Jia L is 15 this year and lives in Beijing.
She was born in Busan, South Korea, moved to Seoul, then finally to China when she was 8 because of her dad’s job. Of the cities where she has lived, she feels most at home in Beijing because of the fond memories the city holds for her. Importantly, Beijing is where she first interacted with other foreign students (plus, it is where she got her first taste of 糖葫芦 Tang Hu Lu).
As a student, Jia is passionate about promoting mental health awareness among teens. She has been inspired by personal experiences and now hosts a mental health club at the International School of Beijing (ISB), helping to advocate for the well-being of students through authentic activities and events.
Writing is one of her hobbies. Jia enjoys writing with purpose about causes that intrigue her—the subjects range anywhere from mental health to the most recent K-pop music video that’s topping the charts; in fact, she has centered many of her pieces in the school magazine around these topics.
Apart from that, Jia can speak four languages—English, Korean, Chinese, and Spanish—and is also an avid debater and participator of the World Scholar’s Cup.
This summer, Jia hopes to expand her knowledge of mental health and sharpen her writing skills, all the while collaborating with other great teen writers.
Images: Jia Lee
