Why JoyfulLee exists
Our story
Real people, with real stories, doing what they can with what they have.
JoyfulLee started the way most good things do — with a quiet conversation between two people who'd been thinking the same thing for a long time.
Jae and Katie had to grow up early. Jae is a 1.5-generation immigrant who came to the United States in first grade and worked multiple jobs throughout high school and college. Katie, a second-generation, learned early how to carry the weight of school, family, and responsibility in a home where stability was not always present.
When they finally found room to travel together, the world widened their views through simple, yet unforgettable moments: sharing a meal in a new city, learning the rhythm of another culture, hearing a stranger describe life from a different angle, and realizing the world was much wider than the one they had known.
Experiencing other cultures can help students envision more possibility in themselves.
That feeling stayed. Eventually it turned into a simple question: How can we help students experience that kind of possibility earlier on?
JoyfulLee Foundation is our hopeful step towards answering that question. We fund week-long travel experiences for hardworking students so they can carry their own story into a bigger world — with joy, love, and people cheering them on.
Want to be part of this?
We're still in the early stages — and that's what makes this exciting. If you want to help, there are a few ways to get involved.