Bien Hecho: Teenage Scientist Named To Forbes List

While most 17-year-old high school kids are worried about passing their science courses, young prodigy Javier Fernández-Han could be teaching the classes.

Recently named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list, Fernández-Han latest achievement is discovering a way to make algae digest sewage and covert it into methane as use for fuel.

The son of Mexican and Chinese immigrants, Fernández-Han has been featured in Popular Science as one of the nation’s top high-school inventors. In a video interview, he claims that he was motivated to make a change after visiting a 2005 World Expo in Japan, seeing a mock-refugee camp put on by Doctor’s Without Borders, and feeling “shocked” by discovering how 90% of the world lives in poverty.

While he’s not busy saving the world through his scientific experiments, Fernández-Han is working to develop the non-profit organization he founded at age 14, Inventors Without Borders, or giving talks alongside his father at TEDx events.

Spread the word! Our weekly Bien Hecho segment, highlights the good deeds and achievements of Latinos across the U.S. If you feel that someone you know is deserving of recognition, let us know at tips@newstaco.com. Thanks this week to Arturo for the tip!