Corrie Chan
陳皓盈
My name is Corrie Chan and it is an honor to be a part of the 2020 Miss Los Angeles Chinatown Court, especially with the recent shift in focus to women empowerment, mentorship, and community service. As a first-generation college student, I am incredibly grateful for all the educational opportunities and mentors I have had and look forward to paying it forward by championing a platform focused on education and youth empowerment. I will be partnering with the Asian Youth Center (AYC), a San Gabriel Valley non-profit organization whose mission includes empowering low-income, immigrant, and at-risk youth of all communities.
It angers and disheartens me when individuals, especially kids feel less than or inferior to others simply because of circumstances beyond their control. They did not choose the color of their skin; they did not choose to be low-income. All these factors are beyond control; yet, they actively affect how these kids perceive and are perceived in this world which in turn affects how they grow up and the opportunities that come their way.
As Nicholas Kristof says, “Talent is universal, opportunity is not.” There are so many talented kids who are just never given the same opportunity to develop their skills and interests as others are. Because of this, I am excited to partner with the AYC and help be a part of any of their existing programs and initiatives including the Emergency Food Program. We will also be sponsoring an essay scholarship contest for middle-school girls as part of our commitment to empowerment and mentorship. We may not change the world, but the work that the AYC and other community-based non-profit organizations are doing can make all the difference, however big or small, in someone’s life and I am so excited to be a part of this mission.
Mentor: Julia Gou, Chairwoman of the Board at Piermont Bank
Sponsor: Diamond Development Group
Corrie Chan recently graduated from Yale University with a double major in Psychology and Economics. Having grown up in the San Gabriel Valley, she is immensely grateful for all the educational opportunities and mentors she has had. As a first-generation, low-income student, Corrie had the challenging yet formative experience of coming to terms with her family background while immersed in a bubble of immense resources at Yale. Because of this, she has cultivated a passion for teaching and youth empowerment and plans to pursue a PhD in Psychology and teach at the collegiate level. She has volunteered teaching English to students in New Haven and abroad and actively mentors high school students. Corrie is excited to participate in Miss Los Angeles Chinatown as it is the perfect opportunity to use her voice and life story to empower youth to pursue greater educational opportunities regardless of life circumstances.
Corrie would like to thank her mentor Julia Gou, Chairwoman of the Board at Piermont Bank and sponsor Diamond Development Group.