Angelina is an inspirational change-maker from a low-income, Cambodian-immigrant family. Growing up in North Long Beach, California, Angelina defied the oppressive ideals expected of her while uplifting others in her community. Angelina has written a book, Raw Poems from a Teenage Girl, which is about her experiences growing up in a marginalized community and how that impacted her adolescence.

Angelina has not let the limited opportunities she had growing up prevent her from achieving her dreams. In 7th grade, she led the majority of her middle school’s social media accounts and communications during the pandemic. During this time of crisis, she communicated with hundreds of students and parents to ensure they were well-informed, while empowering other students to pursue excellence ranging from academics to service despite prejudices towards their ability based on income and identity. Angelina has personally empowered struggling students by seeing the beauty within them, leading them to make healthier choices. In order to continue these efforts after the pandemic, Angelina founded Golden Student Bears where she tackles the opportunity gap through social media, journalism, and direct awareness about college and career opportunities. While the organization targets California students, nearly one-quarter of students are from outside the US!

Angelina's main inspiration is her community. Growing up in a marginalized area with a single mother, Angelina seldom received much guidance. Living in a garage, taking care of the neighborhood kids at 8 years old, she eventually found a place of warmth and acceptance with those in her community. Despite the negativity around her, she was raised to empower and uplift others despite their backgrounds, like the ones who’ve accepted her.