My name is Grace Qinghua Zhen, and I’m honored to serve as the Texas chapter lead for Global Voice for Education and as a member of the Texas Student Board of Education’s Student Advisory Council. Titles aside, what really drives me is this: making sure students are at the center of the conversation about education.

Far too often, education is defined by numbers—test scores, GPAs, rankings, statistics. And while those numbers matter, they only tell part of the story. What gets lost are the lived experiences of students—the pressure of standardized testing, the challenge of balancing school with mental health, the barriers that come from inequity, and the weight of trying to succeed in systems that weren’t built with all of us in mind.

For me, education has never just been about achievement—it’s about experience. It’s about culture, identity, and resilience. It’s about learning not only algebra or history, but also how to navigate being human in a world that doesn’t always make space for every voice.

As a youth advocate and STEM researcher, I’ve seen how inequities in education show up in ways big and small. I’ve seen how opportunities aren’t always evenly distributed, and how certain voices—especially those of underrepresented communities like the AAPI community—can be overlooked. I believe those perspectives are not just valuable, but necessary. If we want an education system that truly prepares students for the future, it must include the diverse voices of the present.

That’s why, through the Texas chapter of Global Voice for Education, I hope to create a space that flips the script. A space where students can:

• Speak honestly about what’s happening in our classrooms—the good, the bad, and the unspoken.
• Question outdated systems that may have worked decades ago but don’t reflect today’s realities.
• Put forward bold new ideas that adults might not think of, but that could change the way we learn and grow.

This work matters because it’s not just about policy—it’s about people. Education decisions shape our daily lives, and yet too often, they’re made without our input. Students deserve more than to be talked about; we deserve to be talked with. We deserve to be partners in shaping the systems that shape us.

I believe the future of education will be defined not by the policies written in offices, but by the voices rising from classrooms. And those voices are ready to lead.

If you’re a student who’s ever felt overlooked, a teacher who’s ready to listen, or an ally who believes in the power of young voices, I invite you to be part of this movement. Together, we can reimagine education—not as something done to students, but as something built with students.

Because education isn’t just about preparing for the future. It is the present. And the present belongs to us.