Siti Nur Hanisah Omar Hashim

Siti, a student leader and early childhood education innovator from Sabah, Malaysia, is redefining what it means to be a changemaker in technical and vocational education. As a diploma student at Keningau Vocational College, she has pioneered multiple award-winning social initiatives that address systemic inequalities in access to education, environmental sustainability, and disability inclusion.

A firm believer in educational equity, Siti co-founded The Path Forward, a pioneering programme providing free Malaysian University English Test (MUET) tutorials to vocational students. While MUET is required for university entry in Malaysia, it is not part of the vocational curriculum. Siti secured funding, sourced resources, and rallied teachers and peers to bridge this gap – enabling dozens of students to access higher education and transforming the initiative into a permanent college programme.

Her most celebrated project, Mearpet, creatively upcycles preloved clothes and stuffed toys into puppets used in children’s storytelling and early literacy development. The initiative blends environmental sustainability with cultural preservation – showcasing indigenous Sabah folktales through live and recorded puppet shows. Mearpet also provides inclusive opportunities for students with disabilities, who help design, voice, and perform the shows. The project has won national and international awards, including recognition by the Delegation of the EU to ASEAN, the Singapore International Foundation, and Digital Promise.

Siti’s impact extends beyond her college through Virtual, Remote, Live (VRL), an online learning platform she leads that connects thousands of Malaysian students and teachers with international educators through exchange classes, masterclasses, and roundtables. The project builds global citizenship, intercultural skills, and real-world learning – especially for rural and underserved learners, benefitting over 2,500 Malaysian students and teachers since its inception.

As a mentor and social enterprise advocate, Siti has also spearheaded workshops, contests, and peer mentorship schemes to promote upcycling-based innovation. Her leadership has inspired peers to launch award-winning ventures, from corncob scrubbers to fish scale dishes – positioning her college as a hub for youth-led environmental entrepreneurship.

Despite coming from a low-income background and facing social stigma for her choice to pursue vocational education, Siti has turned adversity into advocacy. Her drive is deeply personal: her mother’s community is among the urban poor settlements of Kota Kinabalu, and her two younger brothers are vocational students whose futures she is committed to supporting.

Siti’s vision is now expanding. If she wins the Global Student Prize, she plans to launch a statewide social entrepreneurship competition with microgrants, mentorship, and training for Sabahan youth. She also hopes to scale Mearpet by developing commercial puppet kits and folktale-based educational materials to generate revenue while sustaining impact.

With awards including Most Promising Young Social Entrepreneur by Digital Promise and finalist status in the Global Youth Awards, Siti represents the next generation of inclusive, grassroots leadership. Her work blends creativity, compassion, and systemic change – empowering marginalised communities while celebrating local culture and global connection.