🏆RESULTS--30 Days. $100. Your Move.: The International Essay Contest Winners

🏆 Contest Winners 🏆

This contest received over 150+ applicants from 13 different countries! ⭐️

First Place:

Harshitha Podile (India, 9th)

Avery Joung (South Korea, 10th)

Julie Haeri Kim (USA, 11th)

Yoo Wang (South Korea, 12th)

Second Place:

Rithul Ramesh (USA, 10th)

Ain Park (South Korea, 11th)

Evelyn Nam (USA, 11th)

Third Place:

Samuel Jung (USA, 11th)

Ali Omari Washikala (Kenya, 12th)

This year, we had so many great storytellers and problem solvers!! We would also like to congratulate the honorable mentions!

Honorary Mentions for Unique Topics / Solutions:

Joveena Marian (India, 9th)

Maksutkan Zhanayim (Kazakhstan, 10th) Taewoo Park (South Korea, 11th)

Joonsang Lee (Thailand, 11th)

This year’s GEL International Essay Contest challenged students with a simple but demanding prompt: Addressing Social Issues with Limited Resources. 💰 30 Days. $100. Your Move. ⏳

And they delivered.

From over 150+ submissions across 16 countries—including the USA, India, Indonesia, South Korea, and China—we saw how young people interpret constraints not as barriers, but as starting points. Rather than focusing on large-scale, distant problems, many students grounded their ideas in what could realistically be done within their own communities, with limited time and resources.

What stood out wasn’t just creativity, but practicality. The strongest submissions showed a clear understanding of a specific issue, paired with thoughtful, actionable solutions—ideas that could actually be tested, refined, and implemented. It became clear that impact doesn’t always begin with scale, but with clarity and intention.

At the same time, every submission contributed something valuable. Each student approached the theme differently, bringing their own experiences, perspectives, and priorities into the process. That diversity made this contest far more than a competition—it became a collection of ideas worth building on.

Because of that, we want this to be a starting point, not an endpoint.

All participants will be receiving vouchers to support them in further developing their ideas—turning initial concepts into more structured, meaningful projects with guidance and mentorship.

And now, we’re proud to recognize the students whose submissions stood out for their clarity, thoughtfulness, and potential for real-world impact:

1st Place:

Winner: Harshitha Podile (India, 9th)

Problem: AI use contributes to environmental impact through high energy consumption and resource demands.

Solution: “Think First, Prompt Better” -- using a token-based system to encourage students to plan and refine prompts, reinforcing efficient and intentional use of AI.

Winner: Avery Joung (South Korea, 10th)

Problem: Overcrowded shelters and irresponsible pet purchasing—driven by pet shops and puppy mills—lead to high abandonment rates and euthanasia of dogs.

Solution: Run a 30-day adoption campaign by selecting at-risk puppies, promoting them through photos, social media, and storytelling, and encouraging “adopt, not buy” to secure homes and raise awareness.

Winner: Julie Haeri Kim (USA, 11th)

Problem: Boarding school students often neglect proper dental hygiene—not due to lack of access, but because of inconsistent daily habits and low awareness.

Solution: Implement a low-cost, 30-day dorm-based program that provides oral care kits, uses simple habit-tracking, and encourages peer-led guidance to make dental hygiene more visible, consistent, and easy to maintain.

Winner: Yoo Wang (South Korea, 12th)

Problem: Colorism persists subtly in everyday life—especially in beauty standards—despite people believing they are unbiased, leading to unconscious preferences for lighter skin.

Solution: Conduct a 30-day school-based experiment using visual surveys and discussions to expose hidden biases, helping students recognize and reflect on their own unconscious preferences.

2nd Place:

Winner: Rithul Ramesh (USA, 10th)

Problem: Bullying and social exclusion leave many students isolated, harming their mental health and sense of belonging.

Solution: Launch a 30-day “Sit with Me” initiative that encourages students to engage in short, structured conversations during lunch, using simple incentives and inclusive seating to foster connection and reduce isolation.

Winner: Ain Park (South Korea, 11th)

Problem: An overemphasis on polished presentation and external evaluation discourages students from expressing unfinished or imperfect ideas, ultimately suppressing creativity and original thinking.

Solution: Organize a 30-day series of process-focused sketchbook workshops that prioritize idea exploration over visual quality, using prompts, anonymous sharing, and a final showcase to create a safe space for expressing unrefined thoughts.

Winner: Evelyn Nam (USA, 11th)

Problem: Homeless individuals face not only food insecurity but also deep social isolation, with a lack of meaningful human connection exacerbating their well-being.

Solution: Launch a 30-day program that combines shared meal preparation with guided conversation, using low-cost ingredients and simple nutrition guides to foster both physical nourishment and human connection.

3rd Place:

Winner: Samuel Jung (USA, 11th)

Problem: Lack of commitment and accountability—worsened by distractions like social media—prevents people from achieving their goals and reaching their potential.

Solution: Develop a low-cost app that pairs users with accountability partners who share similar goals, using progress tracking and small financial stakes to reinforce commitment and follow-through.

Winner: Ali Omari Washikala (Kenya, 12th)

Problem: Rats in refugee camp poultry farms cause significant loss of feed, spread disease, and threaten both food security and income, while existing solutions like poison are unsafe and ineffective.

Solution: Develop and deploy a low-cost, humane rat trap system (“RATALI”) using simple technology to safely capture rats, reduce losses, and train community members to replicate the solution.

In addition to the winners, we extend our heartfelt appreciation to four essays that have earned honorary mentions for their interesting take on a problem or solution. Passion is not always measured by eloquence alone—it is often most powerful when conveyed through genuine conviction and a relentless drive to make a difference.

Honorable Mentions:

Honoree: Joveena Marian (India, 9th)

Problem: People with speech impairments face severe communication barriers, leading to frustration, isolation, and loss of independence.

Solution: Develop a low-cost, customizable communication system using simple signals (e.g., blinks, taps) mapped to words, tested and distributed through a 30-day community-based pilot.

Honoree: Maksutkan Zhanayim (Kazakhstan, 10th)

Problem: Edible food is routinely wasted by local businesses while nearby vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, lack consistent access to meals—due to a disconnect between surplus and need.

Solution: Create a simple 30-day redistribution system by collecting unsold food from bakeries and delivering it to local drop-off points, using minimal resources to build a sustainable connection between waste and need.

Honoree: Taewoo Park (South Korea, 11th)

Problem: Foreign residents struggle with Korea’s food waste recycling system due to unclear rules, language barriers, and lack of simple, practical guidance for everyday decisions.

Solution: Create and distribute a concise, visual bilingual guide showing common food waste items and how to sort them, helping reduce confusion and improve recycling accuracy.

Honoree: Joonsang Lee (Thailand, 11th)

Problem: Afghan refugees lack access to technology and basic digital skills, limiting their ability to become self-sufficient in a modern, tech-driven world.

Solution: Organize a low-cost workshop that provides shared devices and teaches essential digital skills—such as typing, internet use, and basic tools—while leaving resources behind for continued learning.

We would also like to express our gratitude to all participants for your passion, dedication, and thought-provoking contributions. Your essays have amplified our belief in the potential of the youth to steer our society toward a brighter future.

Stay tuned for more opportunities to engage, learn, and make a difference. The journey doesn't end here; it's just the beginning.

Warm regards,

Global Emerging Leaders