2025 High School Winners

Noelle Kim is a 12th-grade student at Fairmont Preparatory Academy in Anaheim, California. As she began applying for college scholarships, she discovered the World of 8 Billion video contest and was drawn to tackling the challenge of connecting climate change and sanitation. With a passion for both science and storytelling, Noelle saw it as the perfect opportunity to express herself and learn more about how population growth impacts sanitation.

Noelle chose sanitation as her topic after spending the past year studying climate change as part of her school’s Academic Decathlon team. While much of her past research focused on environmental consequences, she became intrigued by the human and social dimensions of the sanitation crisis. “It was eye-opening,” she recalls. “So many people globally still lack access to basic sanitation, and some of the most promising solutions—like composting toilets and rainwater harvesting—aren’t actually that expensive or technologically complicated.”

Inspired to spread awareness, Noelle used Procreate and animation techniques she taught herself while entering other science-based video contests, such as the Breakthrough Junior Challenge. The biggest challenge, she says, was distilling so much critical information into just one minute while keeping it visually engaging. She notes the importance of individual action as a solution in addition to collective change.

Noelle has a strong background in both independent and team-based video production through school science projects and competitions. She’s a four-time Orange County Academic Decathlon scholarship winner and has competed nationally twice. She also co-led a student team in the Conrad Challenge, Diamond Challenge, and UCLA Innovation Showcase, where they proposed sustainable aerospace technologies designed to prevent ice buildup in space.

Outside the classroom, Noelle’s interests are just as dynamic. She’s a fan of horror films, enjoys going to DIY metal music shows at local venues, and loves discovering new sub-genres in music. She credits her sophomore-year biology teacher, Ms. Lesley, as one of her biggest inspirations—someone who encouraged her to take initiative in learning beyond the classroom and has been a strong advocate for women and minorities in STEM fields.

After high school, Noelle will be attending Caltech to pursue a degree in aerospace engineering. She’s excited to get involved in research and development, particularly in efforts to make the aerospace industry more sustainable. While her academic future is rooted in science and innovation, she remains committed to using video and digital media as a tool to translate complex issues into accessible knowledge. “Art and outreach are a necessary bridge between scientific knowledge and public awareness,” she says.