Applicant Joyce Kang emphasizes mental‑health outreach, cites Poetic Arts grant

Joyce Kang said mental-health advocacy has been central to her high-school activities and that she hopes to bring that experience to the youth council. "Throughout high school, I've been really involved in the mental health community," she said, describing work with a suicide-prevention hotline and nonprofit programs that reach students across Los Angeles.

Kang described Poetic Arts, a nonprofit she co-founded with a $5,000 grant from the Dragon Kim Foundation, and said the program taught about 170 students literary and creative-writing skills with an emphasis on mental-health expression. She told the council she would work to reduce stigma and ensure students have someone to turn to; she also said she can regularly attend Friday youth council meetings. The council will vote on appointments on October 6.