Yang is an ambitious, curious student who immigrated from China to the US when he was five. His parents didn’t speak English, so he had to apply to high school in the New York City public school system by himself. As a first-generation, low-income (FGLI) immigrant, Yang desires to give back to underserved communities through advocacy, mentorship, and empowerment.

In particular, Yang saw the need for more financial literacy and resources in his school and local community. Inspired by his desire for social justice, Yang mobilized a team of 17+ to provide financial education and opportunities to 400 members and over 4,000 students in Title 1 schools. He also partnered with startups recognized by Forbes and Yahoo Finance to offer members business internships, financial literacy workshops, and investment competitions. For his efforts, Yang was selected as a finalist for the Young Innovator Award by Jetson, the #1 entrepreneurship app on Apple and Android. Yang says, “I hope that one day, students will no longer be defined by their zip code or immigration status but by their motivation and aspirations.”

Yang knows that millions of hard-working students are capable of making an impact but need the chance to do so. Since Yang still remembers the difficulty of going through high school alone, he doesn’t want other students navigating school by themselves. In the future, Yang wants to mentor high school students in various community-based organizations and also help his younger siblings with applying to middle school.