Jessie Zheng

Jessie is a high school and incoming college freshman from West Haven, Connecticut, a passionate advocate for youth civic engagement, educational equity, and Asian American visibility. As a queer Chinese American growing up in a multigenerational immigrant household, they've often navigated the tension between cultural expectations and personal identity—experiences that now fuel their activism and storytelling.

They are the founder of various youth-led nonprofits, working directly with the Department of Education, the Connecticut General Assembly, and the Board of Education. Outside of these roles, Jessie has worked on several pieces of state legislation, including implementing AAPI educational content in K-12 schools, advocating for critically ill patients, and addressing hate crimes. This has been possible through interning with Representative DeLauro, Attorney General William Tong, State Senator Anwar, State Representative Khan, and serving on several youth advisory boards, including the Governors' Prevention Council.

When they're not spending time on legislation, Jessie works on volunteering in their local community, including libraries and soup kitchens, and empowering students by hosting events through their nonprofit, CT Speech & Action. Outside of organizing, they are visual artists, designers, and community researchers.