UniSQ graduate Ally Zlatar goes above and beyond making top ten for Global Student Prize

After being diagnosed with anorexia as a teenager, Ally Zlatar has used art to share her experience and promote change. Now the accomplished UniSQ graduate has been named a finalist for a major international award for her humanitarian work. Here’s how she is changing lives.

Recent University of Southern Queensland graduate Ally Zlatar has been named a top ten finalist for a prestigious international award.

Partnering with the Varkey Foundation, Chegg.org launched the Global Student Prize two years ago to off a $100,000 prize for an outstanding student who has made a significant impact on learning, their peers, and society.

Ms Zlatar, an accomplished artist, scholar and activist, was short-listed as part of the final ten last year.

When she was a teenager Ms Zlatar was diagnosed with anorexia and has used artwork to communicate and present her experience.

“I came from a very traditional Eastern European family, so mental health was not something that we talked about at all,” Ms Zlatar said.

“Medical practitioners saw a diagnosis but they didn’t really see the person suffering behind the disease.

“I decided to express my experiences and what I would say what is told behind the curtain through visual art.”

Ally Zlatar has been named as one of the top ten finalists for the Chegg.org global student prize 2023

What started as a project for her masters, quickly became something much more bigger and powerful. Ms Zlatar then created The Starving Artist initiative, which uses creativity to promote advocacy.

“It started with expressing my experience with eating disorders which is still my passion, but we quickly realised the full potential of art as a way to create and foster systemic reform,” Ms Zlatar said.

“We tackle issues such as climate change, migrant experiences, and other important issues that are really close to my heart.

“The work is trying to platform people and these issues through billboard campaigns, publications, exhibitions, and street art. I am so passionate about what we are for and proud that it has gotten to this point.”

Additionally, The Starving Artist Scholarship Fund helps individuals struggling with eating disorders get access to treatment.

Ally Zlatar is an accomplished scholar, activist, and artist who graduated from USQ this August

If that’s not impressive enough, Ms Zlatar has also received several awards throughout her academic studies and humanitarian work. This includes the Princess Diana Legacy Award, which she received as the age of 24, the highest accolade a young person can receive for humanitarian work.

Ms Zlatar said the $100,000 prize would be extremely valuable for her work.

“By being able to have funding and resources, we can really give back to communities that don’t have the same opportunities and access for art,” Ms Zlatar said.

“I’ve been based in Australia, then in the UK and Canada, so I’d love to work with other regions perhaps more out in the oceanic region. So I would be absolutely honoured to be awarded the funding.”

Head of Chegg.org and chief communications officer of Chegg Inc Heather Hatlo Porter said she was delighted and honoured to congratulate Ms Zlatar on becoming a top ten finalist.

“Her commitment, creativity, and resilience are truly inspiring. This honour is not only a reflection of her remarkable achievements but also a testament to the brighter future she is actively shaping for all of us day by day,” Ms Porter said.

Ms Zlatar now lives in Glasgow, Scotland and teaches at the University of Glasgow.

To read more about Ms Zlatar’s extensive list of incredible accomplishments head to her website.