Photo: vovashevchuk / iStock / Getty Images
Heman Bekele is a 9th grader at W.T. Woodson High School in Annandale, Virginia.
Heman is passionate about science and research -- and discovered that people in the U.S. have a much higher recovery rate when dealing with skin cancer, compared to people in sub-Saharan Africa.
Heman wanted to change this -- and improve the lives of people in sub-Saharan Africa -- so he created a bar of soap that can treat skin cancer.
His work on this soap resulted in him winning the award -- "America’s Top Young Scientist."
Heman collected a $25,000 prize, which is great. But the effects of his breakthrough could last for years as he has plans to create a nonprofit group that will distribute this low-cost solution to communities in need all around the world.