Dustin Liu
United Nations Association of the United States of America
New York, NY USA
"When the opportunity came to help young people see their own potential and see themselves as problem-solvers, it was an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down."
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Dustin's work combines: Government, Politics, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
This is actually a hurdle I'm still experiencing today. I've witnessed multiple occasions where an organization just doesn't believe that young people deserve to contribute. I've seen young people be commodified. I've seen their voices be lessened. I think it's important, especially as we consider initiatives like the climate movement and equitable education, we need to center youth voices in a more sustainable and more impactful way.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Labor and Industrial Relations
Cornell University
Graduate Degree
Higher Education/Higher Education Administration
Harvard University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Growing up, I spent a lot of time helping and learning from my mom, who was very engaged in the community.
2.
Throughout high school, I focused on learning about ways that individuals could play a larger role in their community—I became very involved in local politics and community organizing.
3.
I went to Cornell University and earned my bachelor’s degree in industrial and labor relations, through which I learned about the ways we can help people work together to achieve a common goal.
4.
I continued to take on roles within the spheres of social change, education, and global citizenship.
5.
In 2020, I was appointed as the ninth UNA-USA Youth Observer to the United Nations—my role is focused on engaging youth with the work of the UN and helping them see themselves as problem-solvers.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
Young people can't contribute meaningfully to an organization.
How I responded:
This is actually a hurdle I'm still experiencing today. I've witnessed multiple occasions where an organization just doesn't believe that young people deserve to contribute. I've seen young people be commodified. I've seen their voices be lessened. I think it's important, especially as we consider initiatives like the climate movement and equitable education, we need to center youth voices in a more sustainable and more impactful way.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
In many spaces, we fail to recognize the power of young people. But we have knowledge and lived experiences to bring to the table. Instead of being given a true voice to make change, young people are often brought in as a superficial advisory role.
As an Asian American leader, multiple people have said things like, "Wow, you're really involved for an Asian man." Asian Americans aren't socialized to believe that we deserve to have a voice. We need to unpack this and strive for representation.