Poles among the best in the world. A true inspiration

“A few minutes ago, three Polish students were included in the list of the 50 best students in the world according to the Global Student Prize. Three! This is the first such case in history. Only five laureates were selected from all of Europe, including three from Poland!” announced Dr. Maciej Kawecki, who promotes Polish scientists on social media.

The list of the 50 best students was announced by the Varkey Foundation, which is, together with Chegg.org, the organizer of the Global Student Prize. The awarded Poles are Martyna Łuszczek, Mikołaj Wolanin and Marcelina Maciąg.

Nicholas Wolanin

Mikołaj Wolanin (born 2002) is the president of the Foundation for Student Rights, which he founded in 2019 based on the permission of the family court. He needed such permission because he would have been a minor at the time. Mikołaj is also the chairman of the Main Committee of the Student Rights Knowledge Olympiad, in which over 700 people from all over Poland signed up in the school year that has just ended, the representative of the Foundation at Child Rights Connect in Geneva – an organization that provides substantive support for the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, as well as a member of the Team for Student Rights and Obligations at the Ministry of National Education.

Mikołaj Wolanin is also active in science. He wrote his first article in the first year of high school and it was published in the renowned magazine “Palestra”. During the second year of high school, he wrote his first book – Student’s Rights. Currently, Mikołaj has 14 scientific publications to his credit, including 2 monographs. The 22-year-old studies law at the University of Warsaw and canon law at the Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw.

Marcelina Maciąg

Marcelina Maciąg is the chairwoman of the youth regional assembly of the Mazovian province and the originator of the Niebieska Skrzyczka campaign. This is an element of psychological help for young people.

– The project aims to create a space where every student can anonymously express their concerns, problems, ask for help or indicate that someone needs such help. Blue Boxes will be hung in schools, in a safe, if possible isolated place, where students will be able to post anonymous messages asking for support or information about difficult situations that they or their peers are struggling with – says Marcelina about the project she coordinates.

The Blue Boxes are also intended to help school teachers who, after analysing the notes placed in them, will know what problems young people from their schools are struggling with, will keep their finger on the pulse and will be able to react quickly in the event of a crisis.

A few months ago, the student became the Ambassador of the Young Generation of Poland in the “Leader of the Young Generation” category.

“It is a great honour for me to be a laureate and receive an award from the Chancellery of the Prime Minister and the Council for Dialogue with the Young Generation. This is an award that sums up my commitment to youth. Last year alone, I organised, co-created, participated in and supported over 60 youth initiatives promoting youth activation, mental health and kindness. I also worked with great commitment as Chairwoman of the Youth Regional Assembly of the Mazowieckie Province. It will soon be a year since I started my term in the Regional Assembly and I am managing the work of 51 councillors,” she wrote on social media after receiving the award.

Martyna Luszczek

Martyna Łuszczek from Podkarpacie was on the list of “25 under 25” (twenty-five most influential people under the age of twenty-five) prepared by Forbes and McKinsey & Company in March last year. She was the youngest person on the list, which enjoys interest all over the world.

A 20-year-old student at the Kozminski University in Warsaw is a laureate of the E(x)plory 2021 competition; she co-created a device for collecting and utilizing microplastics in water bodies. Honored by the Perspektywy Foundation in the TOP 100 Women in AI 2022 ranking. Author of numerous scientific publications on economic topics.