When Amber Lin was in the third grade, her family left Taiwan. The family now lives in Irvine and Amber is a sophomore attending Tarbut V’Torah (TVT) Community Day School.
Like most teens, Amber has a variety of interests. The difference is that she seems to excel in each of those interests. She is an accomplished pianist. What most adult musicians can only dream of, Amber has already accomplished. In addition to winning numerous American and international piano competitions, at just 13 years of age, Amber has performed at Carnegie Hall four times!
She also enjoys sports. Amber is on the girls varsity golf team at her school, and was one of only six students chosen to play in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section tournament last year. And, she advanced to the CIF Regional Individuals this year.
With a passion for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math), Amber worked on a research project last year where she studied the anti-aging effects of Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN). That project earned her a first-place finish at the Orange County Science & Engineering Fair.
In 2021, Amber traveled to Taiwan to work on a STEM project with Dr. Juin-Hong Cherng, a professor at the National Defense Medical Center.
Amber is also involved in community service projects at her school. In fact, she earned the President’s Volunteer Service Award for her work.
This past summer Amber traveled to Nepal with a group of volunteers, physicians, and nursing school students from Landseed Hospital in Taiwan.
Amber Lin in Nepal with students from a local school
The first leg of the trip was centered around providing health education for students at a local school. For her part, Amber created a poster that outlines easy ways to prevent dengue fever, which is endemic to Nepal (transmitted through mosquitos). She also donated health-related storybooks that were published by the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, along with a variety of books that Amber had collected from libraries here in Irvine.
Inspired by the students’ passion for learning, Amber is already planning a return trip to the school, and has begun eliciting help from her Irvine schoolmates to help coordinate book donations.
Amber greeting patients at a health clinic in Nepal
The volunteers then spent time at a small medical clinic where Amber welcomed patients and helped nursing school students translate prescription instructions into English. And, she assisted with basic medical care like cleaning patients’ wounds.
The final leg of the journey was at a medical center in a rural mountain setting, where medical care is difficult to access. That experience made Amber appreciate the world-class health care that is available here in Irvine … and reinforced her belief that we must find ways to provide medical resources to those who otherwise would not be able to access them.
When asked about her journey to Nepal, Amber said: “It was an unforgettable trip. The more I remember the faces of Nepali villagers I met, the more committed I am to aid them again.”
Amber’s story is yet another reminder of just how remarkable our Irvine students are!
