Indiana’s top science student blazing a trail at MIT
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It was the pursuit of knowledge that inspired Grace Choi’s parents to immigrate from South Korea to Indiana to continue their studies—and it seems that same love of learning is in their daughter’s blood.
Choi was recently named the most outstanding science student in the state as part of the 2024 Governor’s STEM Team. Combined with her deep appreciation for her parents’ sacrifices to immigrate, Grace’s ambition has made her an academic weapon—now reaching new heights at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
“My parents worked really hard to provide me and my younger brother a really great life here in Indiana,” says Choi, whose mother attended graduate school at Indiana University Bloomington. “Even when I was younger, I always wanted to give back—because of the sacrifices and the unconditional support my parents have shown me—by trying my best in all of my endeavors.”
Each academic year, the Governor’s office names four graduating high school seniors to the STEM team, recognizing exceptional Indiana students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Choi, who graduated in May from Bloomington High School South, is now attending MIT where she’s pursuing her passion for science.
“Ever since I was young, I’ve always been curious about why things are the way they are—figuring out an explanation for why things happen,” says Choi. “I also enjoy science because I find it really fun—that curiosity and the feeling of discovering something completely new.”
Choi has a long list of academic achievements, including a perfect score on the math portion of the SAT. She also dominated in national science competitions for her project focused on agroinfiltration and scored in the top 2.5% nationally on the American Invitational Mathematics Examination.
“That felt really validating, especially as a girl in STEM, to see I’m just as good as all of the boys,” says Choi, “because, at first, I felt really lonely being the only girl in advanced math classes.”
While chemistry and biology are her favorite branches of science, she discovered a love for the lab early in her high school career through a high school internship at an IU plant sciences laboratory.
“What I like about research is the idea that you don’t really know what the right answer is until you find it,” says Choi. “That feeling of ‘Oh, that’s what’s happening!’ is just so rewarding to me.”
Choi says she also has a passion for statistics and how it can be applied to scientific research.
Further igniting her passion for the research and discovery process, Choi attended a summer research program at MIT before her senior year. Her project involved cultivating meat from animal cells as a more sustainable solution for the food industry, rather than conventional meat production methods of raising animals and slaughtering them.
“It was a completely eye-opening experience,” says Choi. “I got to spend time at one of the best colleges in the nation for a research program and work with mentors, which was absolutely mind-blowing.”
Choi says her project at the MIT summer program used computational chemistry to explore new ideas in the artificial meat industry.
MIT is now her new home, where she’s considering a variety of paths for her future, perhaps pursuing an MD/PhD to combine her interests in human health and lab research.
“Science can be challenging, like when you don’t get the results you wanted, for example,” says Choi. “But that feeling of discovery still outweighs whatever challenges or minor disappointment you might feel, which is why I keep coming back to science and really enjoy the research process.”
While Choi’s inspiration began with her parents and their sacrifices as immigrants, her network has expanded and will add even more motivation for her years at MIT.
“I gained a lot more mentors [in high school] and people who I want to make really proud,” says Choi. “Giving back to all the mentorship, guidance and amazing things my support network has taught me is what inspires me to work harder—to take what they’ve taught me and pay it forward.”