Greenwich’s Justin Bernstein Named 2025 Davidson Fellow, Awarded $50,000 Scholarship – Greenwich Free Press
Greenwich Free Press (https://greenwichfreepress.com/schools/greenwichs-justin-bernstein-named-2025-davidson-fellow-awarded-50000-scholarship-236517/)
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.
“I am honored to have been named a Davidson Fellow and am now inspired to continue using science to create the solutions necessary to ensure the safety and health of our society,” said Justin Bernstein, who was the Greenwich High School class of 2025 valedictorian.
“As a Davidson Fellow, I’m proud to be part of a group that refuses to accept the world as it is and I look forward to continuing to ask questions, challenge limits, and build a future grounded in evidence and discovery.”
Justin Bernstein, 17, of Greenwich, Conn. — $50,000 Scholarship, Science
Bernstein, a first-year Yale University student, designed a bioengineering approach to slow the melting of Arctic ice by enhancing its reflective surface. His project uses genetically modified cold-resistant bacteria, known as cryobacteria, to increase the ice’s albedo, reflecting more sunlight and reducing heat absorption. This technique could help mitigate climate change–induced sea level rise.
Jinan Laurentia Woo, 18, of Englewood Cliffs, N.J. — $50,000 Scholarship, Music
Woo, a first-year Yale University student, created a multimedia project that bridges traditional classical music with contemporary performance styles to make the art form more accessible and relevant. Through original compositions, reinterpretations of historical works, and community engagement, her work challenges audiences to overcome resistance to change while honoring classical music’s legacy.
Amy Xiao, 18, of Garden City, N.Y. — $50,000 Scholarship, Science
Xiao, a first-year Yale University student, investigated citrin, a protein involved in cell metabolism, as a potential therapeutic target for cancer treatment. By combining clinical, pharmacologic and metabolic data, she identified pathways that could be leveraged to disrupt cancer cell growth, paving the way for new targeted therapies.
Additional $25,000 Scholarship Recipients:
“For 25 years, the Davidson Fellows Scholarship has recognized some of the most remarkable research undertaken by young people in the nation,” said Bob Davidson, founder of the Davidson Institute. “The 2025 class of Fellows continues to raise the bar for achievement as we celebrate this milestone year, marked by innovation, perseverance and the hundreds of alumni whose work continues to make a lasting difference in their fields and communities.”
The Davidson Fellows Scholarship program offers college scholarships to students 18 or younger, who have completed significant projects that have the potential to benefit society in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, literature and music. The Davidson Fellows Scholarship has provided more than $10.7 million in scholarship funds to 469 students since its inception in 2001, and has been named one of the most prestigious undergraduate scholarships by U.S. News & World Report. It is a program of the Davidson Institute, a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Reno, Nev. that supports profoundly gifted youth.
Founded by Bob Davidson in 1999, the Davidson Institute recognizes, nurtures and supports profoundly intelligent young people, and provides opportunities for them to develop their talents to make a positive difference. The Institute offers support through a number of programs and services, including the Davidson Fellows Scholarship and the Davidson Academy of Nevada. For more information about the 2025 Davidson Fellows, please visit: DavidsonFellows.org.
The CEP is part of the federally funded National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. All students will be served breakfast and lunch at no charge at New Lebanon School.
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This year, six students from Greenwich High School were selected by the American Legion Post 29 to go to Girls and Boys State. “I know that I can speak for all of the delegates when I say that the experience was truly once-in-a-lifetime, and the skills that we learned through the program are essential to our careers, and to being engaged and informed citizens.” – Riona McKersie
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“GHS has more AP classes. We offer it all. And at private schools you’re not necessarily collaborating with people of such diverse backgrounds as at Greenwich High School. That’s something I have really enjoyed.” – Justin Bernstein, GHS 2025 valedictorian
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