Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2025 Winner

Introducing Adarsh Kumar, the winner of the $100,000 Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2025

Adarsh Kumar, an 18-year-old innovator from Bihar, India, who grew up in poverty and left home at 14 to pursue a better education, has been named the winner of the Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2025, a $100,000 award given to one exceptional student that has made a real impact on learning, the lives of their peers and on society beyond.

He was selected from almost 11,000 nominations and applications from 148 countries around the world. Adarsh, a student at Jayshree Periwal International School, accepted the award in London, UK.

Adarsh's Impact

Born in Champaran, Bihar, with no stable electricity and limited internet access, Adarsh Kumar was raised by a single mother who cleaned homes to fund his education. When she spent her life savings on a laptop, it became his gateway to possibility. Through YouTube and Google, he taught himself coding, start-up skills, and entrepreneurship.

At just 13, he launched the non-profit Mission Badlao with his sister-in-law, mobilising his community and achieving real change, including securing land for a new government school, facilitating 2,000+ COVID vaccinations, distributing menstrual health products, and planting 3,000 trees.

Determined to break barriers, he left home on his own at 14 with only 1,000 Rupees ($10) and headed to Kota, hundreds of miles away, in pursuit of coaching for the Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Examination.

Unable to afford the coaching, he camped out in libraries, using free Wi-Fi to cold-email mentors, land internships, and shadow start-up founders. These experiences became the foundation of Skillzo, a transformative platform launched in 2023, equipping underserved high school students with mentorship, entrepreneurship training, and real-world opportunities. By designing tailored courses and sourcing industry experts aligned with students’ ambitions, he built more than just a programme – he built a launchpad for futures. In just over two years, Skillzo has already empowered over 20,000 students, many of whom have gone on to earn scholarships, launch ventures, and win national awards. At its core, Skillzo is about giving young people the tools, confidence, and connections they need to shape their own destinies.

Adarsh independently sat for his Grade 10 board exams which allowed him to win a full scholarship to Jayshree Periwal International School in Rajasthan, one India’s best IB schools, worth 30 lakh Rupees. Here, he helped three other students secure the same life-changing support. As CMO of Bihar Chhatra Sansad, the state’s largest student-led policy forum, he has engaged 1,500+ youth in governance and raised $36,000 for student initiatives.

Internationally, he was named the youngest Google Youth Advisor, joining 52 global leaders shaping technology policy.

Nathan Schultz, Chief Executive Officer and President of Chegg, Inc, who presented Adarsh with the trophy, said:

“At Chegg, we celebrate the ideas, passion, and courage of students who are shaping a better future for us all. Adarsh’s story is more than a personal triumph – it is a powerful symbol of the courage and grit of young changemakers everywhere, whose voices deserve to be heard and whose stories can inspire the world. Their stories remind us of the extraordinary impact students can have when they are given the support and platform to act on their vision.”

The Global Student Prize

Chegg.org partnered with the Varkey Foundation to launch the Global Student Prize in 2021, a sister award to its $1 million Global Teacher Prize. It was established to create a powerful platform that shines a light on the efforts of extraordinary students everywhere who, together, are reshaping our world for the better. The prize is open to all students who are at least 16 years old and enrolled in an academic institution or training and skills program. Part-time students as well as students enrolled in online courses are also eligible for the prize.

Students applying for the Chegg.org Global Student Prize were assessed on their academic achievement, impact on their peers, how they make a difference in their community and beyond, how they overcome the odds to achieve, how they demonstrate creativity and innovation, and how they operate as global citizens. The winner was selected from the top 10 finalists by the Global Student Prize Academy, made up of prominent individuals.