STARMUS VIII Names Valeria Corrales and Aneeshwar Kunchala Junior Laureates

Valeria Corrales, a student at the Georgia Institute of Technology, began her advocacy at age ten by co-founding the educational platform ValPat. Her work has since evolved into a significant Spanish-language resource, boasting over 240,000 subscribers and providing remote STEM education during the pandemic. Her recognition follows a track record that includes being named among Forbes Spain's 23 Changemakers and reaching the finals of the Global Student Prize.

Aneeshwar Kunchala, just eleven years old, has become a prominent voice for wildlife conservation. His commitment began at age four, triggered by the impact of plastic pollution on marine life. Since then, he has secured three Guinness World Records and contributed to media outlets including the BBC and National Geographic Kids UK. His advocacy emphasizes the urgency of biodiversity protection, summarized by his call to keep the natural world beautiful.

The awards will be presented during the STARMUS VIII festival, held in Tenerife and La Palma from October 17 to 22, 2026. Under the theme The Search for Truth, the event unites global figures in science, space exploration, and the arts to address the role of evidence and reason in modern society.