Student Leader - Kwun Yee Eva Cen (age 16) - based in IL

As the calendar of 2026 hits May, the annual advanced Placement exams and final season begin to pile up students’ workload nationwide. Students are once again facing one of the most stressful periods of the academic year. The overwhelmed feeling brought by navigating through looming deadlines, maintaining high GPAs, extracurricular activities and late-night study sessions makes many both mentally and physically exhausted. May is my least favorite month. It is always a nonstop marathon of...

This Thursday, while most students are in classrooms spending their regular day at school, a small group of volunteers from my school hopped on the van taking them to Barb’s cat rescue. This activity was among one out of more than 15 social services my school collaborates with for the annual tradition of service learning day. As a member of my school's Animal Rescue Club, I joined them for my fourth visit to the shelter. Our tasks were clear: clean the kitten room and help with feeding. Even...

After attending the Teen signal workshop led by NIF’s guest speaker Minyue Zhai, who has had more than 20 years of experience in mental health counseling, I’ve gained a nuanced understanding about the stage of adolescence and the reasons behind patterns of teenagers’ behaviors. Through discussing various topics including signs of adolescence and how it shapes emotional changes along with advice for parents when communicating with their kids, Zhai uncovers the biological, psychological...