Rina Xu (she/her) serves as the DC Youth Facilitation Coordinator at AALEAD, working with both middle and high schoolers. As the daughter of Chinese immigrants, Rina is committed to advocating for AANHPI representation, empowerment, and community-building. She also has a big heart for youth empowerment initiatives overall and is dedicated to making youth feel seen, supported, and comfortable to grow into the best versions of themselves. 

Rina grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, and graduated from Vanderbilt University, where she studied Economics & Public Policy Studies with minors in Data Science and Asian American Studies. During her college years, she was very active in her campus Asian American Student Association—serving as Vice President of Advocacy, then President—and also led The Asian American Advocacy Project at Vanderbilt for two years. In these roles, she worked to highlight marginalized voices, create space for safe and honest discussion about important topics, and build resource channels for local Asian American youth in greater Nashville. 

Rina has also had the opportunity to be a part of the 2025 OCA National Internship Program and the 2024 Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL) Public Service Fellowship. As part of these public service-oriented fellowships, she worked as a Policy Intern for the Vincent Chin Institute (VCI) and a Data Analysis Intern for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. 

Rina remains passionate about pursuing a career that uplifts the communities around her and prioritizes those that cannot prioritize themselves. She also enjoys coffee, trying new restaurants, singing, board games, and all forms of carbs!