Adama Borway, a young Sierra Leonean student and advocate, and founder of the She-Empowerment League, has been named among the Top 10 finalists for the Global Student Prize 2025, awarded by Chegg.org.

She-Empowerment League has empowered 500+ girls across 14 communities with skills, education, and leadership opportunities. Adama is a child rights advocate and the first female President of Kono’s Children’s Forum Network, she has championed child marriage bans and continues to fight for gender equity.
From gracing the cover of Books To Africa Magazine as a teenager, to being featured in The Africa Report, Adama’s story has been one of resilience and determination. Now, she joins the ranks of the world’s most outstanding students.
This award, now in its fifth year, recognises the extraordinary achievements of young change-makers from around the world. The Chegg.org Global Student Prize of $100,000 will be given to one exceptional student who has made a real impact on learning, the lives of their peers and society at large. The finalists have been chosen from almost 11,000 applications from 148 countries across the globe.
Adama was once a debate champion and best science student in secondary school, but her education was forced to pause for nearly seven years. Many thought her academic journey had ended. Yet, during that break, she continued to read, save money, and give back to her community through advocacy for education and girls’ empowerment.
Speaking after the announcement, Adama described the moment as “a massive comeback in the history of education as I know it.”
Her recognition is not only about personal victory but also about her project, which is designed to support other students in Sierra Leone with realistic and scalable solutions. Through her work, she has led initiatives to inspire girls to stay in school, mentored young people, and used her voice to highlight the challenges of access to education in the country.
Adama’s journey shows that setbacks can lead to remarkable comebacks. She is now an inspiration for many young Sierra Leoneans and beyond, proving that it is never too late to rise again.