Yeji Jeon, an academically top-performing junior at Maria Regina High School, continues to be recognized for her achievements in advanced science research projects and leadership qualities.
On the heels of winning first place for her drug diffusion simulation research project in Maria Regina’s second Annual Science Symposium last year, the tireless, aspiring young scientist recently participated in the annual Columbia University Society of Women Engineers (SWE)’s Engineering Exploration Experience.
For more than 60 years, SWE has given women engineers a unique place and voice within the engineering industry. Its mission is to inspire young women like Yeji to achieve their full potential in careers as engineers and leaders, expand the image of the engineering profession as a positive force in improving the quality of life, and demonstrate the value of diversity
As it turns out, this year’s exciting “Out of This World” theme—focused on space engineering and innovation—keenly resonated with participants as celebrations continued worldwide following the successful and historic NASA Artemis II 10-day mission around the moon.
In this celebratory setting, the one-day session provided Yeji and other female high school students throughout the region an opportunity to hear, learn, and be inspired about the next chapter in space exploration that is unfolding during discussions by leading aerospace and data science professionals.
But the most meaningful—and not surprising—part of the program for Yeji was the design challenge, as she noted in an email to Reena Varma, Chair of the Science Department at the renowned all-girls Catholic high school. “We were asked to build an aircraft that could land safely while carrying a glass marble, using only simple materials like a paper cup, coffee filters, straws, and string,” she wrote. “The goal was to maximize airtime while maintaining stability when dropped from the same height.”
She added: “I took the lead in developing the main design…and proposed using a parachute structure to slow the descent, and reinforced the bottom of the cup with straws to improve balance and create a buffering effect for landing. This combination helped control both the speed and stability of the aircraft.”
Her successful contribution to the project underscored the importance of physics in aerodynamic problem-solving, a discipline she looks forward to honing by taking Varma’s physics course in her senior year.
In praising Yeji for “yet again distinguishing herself,” Principal Maria Carozza-McCaffrey said that in addition to the “student’s remarkable college-level studies, she is gifted with leadership qualities that drive her to undertake and complete complex tasks as she just demonstrated at Columbia University SWE,” adding. “It is fitting that her preeminence as a leader was recognized by the College Board in being named to its prestigious BigFuture Student Ambassador where she is helping her peers plan for college and careers.”
What else has Yeji been up to? Well, she just won first place in the recent New York Catholic Math League’s Competition in the Geometry category, junior level.
Her victory came soon after Maria Regina established a National Honor Society chapter of Mu Alpha Theta, which made it possible for her and other classmates to participate in the highly competitive statewide contest for the first time.
But that’s not all. She was also accepted into the Girls with Code Stanford University’s CS106A course, where she reports: “I am currently learning foundational Python concepts, developing small projects, and working in a structured environment with instructor support. By the end, I will have a portfolio of programs that demonstrate core coding and problem-solving skills.”
And let’s not forget Maria Regina’s 3rd Annual Science Symposium on June 8-9, where she again hopes to impress the judges with her creativity, understanding, and dedication to solving a real-world problem. Stay tuned for more about Yeji.