Subscribe to trusted local news
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
- Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
05
Nov 2021
Harrogate student wins global competition for young leaders
Harrogate student Thomas Grattoni-May has been named as one of 100 global winners of a programme launched by Eric Schmidt, the billionaire former chief executive of Google, to identify exceptional young people who help others.
More than 50,000 15-17-year-olds entered the Rise Challenge, which aims to find young people with the potential to tackle the planet’s most pressing challenges.
Thomas’ 'big idea' was a global speech and language therapy app for stammerers who have limited access to support.
Thomas, 17, who is in Year 13 at Harrogate independent school Ashville College, has a stammer himself and has been a vocal advocate for the charity Action for Stammering Children. He hopes to bring together charities across the globe to share resources and expertise.
As a winner of the competition, Thomas will receive a lifetime of personalised support. This includes free tuition to any accredited university and a fully funded invitation to an annual three-week summit of winners. This is combined with access to careers advice, mentoring, and access to further funding in a package that could exceed $500,000 in value.
Thomas said:
Read more:
- Harrogate student stars in second series of All Creatures Great and Small
- Harrogate Spring Water ends sponsorship with Yorkshire County Cricket
Through his application, Thomas submitted 14 video responses to various challenges, and spent more than 50 hours developing his big idea. After being shortlisted in May, the 17-year-old participated in a series of gruelling interviews.
Steven Gauge, chief executive of Action for Stammering Children, of which Thomas is a youth panel member, said:
Ashville College head Rhiannon Wilkinson said it was a "remarkable achievement", adding:
0