This Dubai Student Turned His Love for Chemistry Into a Global Education Project

Usman’s project didn’t start as a fully-fleshed idea — it began with curiosity. During a summer trip to India, he overheard his childhood friends struggling with chemistry. Their tutor brushed off their questions with, “That’s just how it is.” It wasn’t that they couldn’t learn; it was that no one was encouraging them to ask why.

That moment stuck with him. Back in Dubai, Usman had always been taught to explore and question, to understand why reactions happen, not just memorize that they do. So he decided to do something about it. He began developing a book that would make chemistry simple, visual, and approachable for every kind of learner. It wasn’t about grades or recognition. It was about making science feel human, using analogies, stories, and visuals to spark curiosity.

That idea grew into The Magic of Molecules: a book that reimagines how chemistry can be taught. What began as a few pages of notes evolved into a year-long journey of research, writing, and revision. By the time he graduated high school, Usman had published the book, distributed hundreds of copies across schools in India and the UAE, and even translated it into Spanish to reach students in Latin America.

Here’s how he did it and everything he learned while doing so.

#1: What was high school like for you, and how did it shape your interests?

Usman: High school in Dubai was intense but full of opportunity. I studied in an international school that followed the IB curriculum, which meant the final two years were academically rigorous, but grades 9 and 10 gave me freedom to explore what I loved.

I was doing gymnastics outside of school, leading clubs like Interact and Water for Life, and figuring out which subjects inspired me the most. From the start, I knew I was a STEM person. I loved physics, chemistry, and math.

#2: Why chemistry? What made you gravitate toward it?

Usman: Chemistry always stood out to me because it rewards understanding instead of memorization. I’ve always loved asking why — why elements react, why gases behave a certain way, why equations balance.

During a trip to India, I noticed my childhood friends struggling with chemistry. Their tutor kept saying “That’s just how it is.” It hit me that the issue wasn’t capability, it was that curiosity wasn’t being encouraged.

That’s how The Magic of Molecules began: a way to make science more human.

When I got deeper into the IB Diploma Program, that curiosity grew. I chose to take four Higher Level subjects, Chemistry, Physics, Math, and Economics, which isn’t very common, but I wanted to see how science, logic, and problem solving connected across disciplines.

Chemistry, for me, was at the intersection of everything I enjoyed: numbers, reasoning, and real-world application. It wasn’t just about reactions in a lab, it was about understanding the world at its smallest scale and realizing how those patterns shape everything we see.

#3: How did you actually begin the process of writing the book?

Usman: Once the idea took shape, I treated it like a real research project. I spent months talking to education psychologists, teachers, and even university mentors to understand how students learn best. That’s when I realized the power of analogies.

I wrote every night after school. Each of the seven chapters focused on a different concept, atomic structure, bonding, acids and bases, equilibrium, kinetics, and so on, all rewritten in plain language but still accurate. Every chapter went through multiple drafts. It was meticulous but deeply fulfilling.

#4: How did you handle the funding and logistics?

Usman: Printing and distribution were massive learning curves. My parents were my first supporters and they helped with early printing costs. My school connected me to local NGOs and educational networks.

Through those partnerships, I distributed a few hundred copies across 20 schools in India and the UAE.

The entire process, pitching the idea, organizing logistics, managing funding, taught me more than any class could about leadership and execution.

It pushed me to plan everything down to the smallest detail: budget spreadsheets, chapter formatting, printing dimensions, even how many books to send per school. It made me realize that launching a project isn’t just about the idea — it’s about turning that idea into a system that actually works.

#5: What was your favorite or most meaningful moment during this journey?

Usman: The full-circle moment came when I handed the book to the same childhood friend in India who’d inspired it.

That single message made everything worth it. It reminded me that change starts small — with one person finally saying, “Oh, that makes sense now.”

Later, I translated The Magic of Molecules into Spanish so that students in Latin America could use it too. That moment, seeing the book travel beyond borders, made me realize that curiosity really is universal.

I think what meant even more was hearing from students I’d never met, people who got the book through a teacher or library and reached out later. One student told me she’d never liked chemistry before, but now it felt like “a story instead of a subject.” That’s exactly what I wanted, to show that science doesn’t have to feel distant or cold; it can be something you connect with emotionally.

#6: What challenges did you face while working on it?

Usman: So many. The biggest one was coordination.

The publicity part was another challenge. I reached out to Gulf News, Khaleej Times, and other UAE outlets to feature the project, but never heard back. It felt discouraging at the time, but I learned that impact doesn’t always need validation, sometimes it’s about quietly doing the work.

Balancing everything taught me independence, organization, and humility.

But that experience taught me discipline and time management. I learned to divide my evenings between IB study sessions and book deadlines, often working past midnight. It showed me that consistency , even in small daily steps, matters more than bursts of motivation.

#7: How did the Magic of Molecules connect to your later path in STEM and research?

Usman: While I was writing my book I was also interning in a paint lab and later in enzyme catalysis research. Those experiences were technical and structured — precise measurements, long lab hours — while The Magic of Molecules let me explore the creative side of science.

That duality — the ability to switch between precision and imagination — eventually led me to Chemical Engineering at Berkeley.

Even now, I think about that balance every day: the rigor of research and the joy of making it understandable.

When I joined Berkeley, I started seeing how those two sides intersect naturally. Whether I’m running simulations in class or presenting lab findings, I realize that the skill I developed through The Magic of Molecules, explaining complexity simply, still defines how I approach STEM today.

It’s not just about solving problems; it’s about translating them so others can see their beauty too.

#8: Who was the most ‘cracked’ person you knew in school — and how did you feel being surrounded by so many driven students?

Usman: There were definitely a few people I’d call “cracked.” Dubai’s international schools are full of insanely smart, talented people. Some of my friends were doing research at sixteen, others were acing every exam while also leading five clubs or starting nonprofits. It was honestly inspiring.

At times, it could feel overwhelming, like everyone was doing something huge. But instead of comparing myself, I learned to channel that energy into my own lane. I realized there’s always going to be someone “cracked” in a different way, more academic, more creative, more disciplined, but that doesn’t take away from your own journey.

I think that environment shaped me a lot. It taught me to stay grounded, to celebrate other people’s wins, and to see competition as something healthy, something that pushes you to grow instead of shrink.

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