We are excited to share that ChallengeUS and our co-founder, Brandon Tran, was recently spotlighted by the University of Southern California for our innovative work empowering high school and college students through academic competitions. As a nonprofit, ChallengeUS is dedicated to elevating youth voices and giving students the tools to tackle real-world problems. Our platform offers competitions that help participants hone critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills, while also providing scholarships to exceptional candidates around the world.

Guided by his personal and professional experience as a first-generation student, Brandon launched ChallengeUS as a commitment to help level the playing field. We believe that students from all backgrounds, irrespective of socioeconomic status, should have access to opportunities that help them grow and make an impact. Through competitions like speech and essay contests, we’re creating a space where students can showcase their talents, connect with like-minded peers, and develop solutions and insights to global challenges.

But this is just the beginning. While our initial focus has been on speech and essay competitions, we are actively working to broaden the range of opportunities. Our future plans and ambitions revolve around broadening our competitive offerings to include a greater range of academic disciplines while also enlarging our scholarship prize pool. In short, we hope to engage more and more students through increasingly innovative ways, all while awarding bigger and bigger scholarships.

One of our core goals is to provide meaningful scholarships to competition winners. We aim to award significant financial support, so that winning a ChallengeUS competition isn’t just a mark of prestige but also a meaningful boost to a student’s educational journey, thereby empowering the next generation of leaders to continue their education and make a real difference in the world.

At the heart of ChallengeUS is our belief in the power of exchanging ideas. Students not only compete but learn from one another. The platform is designed to foster connections across geographic and social boundaries, creating a global network of young thinkers who are committed to solving the world’s most pressing issues.

Thanks to the support of the USC Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab and other mentors, we’ve been able to grow ChallengeUS and refine our mission. We are continuously seeking additional support through donations and grants to expand our reach and impact. The funds we raise will directly support our competitions, scholarships, and programming, all of which are designed to give students a platform to shine. We are excited about what’s next for ChallengeUS.

This spring, we’re launching our inaugural round of competitions, and we look forward to engaging more students from around the globe. We’re grateful for USC’s recognition and for all of the individuals and organizations that have supported us on this journey. Together, we can unlock the potential of students everywhere, giving them the tools, resources, and opportunities to create real, lasting change.

Stay tuned for updates, and join us in building a future where students’ ideas and talents can make a global impact!