Adam El Rafey is that kid.

The kid your parents refer to when they’re lecturing you after you bring home a D on your report card. He’s the example and rightly so. 

At age 11, Rafey has been named among a list of top 25 change-makers in the future under 25 from around the world. This list was compiled by Future Minds Network, an Australian organisation that helps young people learn 21st century skills to enter the workforce. 

The Egyptian student is in Year 7 at Jumeirah English Speaking School and is the only name on the list from the Middle East, among global innovators, activists, entrepreneurs and change makers. 

Rafey is an advanced learner and one of the youngest TEDx speakers in the world, having taken the TEDx stage when he was only 8. He advocates for a reform of the education system and believes that syllabus in the modern world need to be more practical and real-world based.