Time's 2024 Kid of the Year: 15-year-old cancer warrior creates soap to fight skin cancer.

Time Magazine's 2024 Kid of the Year: Celebrating Diversity, Innovation, and Activism

https://time.com/collection/kid-of-the-year-2024/

Time Magazine has named 15-year-old scientist and innovator Heman Bekele from Annandale, Virginia, as its 2024 Kid of the Year. Bekele created a soap with the potential to revolutionize skin cancer treatment, showcasing an incredible talent that will impact countless lives.

"It’s absolutely incredible to think that one day my bar of soap will be able to make a direct impact on somebody else’s life," Bekele told Time. "That’s the reason I started this in the first place."

The young scientist was previously recognized as America's Top Young Scientist by 3M and Discovery Education in 2023, affirming his remarkable contribution to the field of medicine.

Time also honored five other inspiring young change-makers:

• Shanya Gill (https://time.com/6996549/shanya-gill/) is a 13-year-old inventor from San Jose, California, who created a device to prevent unattended cooking fires, the leading cause of house fires.
• Madhvi Chittoor (https://time.com/6996559/madhvi-chittoor/) is a 12-year-old advocate from Arvada, Colorado. She has been fighting against the use of harmful "forever chemicals" (PFAs) and successfully influenced state-level policy change.
• Jordan Sucato (https://time.com/6996555/jordan-sucato/) is a 15-year-old advocate from Phoenix, Arizona, protecting the pets of unhoused individuals from extreme heat by providing boots and resources to shield their paws.
• Keivonn Woodard is an 11-year-old deaf actor from Bowie, Maryland. He is an Emmy-nominated performer, aiming to increase deaf representation on screen.
• Dom Pecora is a 15-year-old entrepreneur from Malvern, Pennsylvania (not Hyperlinked in source text, direct URL: https://time.com/6996562/dom-pecora/). He opened his first storefront, Dom Fixes Bikes, raising money to provide bikes to children in need, fulfilling his belief that everyone should have the opportunity to ride a bike.

These incredible young people are proof that age is just a number when it comes to making a difference. They serve as an inspiration to all, challenging us to address issues in our communities and showcasing the power of innovation and activism.