This week we’re thrilled to spotlight Future Leader of the Year, Adelle Yong. Adelle is a 16-year-old student from Singapore who captured our attention with her idea for diagnosing malaria and common eye diseases with her STEM-powered inventions. She has some world-changing ideas that she’s hoping to bring to life with the help of her mentor, who she was connect with through The Future Leaders Project.
Why did you enter The Future Leaders Project?
I entered The Future Leaders Project because I wanted the chance to reach out to all of the amazing applicants and learn from their incredible leadership. I discovered this opportunity through Hello World and submitted a video entry hoping that I would be one of the few, lucky selected people to be a part of the online experience. I really wanted to be able to work with Ivy House and the other students to further improve not only my communication capabilities but also my ability to present myself with an air of confidence and sophistication. I also really wanted to be a part of their mentorship program and learn under some of the most amazing people in their field.
What did you get from it?
The Future Leaders Project not only gave me wonderful prizes and the opportunity to meet the other amazing people who also participated in the competition, but also taught me the importance of communication. Through listening to Elke’s presentation and tips on how to format and create a well-thought out pitch, I have learned to improve my communication skill sets. I also learned how to give and take criticism as well as the ability to influence.
Why is this learning important?
The skill of communication can allow me to have a bigger impact on the community. I need to be able to communicate my ideas and extend my influence. Learning how to give speeches and present myself in a confident manner in front of a group of people is an imperative life skill that I’m glad I’m getting to establish through The Future Leaders Project.
What’s next for you?
I was introduced to immunologist Dr. Aayesha Hassan who is a National Commissioning Manager at Health Education England through the Future Leaders Project. This mentorship provides me the ability to actually launch my health innovations (the Smart Mobile Labs, the Smart Vision Labs, and the Smart Leukaemia Labs). These innovations involve microscopic attachments on phones to provide diagnoses on blood samples and the human eye. They are able to diagnose blood diseases such as malaria, cancer like leukaemia, and various eye conditions like diabetic retinopathy.
Tell us more about the impact this will have on your community?
I hope to be able to provide quality health care to even the most remote and impoverished regions of the world.
If you want to know more about the Future Leaders Project, or if you know anyone else who can support Adelle with her innovations, please get in touch with rachael@ivyhouse.co.uk.
