Harvard senior leads legacy of hope and service
Economics and global health concentrator Olivia Zhang '27 is on a mission to empower youth as a catalyst for social good.
While the rest of her family was asleep in their Northern Virginia home, 14-year-old Olivia was wide awake into the morning hours, reading another in a long series of articles about starting a nonprofit.
The year prior, she’d lost two of the most important people in her life, her grandfather and a teacher, both from cancer, within the span of two months. “I was struggling a lot,” Zhang said. “Reflecting on it now and understanding more of my coping mechanisms, I think a huge one that I have is work. That became compartmentalizing goals that I have, and making action tasks that would fulfill that. The biggest one I had was honoring their legacies.”
After selling artwork and donating the proceeds to cancer charities, she felt discouraged at not being able to see the donations’ impact. Through the time she spent at her grandfather’s bedside and meeting other patients and families, she began to understand their needs more directly, inspiring her to create her own nonprofit, Cancer Kids First, in 2019.
Inspiring Involvement
Zhang started a movement within her high school peers by encouraging them to volunteer through Cancer Kids First.
“It gave me something to live and strive for,” Zhang said. “Cancer Kids First brings me so much purpose and fulfillment because I’m able to help people in a way that’s uniquely personal to me, like I was put on this Earth for a purpose, to use my skills and my talents to help others while giving back to two people who really paved the path for the type of person I want to be.”
Zhang found a way to differentiate her nonprofit by focusing the mission on “helping kids with cancer in a way that only youth can”. Children were able to connect with kids battling cancer on a peer level, leveraging their artistic talents to remind patients of their supportive community, whether through exchanging handmade cards, participating in personalized Zoom events, and more.
As the high schooler grew and evolved over the years, so did her goals for Cancer Kids First. “I wanted to ensure that after volunteers join our organization, they don’t only learn about how important it is to help other people, but they also learn how to communicate, grow something themselves, and develop leadership skills,” she noted. “I also wanted to change how young people are viewed, because I think we’re incredibly underestimated.” She recalls often having her work diminished due to her gender, race, and age, which added to feelings of worthlessness and her mental health struggles.
However, she underestimated her own ability to get accepted at her dream university. She applied to Harvard at the urging of her high school's faculty and staff, but didn’t expect to have a chance.
Now stepping into her final year at Harvard College, she credits her time as an undergrad with shaping her personally, intellectually, and professionally. “I don’t think I can put into words how much I love this place and how much I think it’s changed me,” she said.
“Harvard was definitely what cemented who I am, what I care about, and why I do what I do.”
A big part of that transformation came from the people she met at Harvard, from friends, to professors, who helped her balance her nonprofit commitments, accomplish new dreams, and learn more about herself.
“At Harvard, a new door was opened,” Zhang said. “I surrounded myself with people who had different values, cared about deeper topics, and pushed me to be uncomfortable. They taught me what friendship means, how to show love, and how to be cared for. I’ve never had more of a supportive community.”
During her first year at Harvard, she began working on another one of her lifelong goals of writing a book. What started as a dining hall meet-up with a peer at the College who had already published a book, led to the publication of hers, titled YOUth: The Young Person’s Guide to Starting a Nonprofit.
Putting the "you" in youth
Zhang fulfilled a lifelong dream through the publication of her book, "YOUth: The Young Person’s Guide to Starting a Nonprofit".
When she needed help with her data-heavy economics courses, classmates didn’t hesitate to offer their time.
Her friend, Sky Lam ‘26, advised her on pitch decks and self-marketing.
Zachary Stuart, Preceptor for EXPOS 40: Public Speaking Practicum, planted her aspiration to give a TED Talk. “I never thought I could do it,” Zhang said, “and he helped me view my classroom practice sessions as potentially that.” When she was offered the opportunity to present a real TEDx Talk, “he was the person who read through my script, gave me edits, and did countless practice sessions with me. He gave me a lot of confidence, so I completely credit that class, and him, for launching my speaking journey.”
“Harvard is like a passport of a lifetime,” Zhang remarked. “The people here were some of the first people who encouraged me to be fearless, and actually supplemented that encouragement with resources for me to succeed. As someone who has always been placed in boxes, for the first time in my life, there was no ceiling to hit. The possibilities were limitless.”
Throughout her time at Harvard, Zhang has approached each moment with gratitude. “I can’t believe I get to go to my dream university, while building the work that I care about, and getting the chance to pursue my career dreams,” she shared. “I think that’s what I’ve always wanted in a university, but never thought I deserved or would be able to experience.”
True to her ambitious nature, Zhang already has a list of things she wants to accomplish in the next year, from attending as many Harvard events as possible, to exploring the startup scene, to building upon the success of Cancer Kids First’s inaugural leadership conference. She’s also prioritizing giving back to Harvard by mentoring the new class of 2030 through coffee chats, virtual meetings, and encouraging them to find what gives them purpose.
“I see that in life, there are different times: a time to build, a time to learn, and then a time to give,” Zhang reflected. “Now, as I’m leaving, I think it’s so important to give. I don’t think I could ever give back to Harvard the people that they’ve given to me; they reminded me endlessly that they supported me, and pushed me to grow and explore. I don’t think I’d deserve the things that I’ve gotten unless I give it back ten times.”
Forwarding the mission
During her time at Harvard, Zhang was able to continue to grow her nonprofit through the support of the community.
Though Zhang holds many titles—nonprofit founder, author, entrepreneur, public speaker, and social impact influencer—she wants the takeaway of her story to focus on the impact.
“I want this to be proof that no matter what barriers you experience in life, as long as you work hard and index on growth, I truly believe you can achieve anything you put your mind to,” she said.
“And I hope other girls hear my story and feel like they can do it too.”
