2025 High School Winners

Sophia Swink, a 10th grader, and Owen Yang, an 11th grader, both attend Elizabethton High School and collaborated on their submission to the World of 8 Billion video contest. Owen first learned about the contest through his biology teacher, Mrs. Hilton, and recruited Sophia to help with the voiceover. “We chose to submit a video because it was a fun project that we were interested in.” While scrolling through social media, Owen came across a post discussing how a significant amount of medicine originates from rainforest plants, which inspired their topic choice. Sophia, who is interested in healthcare, was intrigued by how the rainforest ties into medicine.

Before creating their video, both Owen and Sophia had a basic understanding of deforestation and its connection to population growth, but they were surprised by the extent of its consequences. “Sophia and I were surprised about the effects and the extent that deforestation causes, and how much of our lives it affects.” For the video, Owen handled the animations and visuals, using Canva to create the project. Sophia voiced the script and found it difficult to fit everything into the 60-second limit. “I talk a lot,” she said, explaining she had to re-record her part several times to get it right.

They both offered valuable advice for future participants. Sophia emphasized the importance of working with a good teammate, while Owen shared, “If you’re gonna do anything, do it the best you can—if you don’t like it, why do it?”

Outside the classroom, both Owen and Sophia are heavily involved in their school’s band program—Sophia plays the flute, while Owen plays the euphonium, sings, and plays jazz piano. Sophia also plays soccer, is active in Future Farmers of America (FFA), and loves plants—especially succulents. Owen enjoys a variety of hobbies, including basketball and solving Rubik’s Cubes (which he can do in under eight seconds), He’s also involved in clubs like Science Bowl and Key Club, where he volunteers.

Both students are inspired by their families—Sophia by her mom, a family doctor who goes on medical mission trips, and Owen by his parents, who immigrated from China and instilled a deep appreciation for opportunity in him. Among their achievements, Owen is a PSAT National Merit qualifier, made All-State for band in both his sophomore and junior years, and is a National Honor Society member. Sophia has been named Most Outstanding Player in band for four consecutive years and was recognized as the Outstanding FFA Freshman. Together, they also contributed to the State Division 2 Band Championship.

Looking ahead, Owen is considering a future in the sciences, with hopes of attending Vanderbilt University and possibly majoring in biology. Sophia plans to study veterinary medicine at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Both are eager to continue expanding their knowledge and creative skills, with plans to re-enter the contest next year.