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DaJeong Won

DaJeong Won

2025 Davidson Fellow
$25,000 Scholarship

Age: 17
Hometown: Ridgefield, NJ

Science: “The Effect of Calcium Containing Substrates on Coral Growth”

About DaJeong

My name is DaJeong Won, and I am a rising college freshman from Ridgefield, New Jersey. I will be attending Cornell University in the fall and majoring in nutritional sciences.

In my free time, I love creating art and watching animations. I am interested in exploring healthcare, particularly within the public health sector, to aid people impacted by climate change. I serve as a youth commissioner on my town’s environmental commission, helping connect young people to environmental initiatives in the community. I also recently became nationally certified in EMS and hope to begin serving as an EMT soon.

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"To me, being a Davidson Fellow means opening the door to a space of collaboration and inspiration. Learning about the stories that sparked the other fellows in pursuing an elaborate, multi-year project and realizing its potential impact inspires me to dream even bigger."

Project Description

Corals are actively dying due to rising temperatures and the effects of climate change. My project examines whether corals will grow more in a shorter period of time if they are placed on calcium-containing substances such as eggshells, pulverized limestone, and fishbone. This approach has potential applications in coral restoration because it uses accessible materials and simple processes.

Deeper Dive

My project, The Effect of Calcium-Containing Substrates on Coral Growth, examines whether the fundamentals of coral anatomy can be used to our advantage. I was inspired by a trip to Jeju Island, where I saw firsthand the effects rising temperatures have on ocean life.

Coral exoskeletons are made up of calcium-containing elements, and corals expand as new polyps grow upon the pre-deposited exoskeleton. As a result, my project compares the planar area and volume growth of corals on surfaces such as eggshells, pulverized limestone, and fishbone to growth on a 3D-printed material called PLA (polylactic acid), which served as my control.

I believe this project has the potential to make a lasting impact in countries most affected by climate change, as the materials are widely accessible. Eggshells, fishbones, and pulverized limestone are often discarded, so using them to support coral growth could be a win-win situation — aiding reef restoration while reducing waste.

Q&A

If you could have dinner with the five most interesting people in the world, living or dead, who would they be?

If I could have dinner with the five most interesting people in the world, I would have it with Bill Nye, Louis Pasteur, Faker, Cleopatra, and Jane Goodall.

If you could magically become fluent in any language, what would it be?

I would love to be fluent in whatever language cats speak.

What is your favorite food?

My favorite food is Tteokbokki– Korean spicy rice cake.

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In The News

NEW YORK — Six students from across the New York metropolitan area — representing New York, New Jersey and Connecticut — have been named 2025 Davidson Fellows, one of the nation’s most prestigious honors for students 18 and younger. They will share $225,000 in scholarships as part of the program’s 25th anniversary year, which is awarding a record $825,000 to 21 students nationwide.

Download the full press release here

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