Elizabeth was volunteering at Northwest Chinese Baptist Church when she connected with several Taiwanese immigrant families working with the Taiwanese Semiconductor Facility Plant in Phoenix. When she learned some of the students were struggling to adapt, she launched her own private tutoring business, working with several students a week to hone their English and academic skills. 

Elizabeth also worked with an ASU professor of economics to author a book that helps young immigrant children learn English in a simpler and more engaging manner. The book comes with grammar lessons, Chinese-English translations, and highlighted vocabulary words. They hope to create an event with the Taiwanese Semiconductor Facility Plant that allows Taiwanese children to illustrate the book’s pages.  As a biracial student, Elizabeth says the experience has allowed her to connect with her own culture and traditions.

“In a community that has given so much to me, from my family to my friends and even my teachers, I feel like it is time for me to find a way to help others as well,” she said.

Her work empowering her peers doesn’t stop there. Elizabeth started a nonprofit social media handle called “inTHEship,” designed to showcase scholarship, internship and other extracurricular opportunities for high school students, particularly those identified as low income, first generation or minorities. She currently serves as Vice President of State and National Programs for Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), helping more than 8,400 members across Arizona. In this role she has dedicated more than 200 hours of community service, worked with Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee to set up educational CTE webinars for students, raised funds for state winners and launched the organization’s first internship page. She is captain of her school’s Speech and Debate Team, a title she has held for three years, is a member of the National Honor Society, a manager for the school’s wrestling team and spends time giving back at the food bank.

Elizabeth hopes to become a corporate lawyer at the international level.