We often mistake a microphone for the measure of leadership. But impact isn’t limited to a stage — it lives in writing, creating, and organizing too. My idea is to redefine advocacy so youth don’t feel excluded just because they aren’t outspoken speakers. Quiet or loud, every voice deserves space to drive change.

Hello everyone! My name is Vivian (I go by Vee) Nguyen, and I’m a senior in high school from Houston, TX. I’m grateful to be in this space and look forward to connecting with all of you! I’m passionate about amplifying voices and inspiring youth engagement in policy and STEM-related fields. What drives me is the reality that countless voices, especially from marginalized and underrepresented communities, often go unheard. I was once one of those voices and believed that only outspoken public speakers could be impactful advocates. I’ve since learned otherwise, and now I’m committed to dismantling that notion for other youth. This passion led me to co-found The Unsent Letter Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to amplifying silenced voices through poetry, anthologies, photography, theatre, and letters. I also serve as State Editor for LegiLight, an online student-led publication that has published 36+ articles reaching over 6.1k viewers, fostering youth engagement in policy and civics. I’m really excited to share, learn, and collaborate with this community!!

@Sagar Soni I can see so many youth relating to this, whether in academics or life in general, always balancing everything but rarely pausing to fully take in the moment.

Thank you so much! I'm so excited for the meeting 😄