Gerardo Murga

Gerardo’s first great achievement was in the fifth grade of elementary school, when he made a speech on the changes needed in the school system so that children could have access to a more well-rounded education. With that speech, he won a trip to Mexico City to represent his delegation in the Chamber of Deputies, also meeting the former president Peña Nieto. At that moment, Gerardo was inspired to start working for a better Mexico and a better world. Today, he believes that education is the solution, and wants to use all his talents to improve education and make it accessible for everyone.

As a result of that early success, Gerardo has developed into a precocious speaker, winning several public speaking competitions and competing to an advanced level in mathematics competitions such as the Alexander Grothendieck math contest and the Concurso Internacional de Ciencias 2022. In 2022, he was named a Rise Global Winner – an award given to 100 young changemakers from all over the world who are working towards solving humanity's most pressing problems. As part of the Rise Global Winners community, Gerardo has founded and co-led the Latin America Union of Winners (called “ULatam”) with seven countries currently involved. Its goal is to provide the Latin American Rise Winners with the tools and resources to develop projects that will improve quality of life for Latin American citizens and provide opportunities to young students. Additionally, the organization aims to encourage collaboration and create a shared sense of identity within the region.

Not only has Gerardo been invited to coach and mentor students for the "Persuasive Speech” competition in his middle school (Secundaria Tec de Monterrey), but he has also organized conferences and events in collaboration with Rise for the World, Tec de Monterrey, Fundación BBVA, and the Municipal Institute of Culture. In 2023, Gerardo created his first app, Lectus XP – a new way to make quality education more accessible to children. With short, fun readings, students consider and interpret different passages, as well as responding to questions that require analysis and critical thinking to answer. The app congratulates them every time a level is completed, and there are multiple levels to try.

If Gerardo wins the Global Student Prize, he will use the prize funds to create a new non-profit organization that provides free online English courses to young students, as well as offering them various development opportunities. With the resources of the Global Student Prize, this new organization could have a real and immediate impact in Latin America. In addition to this, he plans to invest in development and outreach for his educational app, Lectus XP. Further development of the app would encourage children to enjoy reading and allow thousands to reap the benefits.