Hanh Chu was born and raised in Việt Nam. She moved to the US at the age of 11. After relocating multiple times, she settled in San Luis Obispo, California, and finished her secondary education there. She is currently attending University of California Berkeley with an intention to major in Political Economy. She’s keeping her options open and is excited to explore her interests more fully.

Moving to a different country with a new culture at a young age was an unbearable challenge to Hanh at first. She was filled with self-consciousness about her differences. However, she was fortunate to be surrounded by people who never gave up on her, and she gained the confidence to keep going. She is now fully embracing her uniqueness and ready for any obstacle headed her way. Her biggest regret is not stepping out of her bubble and engaging herself in more community activities. Now, Hanh is committed to taking an active role in giving back to immigrant and underrepresented communities. Hanh hopes to empower people to be proud of what makes them different. She is passionate about furthering society’s progress toward a better and more inclusive place.

As a DreamSF Fellow, Hanh is placed at the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs (OCEIA). With the experiences gained from participating in community driven programs, she will support the San Francisco Pathways to Citizenship Initiative with their logistics, intake and client scheduling processes.

In her free time, she likes playing table tennis, walking around the city, and tasting delicious food from around the world. She also spends a lot of her time emerging herself in art: from watching movies, listening to music, to creating her own art pieces.