Here is some good news. Great news, actually, and we all need it:
ICYMI: A 14 year old Fairfax County high school student was recently named America's Top Young Scientist! He invented a bar of soap aimed at fighting skin cancer: https://t.co/bxUQ63Uoxg @nbcwashington @fcpsnews @DiscoveryEd @3M
— Aimee Cho (@AimeeCho4) October 16, 2023
Heman Bekele, a freshman at Woodson High School in Northern Virginia, spent his summer break working to cure cancer.
He was named “America’s Top Young Scientist” for creating a bar of soap designed to fight low-grade skin cancer.
“I wanted to try to find a way for the entire world to be able to have an equitable and accessible form of skin cancer treatment,” Bekele said.
The 14-year-old calls it skin cancer-treating soap, or SCTS. for short. The soap replenishes the skin with dendritic cells, which help protect the skin and fight cancer. Bekele said that after getting a prescription, the soap can be applied to the skin every couple of days and then one will start to see progress.
Before making the soap, he reached out to University of Virginia professors to help with research. After developing the soap, Bekele entered Discovery Education’s 3M Young Scientist Challenge in St. Paul, Minnesota to compete. Out of nine students, he won the top prize of $25,000 and was named America’s Top Young Scientist.
What a remarkable young man.
VA TEEN CURING CANCER: So impressive! At just 14, Heman Bekele has invented a soap bar designed to treat skin cancer. He was just named America's Top Young Scientist + won $25K in a @DiscoveryEd @3M contest. He's a freshman at @WTWoodsonHS. Story at 5/6 pm @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/tCwTOsx0Mv
— Aimee Cho (@AimeeCho4) October 12, 2023
Recommended
Bekele deserves the prize and the accolades.
You've GOT to watch this story. I love our young people who are helping to change the world! @nbcwashington @AimeeCho4 https://t.co/RD4a9ggRVM
— Tony Perkins (@TonyPerkinsFMTV) October 12, 2023
He's going to make a big impact. The American Cancer Society says there are 5.4 million basal and squamous cell cancer diagnoses annually, impacting about 3.3 million Americans (some are diagnosed with multiple basal/squamous cell cancers at the same time). Melanoma, which this soap targets, is diagnosed about 100,000 times per year, more often in men than women.
Congratulations to 9th grade @WTWCavalry student Heman Bekele, who was named “America’s Top Young Scientist" and won $25,000 to help complete his research on a soap that may one day help treat skin cancer!
— Fairfax County Parents Association (@FFXParentsAssoc) October 12, 2023
https://t.co/CtQ7zS43D1
The kudos kept coming.
Congratulations to the 2023 3M #YoungScientist Challenge winner, Heman Bekele! 🏆🎉 He developed Melanoma Treating Soap (MTS), a compound-based bar of soap designed to treat skin cancer. #3Mer https://t.co/CiRyLqmVP4 pic.twitter.com/lH9zW2k09D
— RandyMorgan (@RandyMo01933793) October 12, 2023
3M, the sponsor of the contest, also congratulated Bekele
Congratulations to the 2023 3M #YoungScientist Challenge winner, Heman Bekele! 🏆 He developed Melanoma Treating Soap, a compound-based bar of soap designed to treat skin cancer. We're proud of all the finalists who are bringing science to life through curiosity and innovation! pic.twitter.com/4rOvzBkJli
— 3M (@3M) October 11, 2023
From 3M's announcement of the finalists:
3M (@3M) and Discovery Education (@DiscoveryEd) today announced the 2023 3M Young Scientist Challenge (#YoungScientist) top 10 finalists. As the nation's premier middle school science competition, the annual 3M Young Scientist Challenge invites students in grades 5-8 to compete for an exclusive mentorship with a 3M scientist, a $25,000 grand prize, and the chance to earn the title of "America's Top Young Scientist."
This year's finalists – fourteen students ranging in age from 11-14 – identified an everyday problem in their community or the world and submitted a one- to two-minute video communicating the science behind their solution. An esteemed and diverse group of judges, including 3M scientists and leaders in education from across the country, evaluated entries based on creativity, scientific knowledge, and communication effectiveness. The competition event will take place from October 9-10, 2023, at the 3M Innovation Center in Minneapolis.
Incredible innovation! Congrats to Heman Bekele - the future is bright! 😎 #YoungScientist
— Science Olympiad (@SOAlumniNetwork) October 16, 2023
The future is very bright.
Congrats to Heman Bekele and all the finalists on a job well done.
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