Celine Qin is a globally-recognized, award-winning youth changemaker, public speaker, and social activist. Born and raised in California, she is a multi-time social impact founder centering racial justice, immigrant rights, multicultural solidarity, and anti-carceral youth equity and life development. At just 13 years old, Celine established The Reclamation Project, a non-profit grassroots organization spearheading youth-led movements for systems-change, equity, and liberation within her home state and across the globe. Under her vision as Executive Director, The Reclamation Project has mobilized 270,000+ community members, successfully directed 280+ events, campaigns, and projects, and built a coalition of 1,400+ youth mentees, 150+ social and civic organizational partners, and 250+ volunteers since its start in 2020.  With 6+ years of active involvement in changemaking and advocacy, BIPOC and immigrant/refugee youth empowerment, and multicultural social development at grassroots, national, and global scales, Celine’s high-impact leadership mirrors her unwavering mission of societal transformation through innovation, learning, and intention. She has advised nearly $20 million dollars in grants and private and government partnerships to empower youth and establish life-affirming resource networks in historically-underrepresented communities, including directly procuring and reinvesting $600,000+ towards multicultural civic advocacy and leadership development programs for young leaders of racial minority, low-income, immigrant/refugee, and other traditionally-overlooked backgrounds. As a speaker to now a cumulative audience of 400,000+ youth across 171+ countries worldwide, Celine empowers young people to come forth with their stories and reimagine society in their boldest vision. Currently pursuing her Bachelors degree at Stanford University, Celine’s trailblazing work has been recognized by Princeton University’s Prize in Race Relations, Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations, members of the United States Congress, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Treasury, California Governor Newsom, California Department of Justice and Attorney General, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, leaders across Europe, the United Nations, UN Economic and Social Council, the International Organization for Youth, and further United Nations affiliates, NGOs, and global impact partners. She is additionally an Alexander Hamilton Scholar, Brandon Harrison Social Justice Award Winner for Youth Leadership and Youth Organizing, the youngest recipient of the California Youth Rising Trailblazer Award, and the youngest invited guest lecturer to the University of California, Davis. Celine is a first-generation college student, proud Hoa-American and daughter of Chinese and Vietnamese immigrants, and 18 years old.

“Who am I when the world shakes? I was born to prove my livelihood unconquerable. I was born hungry for agency in a type of world that exists to take it. I was born parched for answers in a system dissipating the richness of a political peoplehood, culture, and resistance. I vow myself to create without defined borders. I break trajectories assumed unto myself, my people, my history, and systems-impacted youth and women of color who know firsthand what it means to try and find oneself in an unfathomably difficult society. I learn every day to stretch the meanings of love. I found myself in social change, activism, leadership, innovation, and world-building—-organizing a community from the grassroots and touching lived experiences with transformative diligence. I found myself in a perpetual pursuit for knowledge and solutions. I found myself in unwavering solidarity, unity, and self-discovery. I found my soul in fearlessness.”

-Celine Qin