Outreach Sub-Committee

Jessica Wang is a senior in the International Baccalaureate Program at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Maryland. She leads NNEA's International Outreach subcommittee. Jessica is the founding president of My Neuro-Corner, a neurodiversity advocacy club. She also works with her county’s Office of Special Education as an advocate for neurodiverse students. Outside of advocacy, Jessica loves playing the piano, ballet, doing puzzles, and taking naps that are just a little too long.

Bruce is a sophomore at Cathedral Catholic High School. In the winter of 2021, he (a then-seventh grader) and his brother Logan, founded the Friendly and Neurodiverse (FAN) club. After noticing neurodiversity misunderstandings and the struggles it caused for them and their friends, Bruce and Logan were strongly compelled to start a student club. Through education about neurodivergence and neurodiversity, this club would work to promote awareness, inclusiveness, and friendship, to work toward a more compassionate school environment. Bruce currently serves as President at CCHS’s FAN Club, and he mentors the FAN club leaders at other schools. Outside the neurodiversity advocacy realm, Bruce enjoys going to and supporting his church, practicing Mandarin, rowing, reading comic books, and learning all about the world around him. He aspires to pursue medicine.

Christine Chen is a junior student from Keystone Academy Beijing, China. She is part of the international coordination and outreach committee. She had been working with a Beijing-based non-profit organization offering horse therapy for children with special needs, such as autism, visual impairment, and cerebral palsy for four years. She is also exploring further on the research related to establishing potential forms of music therapies that can complement horse therapy for neurodiverse children in Beijing. While she has come to appreciate one fundamental idea that such therapy is not only an intervention or “treatment”, but a bridge or medium to assist them, the neurodiversity group, with tools to engage with the so-called “normal” world, she really hopes to establish the neurodiversity advocacy and education better in China. At the same time, she is the leader of Psychology Club in her school and enjoys playing violin, reading and writing.

Dylan Chandran is a freshman at Monte Vista High School in Danville, California. His interest in neurodiversity developed through experiences with friends and volunteer activities. He helps teach tennis to kids with autism and has seen how sports can boost their motor skills, confidence, and social abilities. Researching autism for a school project, he learned more about the diverse spectrum of abilities and challenges, deepening his commitment to supporting and advocating for the neurodivergent community. As part of NNEA's Outreach subcommittee, he hopes to raise more awareness, challenge stereotypes and advocate for the neurodiverse community. In his free time, he enjoys cross country running, tennis, volleyball and spending time with his dog.

Eunsoo is a junior at Saint Paul Preparatory Seoul in Seoul, South Korea. She has joined the Outreach subcommittee in hopes of raising awareness of neurodiversity globally, contributing to the neurodiversity advocacy movement both abroad and in her own community. Eunsoo is passionate not only about neurodiversity but also creative writing, drawing, and thrifting!

Hymn is a F.5 student from Hong Kong. He is studying at CCC Heep Woh College. He serves as a committee member of NNEA's Outreach and International Cooperation subcommittee. His passion regarding neurodiversity started with a service project where he volunteered at a school for individuals with intellectual disabilities. This experience allowed him to interact with many neurodiverse students. Unlike some who might find them strange or unusual, he saw them as individuals who were simply different but equally lovable, and he genuinely enjoyed spending time with them. After learning more, he developed greater empathy and applied to join SNP-REACH. Through this group, he has learned a lot about neurodiversity and wants to continue working on this important topic. Currently, his team and he are developing a game that highlights the strengths of neurodiverse individuals, which is their ongoing project. His aim for now is to promote the idea of neurodiversity and strength-based model to Hong Kong.

Isabella Guan is a rising sophomore at Lake Washington High School in Seattle, WA. Newly involved with NNEA, Isabella is passionate about empowering individuals with neurodiversity and advocating for them as well and hopes to further that while apart of NNEA. She co-founded the NeuroDiversity Empowerment, a non-profit organization, supporting neurodiverse individuals through various community programs. In her school’s ND Empowerment club, Isabella tutors neurodiverse youth in the Transition program and promotes inclusivity for all students. Outside of school she is an avid fencer and loves to draw and write.

Braden is a junior at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory in San Francisco, California. He attended SNP-Reach in 2022, and is currently serving on the NNEA Outreach subcommittee. With his brother on the autism spectrum, he's been exposed to neurodiversity and stigmas surrounding it since birth. Ultimately, he hopes to increase awareness and inclusivity for neurodiverse people in social and educational settings. Besides advocacy, he also loves reading and watching The Office!

Lawrence Kim is a junior at the Biomedical Science and Technology Academy at Chino High School. He is very passionate about neurodivergence awareness and education policy, exploring the intersection between the two sectors, specifically through special education. Lawrence has passed two legislations in California on his own, SB939 (A senate bill that requires annual updates of neurodiversity resources that must be featured on school websites and includes guidance and resources on supporting neurodivergent students for school staff training) and SR90 (A senate resolution that designates April to be Neurodiversity Awareness Month). Lawrence hopes to pursue a career in a field encompassing both education policy and neurodivergence awareness and is very excited to be a part of the NNEA Core Committee.

Yaoyao Yuan, a sophomore at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut, is an active member of of NNEA’s Outreach and International Coordination Subcommittee. With a strong passion for medicine, she aims to become a doctor that advocates for neurodiversity in a medical setting, motivated by the current shortage of autism clinics and specialists despite rising diagnoses. Through NNEA, she’s eager to connect with experts and begin her advocacy journey. Yaoyao is a classical oboist, and she enjoys cooking and crocheting in her free time.