As Captain of her high school’s Science Olympiad and Science Bowl teams, Nina Zhan observed systemic barriers preventing underrepresented students from pursuing STEM. Determined to challenge these inequities, she founded GLAD Academy alongside 4 other international nonprofits.
Hosting GLAD Academy
as Founder and President
Hosting Words4Wisdomn as Co-Founder and president with Harvard and USC University students
Hosting GYP Debate Club
as President
Hosting Goodbye Eczema Global Health Alliance
as President
Hosting Chicago North Shore Volunteer Club Orientation
as the first President selected by the Principal
Nina was selected as the only student representative to speak at a Chinese school education board meeting
Subsequently, Nina was invited to lead the Pearson English teaching project at China’s Dolphin Publishing House and to serve as the spokesperson for the national Pearson English Competition. As the youngest member, she also took part in the “Read English for You” initiative—an activity primarily involving college students from various countries—which has earned a million followers across platforms. In addition, she won multiple state-level speech contests, coached over hundreds of students for debate and speech, over 80 students for Spelling Bee competitions , and taught private lessons for children battling cancer—honing her ability to uplift others. Later, Nina was invited as an official audiobook narrator to record more than a thousand bestselling American children’s books for China’s Tonglifang Bilingual Publishing House and became an officially certified commercial host on China’s largest audio platform, Ximalaya.
Nina uses her speaking to connect the world, allowing culture to transcend linguistic and geographical boundaries, and reach a wider audience.
Nina’s passion for philanthropy was ignited at the age of nine when she decided to donate instead of using the money to celebrate her birthday. Since 2020, she has dedicated her birthdays for six consecutive years to funding the care of “Pika Pika,” an orphaned elephant in Africa, and continues to donate to this day.
At the same time, Nina has also donated funds to support medication during the COVID-19 pandemic and provided aid to children suffering from leukemia, among other causes.
Since seventh grade, the pandemic year, she has donated 12 inches of hair annually—on three separate occasions—to support children with alopecia and cancer, later expanding her impact through GLAD Academy by funding wigs designed for diverse Black hair types.
Through years of recording bilingual audios, Nina discovered that language is the gateway to global understanding. Recognizing that cultural misunderstandings often spark conflict, she founded GLAD Academy to break down barriers and empower impoverished regions through English education. Driven by her passion for culture and science, Nina launched transformative initiatives: GLAD Academy not only teaches languages but also uses it as a tool to teach Culture and STEM. She has hosted racial equity/cultural webinars engaging 500+ global attendees and feature speakers from Haiti, Belgium, Peru, Germany, China, and the U.S. Her multilingual immersion programs in English, French, Spanish, Dutch, and Chinese have already helped thousands overcome language barriers.
Through GLAD Academy, she led a fundraiser that provided 1,030 bilingual children’s books and audiobooks (which she recorded) to public libraries in Naperville and Edmonton, impacting 150,000 people. She also established the GLAD Nonprofit Funding program, which supports more than 15 high school nonprofit clubs worldwide.
Nina hosted Words4Wisdom Society Webinars with Co-founder Summer Sun, a student at Harvard University
Through Words4Wisdom Society, Nina founded an international E-magazine, “Imagine2Empower,” which eliminates cultural barriers and delivers reading materials to underserved children—the first two issues reaching over 600 readers.
Additionally, she is a mentor for the Reading & Writing Corner Club.
Nina initiated the annual Fundraiser Debate Tournament to raise funds for Haitian children, and organized a COP28 fundraiser that incorporated cultural perspectives on climate change. She also organized a webinar with a USA Youth Senator on sustainability, engaging over 300 attendees, and her Zero Dropout From School initiative raised funds to support 150 underprivileged students in Yunnan, China.
An Accomplished Figure Skater and Musician
Nina has won 1st place in the entire state of Illinois in both Broadway and Opera.
She has performed songs at a fundraising concert for refugees affected by the Russo-Ukraine war.
A Dedicated Educator
Nina has been teaching for five years, reaching over 100 students. She was selected as the 1st president of her Chinese school’s Tutoring Club. Her writing and art have also been published in various books and magazines.
Furthermore, she earned national recognition in the Chemistry Olympiad and ranked among the top three in state-level Chemistry tournaments. She has written a computational organic chemistry research paper on a novel breast cancer drug, which led her to begin teaching an Honors Chemistry class.
Nina’s relentless drive, which has earned her four consecutive Presidential Volunteer Service Gold Awards, stems from her core belief: equity is not just about opening doors but ensuring that people feel empowered to walk through them. Through her four international nonprofits, scientific research, and advocacy, she continues to push boundaries and uplift a world worth protecting.
