Volunteers
Our volunteer community
Diverse perspectives. Shared care.
Our volunteers bring cross-cultural experience, professional insight, and heartfelt care to help our communities feel supported and connected.
13+
Universities represented
Academic paths across North America and Asia.
10+
Dedicated volunteers
Contributing skills, time, and lived experience.
1
Shared mission
Making culturally responsive care more accessible.
Zhiye Ding
Zhiye Ding (he/him) is an educator and researcher committed to advancing language and gender equity. He holds a dual B.A. in Sociology from Duke University and Duke Kunshan University and an M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Chicago. Over several years, he has taught and mentored students in China and across diverse Chicago settings, including the University of Chicago, Chicago Public Schools, Catholic schools, and charter schools. As an incoming Ph.D. student in Applied Linguistics, his research examines how language shapes gender, sexuality, identity, and power, particularly within Asian LGBTQ+ communities.
By connecting academic research with classroom practice, Zhiye works to amplify marginalized voices and foster more equitable learning environments. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and learning new languages.
Charles Li
Charles Li (he/him) holds a B.S. in Psychology from Emory University and is completing an M.A. in Mental Health Counseling at Boston College, graduating this summer. At Clear Harbor, they interview Chinese-speaking international students who recently arrived in English-speaking countries to better understand their experiences and mental health needs. They also create accessible mental health articles for Clear Harbor’s public social media account and help build connections with Boston College.
Currently a counseling intern at Emmanuel College Counseling Center in Fenway, Massachusetts, Charles also contributes to research. Their own experience adjusting to life in the United States informs their commitment to culturally responsive support for Chinese communities. Following graduation, they plan to pursue master’s-level licensure and develop their clinical practice, with the long-term goal of integrating therapy, neuropsychological assessment, and research on food, culture, scalable mental health interventions, and responsible uses of AI.
Mengxin Liu
Mengxin Liu studies Translation at Beijing Foreign Studies University, whose campus has China’s highest concentration of international students. Immersion in this multicultural environment has given them a strong understanding of the psychological challenges associated with cross-cultural adaptation.
At Clear Harbor, Mengxin manages the organization’s WeChat public account, curating accessible articles on mental health and self-care. They also produce daily content for the Mindfulness Workshop, offering consistent encouragement and connection to people who may feel isolated. Their commitment to supporting the mental well-being of Chinese students overseas guides this work. Looking ahead, Mengxin hopes to serve in an international organization or China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, building bridges of cross-cultural understanding on a broader stage.
Cui Weining
Cui Weining, 19, is a first-year student at Capital Normal University pursuing a double degree in French and History. At age 10, she spent one year studying in Canada, gaining firsthand insight into the isolation and adjustment challenges that can accompany living in an unfamiliar country. This experience inspired her commitment to supporting people whose needs may otherwise be overlooked.
At Clear Harbor, Weining writes articles for the organization’s official public account, helping share accessible information and resources with its community. She hopes to apply her education and cross-cultural experience to support more people worldwide while contributing to the development of related services and industries in China.
Wentao Sheng
Wentao Sheng is a senior undergraduate at the University of British Columbia, majoring in Psychology and Language Education and completing a TESOL Certificate. His academic interests center on developmental and cultural psychology, particularly the cross-cultural factors shaping adolescent socialization and resilience. At Clear Harbor, Wentao supports community outreach and mental health education through research, writing, content development, and user insight analysis. His work helps the organization better understand and serve international students, Asian communities, and LGBTQ+ individuals facing cultural and structural barriers to mental health resources.
Inspired by Clear Harbor’s commitment to culturally responsive care, Wentao hopes to pursue a research career in cultural and developmental psychology. His long-term goal is to connect academic research with practical interventions by developing culturally grounded mental health programs that empower diverse communities.
Zhiyi (Yolanda) Li is a first-year Master of Social Work student at the University of Chicago. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and a B.S. in Quantitative Sciences, with a concentration in Sociology, from Emory University. Originally from Shanghai, Yolanda has studied in the United States since college, giving her firsthand insight into cross-cultural transitions, belonging, and navigating mental health systems.
At Clear Harbor, she runs the mindfulness WeChat group, manages the organization’s official WeChat account, organizes caregiver workshops, and writes mental health articles. Her work reflects a commitment to making mental health services and education more accessible to Asian, BIPOC, and immigrant communities. After graduation, Yolanda hopes to become a clinical social worker providing trauma-informed, culturally responsive therapy and developing mental health education programs for marginalized communities.
Zhiyi (Yolanda) Li
Yunlong (Albert) Zhang
Yunlong (Albert) Zhang earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Finance from the University of Miami and completed graduate training in School Counseling at George Washington University. He joined 澈心, a women-led organization serving predominantly Chinese immigrant communities, because of his commitment to expanding access to culturally responsive mental health services for underrepresented populations.
Drawing on his interdisciplinary background, Yunlong hopes to help translate psychological research into practical interventions that strengthen resilience, personal growth, and long-term well-being. He aims to continue developing professionally while contributing to initiatives that make effective mental health support more accessible across diverse cultural communities.
Ruiting (Renee) Mao
Ruiying (Renee) Mao is completing her Master of Social Work at the NYU Silver School of Social Work. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, with a minor in Economics, from New York University. As a first-generation international student from Chengdu, China, Renee brings firsthand insight into cross-cultural identity, belonging, and adaptation. At Clear Harbor, she supports community outreach and workshops while interviewing community members to identify meaningful forms of support. Her clinical training includes outpatient work with adolescents and young adults, complemented by an independent project on meaning-making and narrative identity.
Renee hopes to expand access to culturally responsive healing for Chinese-speaking and immigrant communities. Drawing on her interests in photography, ceramics, and flameworking, she also hopes to explore how expressive arts can support people for whom verbal emotional expression may feel unfamiliar or unsafe.
Jingda (Cleo) Zhang
Jingdan (Cleo) Zhang is a Boston-area mental health counseling professional with eight years of experience in finance. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Hong Kong and is completing a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling at Boston College, graduating this summer. Raised in China and now living in the United States, Cleo brings firsthand insight into cross-cultural transition, identity, belonging, and the challenges of building community in a new environment.
She joined Clear Harbor because of its commitment to supporting Chinese international students and newcomers through culturally responsive care. Cleo aspires to become a bilingual therapist serving Asian immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities with affirming, culturally grounded support. She hopes to create spaces where people feel understood, less isolated, and empowered to grow while remaining connected to their identities.
Xiaoyang Wang earned a Master of Social Work from Arizona State University and currently serves as a clinician at a nonprofit organization, supporting people from diverse backgrounds as they navigate mental health challenges. Their practice places particular emphasis on culturally responsive care in cross-cultural contexts. Xiaoyang’s own experience moving to the United States—including the difficulty of finding reliable guidance and resources—deepened their commitment to immigrant mental health.
At Clear Harbor, they volunteer in program promotion and community event coordination, helping extend support to Chinese immigrant communities and emerging clinicians. As Xiaoyang works toward becoming a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, they remain focused on providing empathetic, culturally grounded care and improving access to the professional support and mental health resources immigrant communities need to adjust and thrive.
Xiaoyang Wang
Yulin Yang
Yulin Yang holds an M.A. in Mental Health Counseling from Wake Forest University, an M.Sc. in Arts and NGO Management from EDHEC Business School in France, and a bachelor’s degree in Management from Jinan University in China. Before entering the mental health field, she worked as a UX designer for seven years. Her interdisciplinary background informs how she understands human behavior and the ways people experience and navigate the world.
At Clear Harbor, she provides clinical support and creates accessible mental health content for the broader community. Inspired by the organization’s mission to empower Asian international students and new arrivals, she aims to extend her clinical knowledge beyond the therapy room through education and advocacy, improving access to culturally responsive support for marginalized communities.
Xi (Tracy) Chen holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Biology from Case Western Reserve University and a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from Loyola University Chicago. She brings more than 10 years of biomedical research experience spanning immunology, vaccine development, and cell therapy.
At Clear Harbor, Tracy supports content development and community education, focusing on mental health awareness, domestic violence and dating safety, and housing guidance for international students. She believes reliable information and compassionate community support can help people feel less isolated when navigating mental health concerns, relationships, safety issues, and major life transitions. As she explores her next career chapter in healthcare and related fields, Tracy hopes to combine her scientific expertise, communication skills, cross-cultural experience, and commitment to serving others.
Xi (Tracy) Chen
Julia Zhou
Julia Zhou recently earned her Master of Social Work from Columbia University. Her approach recognizes culture as a powerful influence on identity, well-being, and how people experience the world, even when its effects remain unspoken. She is particularly attentive to the challenges new immigrants may face while adapting to a different culture, including uncertainty surrounding employment, housing, and legal status.
Julia hopes to bring a culturally responsive, whole-person perspective to her work by listening not only to what individuals express directly, but also to the experiences and realities that may be difficult to name or easily overlooked. Through this approach, she aims to provide compassionate support grounded in each person’s cultural and social context.
Eric Wang (They/them) holds a B.A. in Psychology from Carleton University and plans to pursue a clinical career. At Clear Harbor, they support community-building initiatives focused on Asian women’s mental health while learning about grassroots mental health operations. They are committed to developing an authentic peer-support network, fostering strong relationships with colleagues, and creating spaces where community members feel understood and connected. Their long-term goals include strengthening psychological resilience within the communities they serve and establishing an independent clinical practice in North America.
