Meet the Student Ambassadors
Christina Kwan
School: Macaulay Honors College at HBSON
Major: Nursing
Favorite Asian comfort food: Hotpot
To me, “collected” means:
maintaining a healthy work-life balance. It’s the ability to set goals for myself while recognizing my own limitations. "Collected" is a mentality that I’m still trying to settle into, one that allows for both ambition and rest and celebrates the little victories.
Charlotte Wan
School: New York University
Major: Media, Culture, and Communication
Favorite Asian comfort food:
HK-Style Macaroni Soup
To me, “collected” means:
having a community to fall back on when I need help. As I work towards establishing my own identity as an individual, it's comforting to know that there are people who will remind me of who I am when I feel the most lost and still give me enough space to grow and develop by myself.
Deborah Ruiz
School: Wesleyan University
Major: Psychology and Economics
Favorite Asian comfort food:
Kimchi Jiggae
To me, “collected” means:
having people who understand and accept my experiences. As I delve into my 20s I'm learning more about myself and how to value who I am. Through our projects, I hope to not only continue my self-growth but also to advocate the self-growth of the members of the "collected" community.
Gomeo Lam
School: Montclair State University
Major: Psychology
Favorite Asian comfort food: Kimchi Fried Rice
To me, “collected” means:
opportunity to break down boundaries and stigma that has been set for generations. It is a movement to normalize and address human facets, particularly mental health, which is the driving force of every action, innovation, expression, rule, and impact made in our society.
Stephanie Lin
School: Bucknell University
Major: Biology
Favorite Asian comfort food:
Seafood Tofu Soup
To me, “collected” means:
reconciling with my cultural identity and my past. It means to recognize Asian American culture for its good and its bad and learning to heal within my community rather than distancing myself from it. "Collected" for me means to address and remove the rifts mental health stigma causes within Asian American communities so that we can understand and support each other better.
Susanna Kim
School: Wesleyan University
Major: History and Hispanic Literatures and Cultures
Favorite Asian comfort food:
Kalbi Jjim
To me, “collected” means:
being able to adapt to any situation in my life. It's knowing that all these experiences, both good and bad are valuable. It's learning how to rebound from any setback, while also remembering it's okay to ask for help along the way.
Ivan Ip
School: Boston College
Major: Finance, Information Systems
Favorite Asian comfort food: Chinese Steamed Egg
To me, “collected” means:
being true to yourself while being acknowledged and respected. To be collected is to understand that highs and low are all part of the journey. It is what you make of it that defines who you are.
Current Projects
+Collected Voices, a cross-campus initiative by +Collected's Student Ambassadors, is a compilation of mental health narratives by Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) college students.