TSL 2023 International Student Essay Competition Winners!
The theme of the 2023 International Student Essay Competition was GREEN JOBS.
Recognition is growing globally that young people want to work in roles which benefit society and the planet, and work for businesses which are environmentally sustainable. However, research has shown that many young people are unsure know how to turn their passion into careers, and employers are already encountering green skills shortages.
Students (primary age 7-11 and secondary age 12-18) were invited to write an essay outlining their ideas on “How can young people be better supported to thrive in green jobs?”
This year, we received 1,215 essay entries from 65 countries and the top 10 winners were announced at the Awards Ceremony. See the winners below.

Primary Essay Competition Results
Ahel Saha age 9 from King’s College School, Cambridge, UK is the recipient of this year’s first place primary award. Ahel’s essay highlighted several ways to support young people through their learning years through collaboration between school, parents, community, government, charitable organisations and universities. Ideas which impressed the judges included: opportunities to plan and execute green projects in school; extending the curriculum to learn about theories of sustainable living; planning for green jobs, and creation of apprenticeships and taster sessions.
The top prize winners are listed in the table below. See our full list of awards here.
Final Position | Entrant | School/College | Country |
1st | Ahel Saha | King’s College School | United Kingdom |
2nd | Aadhyaa Aravind Shankar | No Name | India |
Joint 3rd | Jeremy Zhang | King’s College School | United Kingdom |
Joint 3rd | Esther Ibukun Oyinboade | Pearl Shore | Nigeria |
4th | Nathan Raenn Hombre | Multiple Intelligence International School | Philippines |
Joint 5th | Hamsini Senthil | International School Seychelles | Seychelles |
Joint 5th | Alina Ryburn | Hartland International School | United Arab Emirates |
6th | Tandie Kimunguyi | Hartland International School | United Arab Emirates |
Joint 7th | Nicholas Zheng | King’s College School | United Kingdom |
Joint 7th | Minh Nhat Anh Tran | Sunshine Maple Bear Elementary School | Vietnam |
Joint 7th | Hiranga Bandara Suraweera | Trinity College | Sri Lanka |
8th | Uyen Nguyen Thai Tran | Sunshine Maple Bear Elementary School | Vietnam |
9th | Gauri Nair | Hartland International School | United Arab Emirates |

Secondary Essay Competition Results
The 1st Prize secondary and overall Grand Prize winner was Alexander Kameoka from Fukuoka International School in Japan. The judges were impressed by Alex’s essay, which focused on removing key barriers faced by young people trying to get green jobs – including lack of capital, lack of skills and lack of knowledge.
Here are the top prize winners for this category.
Final Position | Entrant | School/College | Country |
1st & Grand Prize Winner | Alexander Kameoka | Fukuoka International School | Japan |
2nd | Dhruv Bhatt | Bhartiyam International School | India |
3rd | Azat Syzdykov Samatovich | Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Physics and Mathematics in Astana | Kazakhstan |
4th | Matthew Yik Yu Wong | Private Entry | Hong Kong |
Joint 5th | Noreen Rae Lagrana | Saint Pedro Poveda College | Philippines |
Joint 5th | Michelle Madugba | Jephthah Comprehensive Secondary School | Nigeria |
Joint 5th | Ke Yue New | River Valley High School | Singapore |
6th | Keshma Tvisha Rampersad | Naparima Girls’ High School | Trinidad and Tobago |
7th | Marcela Valeria Boarotto | European School of Alicante | Spain |
8th | Yu Han Long | Private Entry | Singapore |
9th | Navanga Dewmini Dulhara Perera | Horizon College International, Malabe | Sri Lanka |
Joint 10th | Iskra Gnjidic | Vuk Karadzic | Serbia |
Joint 10th | Kayla Safira Azzahra | Binus School Bekasi | Indonesia |