Kuala Lumpur: Sabah-born 20-year-old Alesyah Asa has been named a top 10 finalist for the Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2022, a $100,000 award (equivalent to around RM448,000) to be given to an exceptional student who has made an impact on learning, the lives of their peers, the society and beyond.
Alesyah, currently studying construction technology at Keningau Vocational College, was selected from over 7,000 nominations and applications from 150 countries around the world and is the sole Malaysian finalist for the award.
In a statement Thursday, Chegg.org informed that Alesyah has led a number of school initiatives focusing on vocational students and special needs learners.
“As one of the few female students enrolled in her course with a mission is to inspire women to excel in traditionally male-dominated, vocational fields, she has represented her department in several competitions and has mentored other female students to do the same.
“Alesyah led a science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (Steam) project at her school which trained peers and teachers on robotics, drones, three-dimensional (3D) printing and entrepreneurship, which was recognised by the United States (US)-based Awesome Foundation, becoming the first recipient of its $1,000 Steam Grant,” the statement added.
Other than that, Alesyah also initiated an international exchange programme with several schools in South Korea, leading an all-female team to be awarded Community Innovation Winner at the Global Media and Information Literacy Youth Hackathon, co-organised by Unesco and the Republic of Korea.
“Her team helped tackle misinformation related to Covid-19 by educating the public about fake news and hoaxes through a set of strategies that helped communities better research, analyse and evaluate information.
“Through her work, Alesyah has championed women, vocational students, students from rural areas and those with disabilities in order to increase their educational opportunities,” said the statement.
It added that the winner of the award is expected to be announced during the United Nations (UN) General Assembly week in New York later this month.
Chegg.org is an impact, advocacy and research arm focused on addressing issues faced by modern-day students.
