Virginia teen named 'TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year'
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - A 15-year-old Virginia student has been named 'TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year' after he developed a compound-based bar of soap designed to treat skin cancer.
Heman Bekele's interest in skin cancer was planted at a young age during his childhood in Ethiopia.
"When I came to America, I realized what a big problem the sun and ultraviolet radiation is when you’re exposed to it for a long time," he says.
Heman Bekele chats with FOX 5 about being named TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year!
FOX 5 got the chance to speak with 15-year-old Heman Bekele, a Virginia student from Fairfax County who has been named 'TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year' after he developed a compound-based bar of soap designed to treat skin cancer.
He was inspired to focus on skin cancer, since there aren't many affordable or accessible alternatives in the market.
Bekele has been conducting his own science experiments since he was four. He would mix together what he calls "potions", looking for a reaction.
"They were just dish soap, laundry detergent, and common household chemicals," he told TIME. "At that age I was just developing initial curiosity."
The Arlington native recently won the 2023 3M Young Scientist Challenge. The competition invited middle school students from across the nation to identify an everyday problem and submit a short video communicating the science behind their solution.
"It's so crazy, it's so surreal to even think about it right now!" he told FOX 5. He said he was drawn to the competition to work on a fun science project but quickly realized that it gave him a platform for his creativity and innovation.
"The most difficult part was probably creating that first prototype," Bekele said. The best was pressing the submit button and seeing all his work finally come together.