Our Story

Founded in May of 2021 by three Chinese American high school students in New York City, Bridging Seas was created to do exactly what the name says: Bridge the seas. Like many immigrant students, our founders, Lauren Lee, Isabella Jia, and Sharon Liu, were eager to feel closer to their cultural roots. As a result of the pandemic barring people around the world from traveling and experiencing the benefits of cultural exchange, our founders decided to bring cultural exchange straight to students themselves. In particular, Bridging Seas aims to bridge the vast Asian diaspora because it is clear to us the collective struggle Asian students face in learning to accept their cultures when Western culture is so dominant globally. Today, Bridging Seas remains largely high school-led, with a strong emphasis on leadership development, providing students with the opportunity to take ownership of the program and actively engage in their cultural education. With an incredible team of young, brilliant students, Bridging Seas is proud to be a youth-led global organization that is fulfilling the purpose of its original founding.