The Empathy Collective
Executive Board
Chelsea Zhu
Founder and Executive Director
Chelsea (she / her) is an advocate and writer from Maryland. She is passionate about shedding light to the diversity of languages, art, and life the world holds. Her work has been recognized by the Library of Congress, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Smithsonian Institution, and more. She's excited to curate a space for sharing global narratives.
Irene Hwang
Founder and Editor in Chief​
Irene Hwang (she / her) is a musician and writer from California. She is a Scholastic Art & Writing Awards national medalist and her writing has been featured in publications such as Eunoia Review and her school’s literary magazine. In addition, she is on her school’s newspaper staff. Irene aspires to connect with diverse communities through utilizing writing as a medium for sharing candid and vulnerable personal narratives. She hopes to further explore sensitive topics such as generational trauma and the complex immigrant experience. Irene is a nationally-recognized classical pianist.
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Chenoa Fernandes
Social Media Manager
Chenoa (she / her) is 15 year old from Singapore. She has worked on addressing climate change, mental health, scams, and drug abuse in her community.
Thank you to our Contributors
Our contributors are located around the world.
Past volunteers include Chenoa Fernandes, Samiratou Mohamed, Kamaria Williams, Fatima Binte Muhammad, Vasundhara Sarkar, Bamunoba Nicole, Karishni Sathiyaseelan, Karishni Sathiyaseelan, Raj Nandini Mishra, Juhi Baboolal, Suha Ahsan, and many more! We deeply appreciate and thank you for enriching our community with your knowledge and friendship.
Last updated August 2025. Photo courtesy of MapChart.​
Here are the issues we prioritize, based on a WordCloud survey.
Krisann Bedassie
I’m Krisann Bedassie, a 16-year-old Trinbagonian changemaker passionate about international relation and human rights. As a modern studies student, I use my academic insight to fuel my work with AHAM Education, advocating for mental wellness and inclusive communities. With a rich heritage of African and Indian roots, I’m driven by empathy and resilience. I love turning challenges into opportunities and am ready to make an impact wherever I go!
Ayesha Faisal
My name is Ayesha Faisal, a 17 year old who recently graduated college and is always in a search to gather ideas regarding various forms of art! I like to be versatile and flexible when it comes to communication and creativity both and often use music as an inspiration for my work….other than that I am deeply obsessed with the y2k and goth trends and spend most of the day zoning out or procrastinating :)
Mirriam Sikalume
I have been passionate about advocating for causes that impact our society and planet, with a focus on climate change, digital safety for girls, and menstral health. In Zambia, I have actively participated in awareness campaigns and initiatives promoting sustainable practices, collaborated with organizations to implement community-based projects, and supported policy advocacy efforts.
Madeleine Schuyler
My name is Mads and I’m a high school junior. I’m 16 years old and I enjoy many art forms, including writing, painting, drawing, singing, acting, and playing the drums. I’m not sure exactly what I wanna do in life yet, but I’ll probably go to college for art, creative writing, or maybe musical theater. A fantasy I have is to open a whimsical, fairy/ witch core bookstore and spend my time in the shop creating. I’m inspired by fantasy and nature, and I love cats, butterflies and moths, and taking long walks. I listen to a lot of indie, alternative, rock, and musical theater. One of my favorite book series is Percy Jackson and one of my favorite tv shows is Heartstopper, and one of my favorite things to do is snuggle up all cozy with a friend and a hot cup of tea.
Claire Kroening
Claire Kroening is a writer and editor based in the midwest region of the United States. Their work has been published in a multitude of online and print magazines worldwide, including The Greyhound Journal, Thoughts Hymn Publishers, and Vellichor Literary Magazine, among others. When not working on their latest endeavors, they appreciate visiting art museums and studying creative writing. More of their writing can be found on Instagram at @clairerosek.
Jia Guo
My name is Jia, aged 15, based in England. I have been writing since the age of 10, as I'm fascinated by the world of writing and literature.
Damara Storey
Hello! I'm 16 years old and I currently live in Lancaster, California. I'm an 11th grader at Eastside High School. My pronouns are she/her. My hobbies include reading, writing, and fashion designing. I started writing poetry when I was around 13 years old as an outlet for my feelings. However, I've had a passion for writing stories as long as I can remember. Books have always been one of my favorite things and my goal has always been to publish one. I just finished my very first poetry book this year! I'm very excited to have the opportunity to share my writing with others and I hope that everyone who reads can feel heard and understood. Thank you for reading!
Kira Elizabeth Kuilan
I am a 16 year old and my pronouns are she / her. My grades average in A-Cs, I am in Speech & Debate, Chess Club, and Leo Club. I have awards from band and JROTC.
Mentorship Board
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Haleluya Getachew
Mentor
Haleluya (she / her) is a native Marylander. She works in national security, and has a deep admiration for her role as a cyber research engineer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Haleluya is focused on becoming a woman of excellence in the areas of spiritual maturity, calisthenics, and building wealth - having started from ground zero. People often speak of her wisdom, diligence, powerful influence on the young people around her. One lesser known fact about her is that she broke away from social media in 2018, and it saved her life.
Sarah Hirsch
Mentor
Sarah Hirsch (she/her) is a musical theatre writer and writing instructor from Maryland. She majored in music at Yale University and received an MFA in book and lyric-writing from NYU's Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. She has written 9 full-length musicals, all of which have received readings and several of which have received productions and won awards. Sarah is passionate about helping foster in her students a love of writing. She also loves the visual arts, especially painting portaits.
Tina Em
Mentor
Tina Em (she/her) is an original member of Poetry Bethesda (from The Writers Center) from Maryland. She serves others through her professional life as an engineer and innovator in public health, and in her personal life as a volunteer and a writer. She writes poetry, creative nonfiction and fiction about nature, identity and belonging. Tina received honorable mention from Bethesda Urban Partnership in 2023 for a flash nonfiction essay. She is drafting her first novel exploring unique family arrangements and the role of technology in medicine.
Jinsun Kim
Mentor
Jinsun is a Consumer Insights Professional from Washington with expertise in research design and mixed methodologies. Passionate about uncovering the reasons behind consumer behaviors, she helps companies make consumer-centric decisions across product development, marketing communications, and behavior change initiatives. Her experience spans CPG, healthcare, and food and beverage sectors. In her leisure time, she enjoys hot coffee and walking long trails.