THREE CORK TEENAGERS whose incredible science achievements include scooping the grand prize at the Google Science Fair – not to mention the BT Young Scientist Award – have been named among the world’s most influential teens.
Ciara Judge, Sophia Healy-Thow and Émer Hickey, who are fifth year students at Kinsale Community School in Cork, have won a slew of awards for their project on how natural bacteria could combat world hunger.
TIME magazine named the students as among the 25 most influential teenagers of 2014 – and they’re in good and varied company.
“It was a complete surprise,” Hickey said this morning. “I hadn’t heard anything about it.”
Also in the list are Sasha and Malia Obama, daughters of US president Barack; transgender activist Jazz Jennings; Nash Grier, the ‘King of Vine’; Modern Family star Rico Rodriquez; musician Lorde; golfer Lydia Ko; and teen activist and Nobel winner Malala Yousafzai.
“The people that were on the list were people we’d know from seeing them on TV and movies,” laughed Hickey.
“Obviously Malala – that’s an honour to be on a list with her,” she said.
She said she believes the Google Science Fair helped to boost the trio’s profile abroad. It also helps to show that teenagers can make a positive contribution to society.
“There’s sometimes negativity about teens, so it’s exciting to see a few good things,” said Hickey about the list.
The three students have been inundated with interviews since their recent win, and have been trying to arrange them around their studies. “It just slots in with the normal things that happen,” said the down-to-earth Hickey, who is getting ready to sit three exams this week in school.
Hickey told TheJournal.ie last month that their work on using bacteria to help grow crops is continuing, including some small field trials near their homes in Kinsale.
TIME said it “analysed social-media followings, cultural accolades, business acumen and more to determine this year’s list”.
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