In a story of grit meeting opportunity, 18-year-old Adarsh Kumar from Champaran, Bihar, was declared the winner of the prestigious $100,000 Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2025 at a glittering ceremony in London on October 1. He was selected from nearly 11,000 applications and nominations spanning 148 countries.

“Winning this prize has given me the confidence to work harder. My message is simple: change starts within, then spreads to the world. Dream big,” Adarsh said, moments after receiving the award.

Adarsh’s path to the global spotlight was anything but conventional. His mother, determined to nurture his curiosity, purchased him a laptop with her savings — a decision that sparked his passion for coding and entrepreneurship. Though his first startup in Grade 8 failed, his second initiative, Mission Badlao, transformed the lives of over 1,300 families by helping them access welfare schemes ranging from Ayushman Bharat health cards to pensions and school admissions.

At just 14, Adarsh left home with ₹1,000 to chase the dream of cracking IIT-JEE in Kota. Unable to pay for coaching, he relied on library wi-fi to connect with mentors. Those connections led him to internships, shadowing opportunities, and eventually, to launching Skillzo — a platform that has already supported more than 20,000 underserved students with training, mentorship, and entrepreneurial skills.

Many of its beneficiaries have gone on to win national competitions, secure scholarships, and launch their own ventures.

His remarkable journey has drawn praise from global education leaders. Nathan Schultz, CEO and President of Chegg Inc., described him as a “powerful symbol of the courage and grit of young changemakers whose stories can inspire the world.” Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Varkey Foundation, added, “Adarsh’s journey is a reminder that education transforms lives by opening doors and creating opportunity.”

With the prize money, Adarsh now plans to scale his vision further by developing SkillzoX, an AI-powered mentorship platform tailored for rural students, and launching the Ignite Fellowship, a global accelerator for young innovators.

The Global Student Prize, launched in 2021 as a sister award to the Global Teacher and Global Schools Prizes, honours extraordinary students who demonstrate academic excellence, creativity, resilience, and community impact.

From a small village in Bihar to the global stage in London, Adarsh Kumar’s rise is a testament to the power of perseverance and the transformative force of education.