Dubai-based Palestinian teen nominated for $100,000 prize for developing mental health app

Dubai: As a first-generation Palestinian student at Al Mawakeb Al Garhoud in Dubai, 17-year-old Dalia Zidan has faced challenges that many of her peers could hardly imagine.

With the school system being grade-level-based rather than ability-based, she had to carve a different path for her classmates, such as enrolling in enrichment programs and taking challenging classes outside the traditional classroom.

“Being a first-gen student has taught me the power of education,” she says. “It also made me want to give back to others who may not have access to a lot of resources.” That desire to help others sparked something bigger than she expected.

Her persistence paid off. A top 10 finalist for the Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2025, Dalia was selected from nearly 11,000 applicants from 148 countries for her work as an aspiring electrical engineer and her efforts to make a difference in STEM and her community.

Chegg.org partnered with the Varkey Foundation to launch the annual Chegg.org Global Student Prize in 2021, a sister award to its $1 million Global Teacher Prize. The intention was to create a new platform to shine a spotlight on students who are reshaping communities and the world through innovation, leadership, and service.

This is a recognition Dalia describes as “a huge surprise” and a push to continue creating change. Speaking to Gulf News following her nomination, Dalia revealed an impressive list of achievements.

Dalia’s journey into innovation began at Empower Hacks 2.0, a hackathon for first-generation, low-income students. Tasked with designing a project to support students like herself, she immediately thought of creating an app for mental health.

“Unfortunately, many first-gen students lack access to mental health resources,” she said. “Many of these resources are often behind the payroll barrier, so a lot of low-income students are not able to gain access to these different mental health materials.”

Her solution? An AI-powered mental health web app designed to make support accessible and affordable.

Dalia knows academic challenges often come with emotional struggles. “First-gen students must advocate for their education and find resources on their own. It’s stressful, and over time it can hurt their mental health and motivation,” she expressed.

Her app offers free, easy-to-access tools to help students protect their well-being while pursuing education.

Balancing academics, leadership roles, and innovation projects isn’t easy, but passion drives her. “I genuinely love learning,” she says. “That’s how I manage everything I do… I truly care about it.

She draws inspiration from Albert Einstein, as well as some professors from the program “World Science Scholars Program” she’s involved with, such as Professor Brian Green and Professor Kon Vaffa, who are professors at Columbia and Harvard University.  She developed a deep passion for science through her love for education, physics, and various math topics.

As a girl in STEM, Dalia hopes to open doors for others: “There is a place for girls in STEM. I want young women to know they can succeed here.”

Her message to students with similar backgrounds is: “Keep going. If you’re really passionate about the things you’re involved in, you’re bound to make a great impact on the world.”

Her story is an inspiring example of how passion and perseverance can lead to significant impact. As Nathan Schultz, President and CEO of Chegg, Inc., stated, her work is "bold, thoughtful, and deeply needed," showing what’s possible when vision, courage, and heart come together.

Meanwhile, Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Varkey Foundation, said, “Congratulations, Dalia, on being a top 10 finalist for the Global Student Prize. Your story is a powerful reminder that education is a vital catalyst for addressing some of the greatest challenges in history – from inequality and climate change to devastating diseases. By investing in learning, technology, and human potential, we can build a future of opportunity, resilience, and compassion.”

The winner will be chosen by the Global Student Prize Academy, a panel of distinguished educators, innovators, and leaders, and is expected to be announced next month.