During a summer trip to India in 2023, Maya donated school supplies to underprivileged children and spent six weeks teaching, mentoring, and connecting with them. The experience opened her eyes to the broader needs of the communities she served and deepened her commitment to giving back. It became a turning point that inspired her to expand YSC’s mission and pursue service initiatives that extend far beyond music. Recognizing the scale of what she hoped to build, Maya later enlisted the help of her close friend Bella (Yi) Guan, who joined as Chief Operating Officer. Together, they began shaping a stronger, more expansive vision for YSC—one rooted in compassion, education, and meaningful action.

Hi! My name is Bella, and I joined Maya in starting YSC in 2025 as the Chief Operating Officer. When I first heard about YSC’s mission of empowering the youth through real-life experiences, I knew I had to be a part of it.

My journey in social services began in the summer of 7th grade. My first volunteering experience was at my local food bank. Truth to be told, I only volunteered at first to impress universities (hey, no judging!). However, over the years, as I continued searching for opportunities, I began to realize that social services are not just something I can decorate my college application with.

After my experience with weeding and organizing the pantry, I found another volunteering role—this time, in a math camp. As a counselor in the math camp, I was responsible to look out for 7 elementary campers aged 6-8, and help them with math. This is where I began understanding the impact that even one person can have on their community. As the camp went on, I noticed that the campers led by counselors who encouraged them to attempt new mathematics were much more likely to succeed in completing their math practices, thereby having a more positive view on math. This showed me that even small actions can bring positive changes to the lives of people in my community, and I felt a sense of pride at this.

After acting as a math counselor, I became a robotics counselor for middle schoolers at a community organization. There were challenges as I volunteered there, but nevertheless, I gained invaluable experiences that greatly honed my leadership and problem-solving skills.

And so, social services have not only let me experience the joy in seeing smiles light up people’s faces due to your actions, but it has also taught me many priceless skills I could not have otherwise learned.

These moments were what made me want to join YSC, and I truly hope you join us in our mission to share these incredible moments!