Virginia ninth-grader Heman Bekele has been honored as "America’s Top Young Scientist" for his remarkable invention of a low-cost soap that can treat skin cancer. The 14-year-old earned the honor through a competition held by 3M Corporation and Discovery Education, renowned as one of the nation's leading middle school science contests.
Over the course of four months, Heman competed against nine other finalists to earn the title of "America's Top Young Scientist." Under the guidance of his mentor, 3M product engineer Deborah Isabelle, Heman developed a compound-based bar of soap that can treat melanoma, a common skin cancer that kills thousands of people every year. His revolutionary invention only costs about 50 cents to produce and promises to stop many preventable deaths.
Beyond the recognition, Heman will also receive a $25-thousand cash prize. He hopes to become an electrical engineer one day, but in the next few years, he plans to refine his cancer-fighting soap and establish a non-profit to distribute it to communities where it will have the most benefit.
Source: USA TODAY