Sienna Zhiwen Xu was born and raised in a small village in China. With a background as a school teacher, team leader, and program coordinator, Sienna observed young people struggling without purpose or passion. This situation inspired her to create a startup that helped teenagers shape their futures. The Flourish Life Design Academy focuses on providing immersive mental health education and uses design thinking with teenagers from underrepresented backgrounds in China. The ultimate goal is to allow them to define their future with healthy coping mechanisms.
From Sienna’s experience, Chinese students face immense stress and competition at school, high parental expectations, and rapidly changing socio-economic conditions. A significant percentage of adolescents report experiencing depression, with millions struggling with emotional or behavioral issues. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated feelings of isolation and anxiety. Sienna’s challenging educational journey fostered independence and resilience. Overcoming personal battles with depression fueled her desire to improve mental health support for public school students. Further on, in 2021, she left her job to establish her project, empowering over 15,000 young people and training teachers globally for UNESCO.
The Y&Y Fellowship has been an enriching and nurturing experience for Sienna. She shares it has provided her with valuable learning opportunities and connections. Her advice for aspiring social entrepreneurs is to understand and fall in love with the problem they aim to solve. Moreover, she invites them to be authentic and seek the support of mentors to gain knowledge and wisdom from experienced individuals.
