Diana Chao
Diana Chao (born c. 1998) is an American mental health activist. She is the founder of Letters to Strangers, a global non-profit organization that facilitates anonymous letter-writing exchanges for youth mental health support.
Early life and education
Chao was born in the Guizhou province of China and belongs to the Buyi ethnic minority.[1] She immigrated to the United States with her family at age nine, settling in California.[2]
Chao was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 13.[1] During high school, she was also diagnosed with uveitis, an eye condition that caused episodes of temporary blindness.[3] She graduated from Princeton University in 2021 with a degree in geosciences. She later attended the University of Oxford as a Skoll Scholar.[4]
Letters to Strangers
In 2013, while a high school sophomore, Chao founded Letters to Strangers (L2S) as a student club.[1][2] The organization's primary activity involves exchanging anonymous letters between students to share personal stories and offer support.[1]
According to EdSurge, the organization grew through word-of-mouth and established student chapters internationally.[1] By 2024, the organization reported having chapters in 70 countries.[4] The organization also operates a toll-free mental health hotline in Liberia.[1]
Awards and recognition
In 2016, Chao was named a U.S. Presidential Scholar.[5] She was named a "Health Hero" by O, The Oprah Magazine in 2019.[6]
In 2020, L'Oréal Paris named her one of their "Women of Worth" honorees.[7] In 2021, she was a recipient of the Princess Diana Legacy Award.[8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Tate Sullivan, Emily (March 22, 2023). "How Writing 'Letters to Strangers' Helps Students Who Need Mental Health Support". EdSurge. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "How writing 'Letters to Strangers' helped to save this woman's life". Yahoo! Lifestyle. September 21, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
- ↑ Frazier, Kierra (January 7, 2021). "Youth-Led Organization Tackles Mental Illness Through Letters". YR Media. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Oxford Saïd Announces 2023 Cohort Of Skoll Scholars". Poets & Quants. July 9, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
- ↑ "2016 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program". U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
- ↑ "Diana Chao: Changing the World for Mental Health". The My Hero Project. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
- ↑ "L'Oréal Paris Women Of Worth Celebrates 15th Anniversary". PR Newswire. December 1, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Legacy Award 2021". The Diana Award. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
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