Joseph is a resilient and compassionate leader whose journey from Myanmar to the United States has shaped his passion for advocacy and service. Raised as a refugee in Malaysia for over a decade before resettling in the U.S. with the support of UNHCR the summer of 2023, he has transformed his experiences of displacement into a mission to create equitable access to healthcare and education while amplifying the voices of immigrant and refugee youth.

He is most proud of founding Advocates for Immigrant Student Equity (AISE), a youth-led initiative addressing systemic barriers facing immigrant and refugee students. Through AISE, Joseph has worked with school officials, policymakers, and community leaders to design multilingual resources and push for fair academic placement policies. He also founded the Brightening Lives Club, which delivers letters and handmade gifts to seniors and children in care facilities, and serves on the Monroe County Youth Council, where he directs initiatives on education and youth engagement. He has also contributed to statewide advocacy as a member of the Indiana Center for Prevention of Youth Abuse and Suicide’s Youth Advisory Council. Beyond local work, he serves as the Global Ambassadors Director for Global Learners and shares his voice as a writer on Medium.

Looking ahead, Joseph aspires to bridge healthcare and global advocacy—either as a physician ensuring equitable access to medicine or as an international leader advancing refugee rights. His lived experiences continue to inspire his vision of a world where all youth, regardless of background, have the opportunity to thrive