Coral Lisbeth Guareño Sánchez

Coral, a dynamic 17-year-old from the Dominican Republic, is redefining what it means to lead with courage, creativity, and conviction. Raised in a modest household where her parents ran a small cigar factory, Coral’s earliest lessons came not from textbooks, but from watching people create with their hands – and sacrifice to support a family. It was here that she first

encountered what she calls the three “C”s that shaped her life: Change, Confusion, and, ultimately, Comprehension.

Although once silenced by a teacher who told her she talked too much, Coral reclaimed her voice through curiosity. She entered her first Model United Nations at age 12 and never looked back. Since then, she has won national and international awards at MUN conferences , trained over 500 delegates, and now serves as president of her district’s Educational Leadership Club. She was also recognized by the Dominican Ministry of Youth as one of the top three high school academic profiles in the country through the National Youth Award.

In 2023, Coral was selected as one of 10 Dominican students to participate in NASA’s “She is Astronaut” program. At the Johnson Space Center, where she presented a clean water innovation using sensor-equipped fleets to monitor and treat water in remote communities— earning her a spot among the top finalists in the NASA Shark Tank Challenge. She has since collaborated on biopolymer research with Latin American peers and placed second in an international rocket-building competition.

Coral’s commitment to youth empowerment goes far beyond her own achievements. She co- founded leadership and STEAM clubs at her school, launched a student newspaper, and tutors others in these areas. She is currently working with her municipality to launch a youth leadership lab – a civic innovation space that will train Dominican youth in teamwork, decision-making, and community action.

She has overcome systemic educational inequality, limited access to learning resources, and financial hardship. Where others saw obstacles, Coral found opportunities: she taught herself astronomy through free online courses, formed peer learning collectives, and helped create safe learning spaces for underserved youth.

If Coral won the Global Student Prize, she plans to expand her leadership and STEM initiatives in rural Dominican regions, sponsor student participation in innovation challenges, and amplify the reach of astronomy and robotics clubs across the Caribbean.

Her message is simple but profound: Even in silence, a spark can grow. And when you embrace change and confusion with curiosity and courage, you create the kind of comprehension that leads to lasting change – for yourself, and for your community.