Corina Leu ’12

Hometown: Astoria, New York

When Corina Leu moved to New York City five years ago from the former Soviet state of Moldova, she came as the daughter of a United Nations employee, not as an immigrant. Despite that distinction, she readily empathized with traditional and undocumented immigrants.

Leu’s concern for her fellow newcomers rapidly snowballed into a passion for other social justice issues. She joined the Global Action Project (GAP), a city organization that trains students to create media messages to provoke dialogue and change. Working with GAP, Leu coproduced public service videos on hate crimes, the U.S. justice system, LGBTQ issues, and the challenges facing undocumented students pursuing higher education.

Leu didn’t just rely on others to act on her messages. She organized food and clothing drives for the homeless and HIV/AIDS victims, fundraisers for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and SaveDarfur.org, and youth workshops on reproductive rights and health care. “I believe youth power can be very effective in creating change,” she said.