Tha Zin, Stanford University

Tha Zin, a third year undergraduate student at Stanford University, is majoring in Electrical Engineering with a concentration in energy and the environment. Her coursework and extracurricular activities have focused primarily on expanding access to clean energy and water, particularly in developing economies in Southeast Asia. Tha Zin has assumed increasing levels of leadership in the Stanford chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World, an organization that addresses challenges of global poverty and sustainability by harnessing the creativity of young engineers. As a theme associate for Branner Hall, Stanford’s public service-themed dorm, she has played a significant role in organizing her colleagues to explore opportunities in activism, community-based research, direct service, philanthropy, public policy, and social entrepreneurship. During her time at Stanford, she has also made a sustained commitment to mentoring young people in East Palo Alto. Tha Zin hails from Myanmar and hopes to someday return to her native country, where she will work to improve the quality of life for young people with limited access to clean water and energy.