Nicole Kwan is an undergraduate student at the University of Virginia’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and Leadership with a minor in Data Science. Her research interests center on mental health policy, immigrant health equity, and the intersections between public health and the criminal legal system. Nicole’s passion for mental health policy stems from her lived experience as an immigrant navigating language, financial, and cultural barriers to accessing care. She has worked with the Houston Mayor’s Office of Education and Youth Engagement (MOEYE), the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and StartOut, where she focused on youth mental health and LGBTQ+ advocacy. Nicole aspires to pursue a Master of Public Health and become a psychiatric epidemiologist or mental health policy analyst. Outside of academics and advocacy, she enjoys reading, discovering new restaurants, and going on road trips.
