The scholarship hunt she stopped keeping to herself

"Most of my work starts with curiosity," Zulfa says. Most of her free time goes into searching for opportunities that can help students grow beyond their local environment.

She is a high school graduate from India, of Doon Public Senior Secondary School. Over the last year she has spent countless hours researching scholarships, conferences, fellowships, internships and youth programs. "At first, I was doing it for myself because I wanted to study abroad and build a global career," she says. "But as I learned more, I started sharing these opportunities with other students who often didn't know they existed."

“Curiosity opened the door; courage taught me to walk through it.”

Zulfa

She cares about this, she says, because she knows how difficult it can be to find the right information without mentors, connections or access to expensive guidance. "Many talented students never apply for life-changing opportunities simply because they don't know where to look."

So she passes on what she finds. She shares opportunities with friends and with other students she comes across, and encourages them to apply even when they feel uncertain.

Alongside school, she takes part in youth initiatives, leadership programs and research-related activities. She was accepted to the HPAIR Asia Conference, an acceptance to the conference. That, she says, showed her that "students from ordinary backgrounds can reach international spaces".

She is also developing her own skills. Right now that means leadership skills, improving her English and Korean, taking part in research projects, and helping other students discover opportunities they might otherwise miss.

"The work I'm doing is still growing," she says. She hopes to build a global career while continuing to help students access opportunities that may otherwise seem out of reach.

"I believe talent exists everywhere, but opportunities do not always reach everyone equally. That is something I want to help change."