Crystal Nguyen is an alumna from the FACES Summer Medical Academy at Arroyo High School. She currently serves as a member of the FACES Youth Advisory Council Cohort for 2025-2026. With regard to how FACES has impacted her life, Crystal responds, “FACES impacted my life by reframing the way I live. I realized that the pressure of holding my mental health in wasn’t healthy and realized that there were also many other Asian Americans struggling with the belief that mental health is shameful. With the skills I learned from FACES, I helped students throughout my school and my family open up about their feelings which lifted off a lot of heavy burdens and weight off their shoulders. One of the most impactful moments during my time with FACES was learning about mental health awareness. In Asian cultures, sometimes mental health issues are highly stigmatized and viewed as weaknesses which made it difficult to open up about my mental health up until I joined FACES. The mental health programming FACES taught showed me that talking about your mental health with your friends, a trusted family member, or anyone willing to listen brings out a special bond between you and that person.
Currently, Crystal is a sophomore at University of California, Berkeley where she majors in Neuroscience and minors in Global public health. She plans to pursue medical school and eventually become a Neurosurgeon. She also works as an Optician Technician in the Bay Area and as a volunteer at CPMC Sutter Health in the emergency department.