2025 High School Winners

Ha Jin Sung is a 9th grade student at Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut. Passionate about science, public health, and the power of creative advocacy, she was drawn to creating a video for the World of 8 Billion. Ha Jin chose to focus her project on child wellbeing—specifically, the barriers to vaccination access in rural communities—because it combined her interests in biology and medicine with a desire to promote equitable health care.

While Ha Jin was already aware of how population growth strains public health systems, the research process opened her eyes to the scope of the issues. Digging deeper into immunization gaps, she learned that lack of infrastructure in remote areas can prevent life-saving vaccines from being stored properly. That discovery led her to explore an innovative solution, solar-powered refrigerators!

Ha Jin had some experience making educational videos as part of class science projects, but this was her first time creating a frame-by-frame animation. She illustrated the entire video by hand on her iPad, blending her passions for art and science into an engaging, informative piece. One of the most challenging parts, she said, was distilling the extensive research into a concise message while still making it relatable and impactful. After narrowing down and prioritizing key information, Ha Jin reflected that she felt more passionate about advocating for change. “There is still hope,” she said, “there are sustainable solutions out there which are already making great strides towards minimizing human suffering, we just need to shine light on them and help implement them worldwide.”

Outside the classroom, Ha Jin is a dedicated musician and the principal violist in her youth orchestra. She has performed at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall, taken part in the World Youth Symphony Orchestra at Interlochen Arts Camp, and will attend the Tanglewood Institute this summer. She attributes playing music to helping her stay balanced and connected to herself and others. She also enjoys dance, plays varsity tennis, and loves trying new things. Her biggest academic passion is biology, especially neurobiology and public health. She hopes to study neuroscience or molecular biology in college with the goal of obtaining a career in pediatrics, neurology, or oncology.

Ha Jin is excited to keep using video as a tool for science communication and advocacy. “I definitely hope to continue making videos about important topics,” she said. “It’s such a fun and powerful way to reach people, especially when it comes to issues that affect our future”.