SPEAK is thrilled to invite AANHPI-identifying students with a passion for mental health to apply to the Young Visionaries in Wellness & Leadership Program! 

Program Description

Students will work together as a group to develop a program that is geared towards transition age youth (adolescents - young adults) with the ultimate goal of supporting mental health within AANHPI youth transition age youth (adolescents - young adults) communities. 

Program Information

Applications for 2026-2027 are now OPEN.

Deadline: November 16, 2025, 11:59pm PST.

Apply Now

    • Work with your peers bring a program to life under the guidance and mentorship of Executive Director Dr. Teresa Hsu

    • Receive SPEAK's 4-hour training on supporting peer mental health and accompanying toolkit (SPEAK UP-MORE training, Uniting People on Mental health Outreach for Resilience CommunitiEs).  

    • Continue your volunteer leadership role within the newly implemented program for a second year (optional)

    • Be featured on SPEAK’s website, have continued access to SPEAK mentorship and network support, and if appropriate, Dr. Hsu may also provide you a letter of recommendation for college, graduate school, internship/job applications, etc. 

  • Selected students will:

    • Remain engaged for the program’s duration of one year: January 2026 – December 2026.

    • Be available for (1) Monthly group mentorship meetings (2) Monthly didactics Thursday evenings (subject to change depending on guest speaker; virtual); (3) Group planning meetings in-between mentorship meetings; (4) Volunteer with SPEAK for at least three (3) in-person events over the course of the year (approx. 15 hrs/yr). For high schoolers, this can be counted towards community service hours as well. 

    • Be self-motivated, be able to work independently, and maintain clear communication and professionalism.

    • Estimated time commitment: 4-6 hours/month + 3 in-person SPEAK volunteer events (15 hours/year)

  • The selected students will each receive a stipend of $750.

  • This volunteer opportunity is open to high school, gap year, and undergraduate level students in Westchester County, New York.

  • To apply, please complete the following items by Sunday, November 16, 2025:

    • Complete the "Young Visionaries in Wellness & Leadership Program: 2026-2027" Application Form.

    • Submit one letter of recommendation (from a non-relative) by asking your recommender to email their LOR OR submit the contact info of your recommender(a non-relative) by emailing their name, email, and phone number to SPEAK (info@connecttospeak.org).

    • Undergraduate-level students only: Please email your resume to SPEAK (info@connecttospeak.org) .

    • Students will be notified of their application status no later than December 19, 2025.

Meet Our 2025-2026 Young Visionary Leader

Check back for updates about Ryan’s program!

Ryan Li will be joining 2 other students as part of SPEAK’s partnership with Thriving Asians to create a youth-led, youth-developed AAPI mental health program! 

Ryan is a high school junior with a passion for mental health awareness, advocacy, and community building. He has channeled these interests into several school clubs focused on AAPI awareness and community outreach in Westchester County and New York City. As co-head of OCA-WHV's Youth Podcasting program, he has been leading conversations in AAPI identity and mental health since 2022. When not in school or volunteering, you'll find Ryan on the golf course, watching football, or trying to keep up with his younger brother. He aspires to unite the youth AAPI community through service initiatives while advocating for inclusive mental health support. 

We are excited to have you on board and look forward to seeing what you have planned in the next year!

A special THANK YOU to our founding partner of Young Visionaries, Thriving Asians. We loved working with you in 2025 and can’t wait to collaborate again!