekele’s scientific curiosity emerged early; by age five, he was experimenting with household chemicals.
His dedication has already earned him accolades, including being named America’s Top Young Scientist by 3M and Discovery Education in 2023, which came with a $25,000 award.
Currently, Bekele is working with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to test his soap’s effectiveness on mice, moving closer to FDA certification. As he begins his sophomore year, Bekele continues to balance his studies with his scientific endeavors, motivated by the hope of making a significant impact on others’ lives.
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