The Outstanding Student Panel Members!
Jonas Prehn
AI & Tech lead
About Jonas Jonas is a German student studying in Dubai with a keen interest in computer science, cybersecurity, mathematics and physics — outside class, he's often exploring networks, ethical hacking, football or gaming. As Vice Chair of his school's Digital Council, he's helped shape student conversations around technology and online learning. Jonas believes education needs to catch up with the pace of digital change: more project-based learning, real digital skills, and responsible, informed use of AI. He joined the Outstanding Futures Programme to build his leadership and communication skills while helping push for safer, smarter, more practical tech education for students everywhere.
Yahya Muhammad
AI & Tech Lead
About Yahya Yahya is a student with interests spanning Math, Physics, football and Muay Thai — he plays at national inter-school level and represents Saudi Arabia in local combat clubs. A Sustainability School Ambassador with TASS and a student council member, he has represented his school at WFUNA in Geneva and studied policy writing at CIIP. Fluent in English, German, Urdu and Arabic, he's led MUN conferences, football teams and hosted major school events. Yahya is especially passionate about closing the gap between how fast the digital world moves and how slowly education adapts — and hopes to champion AI, technology, sustainability and global citizenship through the programme.
Sustainability lead
Hailey Barnard
About Hailey Hailey is an IB Diploma student, originally from South Africa, with a passion for science, sustainability and leadership. President of her school's Sustainability Council in Grade 11, she has led mangrove restoration, recycling drives and campaigns on food waste, wildlife and children's rights — work that helped her school become the first in the Middle East to earn UN Social Impact Silver Accreditation. A scuba diver, she also volunteers on coral reef restoration with Freestyle Divers in Fujairah. Hailey hopes to pursue biomedical science and pharmacology, and joined the programme to bring a student-led lens to sustainability and leadership in schools.
Sustainability lead
Bella Rai
About Bella Bella is the host of The Greenius Podcast, a sustainability show for kids featuring conversations with conservationists, educators and changemakers from organisations like National Geographic, Soneva and Kids Against Plastic — two seasons and 20 episodes in, and counting. She's passionate about sustainability, student wellbeing and public speaking, and believes the skills that matter most — confidence, resilience, creativity, emotional intelligence — rarely show up on a report card. Growing up in the generation that inherited "climate crisis" as a household phrase, Bella wants education that makes students curious about the world rather than just stressed about it. She joined the Outstanding Futures Programme because students are the ones actually living the future everyone keeps talking about — so it's about time they got a seat at the table.