Diana Chao, a first-generation Buyi Chinese American immigrant from Southern California, grew up below the poverty line with parents who didn’t speak English. Learning firsthand that healing is a nonlinear, complicated process no one should have to approach alone, she founded Letters to Strangers (L2S) when she was a sophomore in high school. Today, L2S is the largest global, youth-run mental health nonprofit seeking to destigmatize mental illness and increase access to affordable, quality treatment for youth. Chao has been recognized by two U.S. Presidents, named a 2021 Princess Diana Legacy Award winner and featured as the 2019 Health Hero in The Oprah Magazine.