When Heman Bekele was 6, he got a chemistry set for Christmas. He used it to mix up “potions (魔水).” Back then, only his parents paid attention. Now, in 2024, at 15, Heman is used to a lot more people watching his work.
In October 2023, 3M and Discovery Education named Heman the winner of their Young Scientist Challenge. His prize: $25,000. His accomplishment: inventing a soap that could one day treat and prevent some forms of skin cancer.
It could take years before the soap is available for purchase. But Heman, a 10th grader at Woodson High, is determined. Over the summer, he spent every weekday in a lab at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. When he goes back to school this fall, he’ll be at the lab less often. But he’ll keep adhering to make his dream a reality.
Heman was born in Africa. He remembers seeing people in Africa working in the hot sun without protection for their skin. That made them vulnerable to skin cancer, a disease caused by too much exposure to the sun. Skin-cancer treatments typically cost about $40,000. Heman wondered if there was a more affordable way for people to begin to treat the disease. He thought of adding a skin-cancer medicine called imiquimod to a bar of soap. “What is one thing that everyone can use?” Heman recalls thinking. “Everyone uses soap and water for cleaning. So soap would probably be the best option.”
Heman needed help to bring his idea to life. In 2023, he came across the 3M challenge and submitted a video explaining what he had in mind. Soon, he received an invitation to the company’s headquarters. He spoke in front of a panel of judges. That day, he was named the winner.
Since then, Heman has been working on developing his idea. Adult experts are guiding him. One is Deborah Isabelle, a mentor from 3M. “I got really lucky,” she says. “Last year was my first year participating as a mentor in the Young Scientist Challenge, and I was paired with Heman. He’s an incredible, passionate, very inspiring young man.”
原创编写 版权所有 侵权必究! 每日更新 个性化阅读 英语飙升!