Hearts for Heritage -- 8th Grade Vision to High School Reality

By: Aziz Madisakov

Life follows some basic, often unspoken rules. Dreams are important for success, but just because you set a realistic goal doesn’t mean you automatically have the strength to reach it. Working toward a goal requires visualization, creativity, and building yourself up to handle obstacles. Only then can you truly achieve something meaningful. A while ago, two girls grew up in warm, welcoming Asian communities. They came from families of small business owners who struggled to compete with large chains that were overtaking their small neighborhoods. By March 2025, these girls, now in high school, became concerned about how their communities and friends were being treated. They decided to start Hearts for Heritage to help Asian community centers through service and donations. As their small project grew into an organization, they recruited more students. They began sending monthly newsletters highlighting small Asian businesses, organizing fundraisers to support other Asian groups, and running workshops to raise awareness, offer practical help, and build community connections.

These two Olivias, now faced with the struggle of managing an organization with chapters in over 3 states, are tasked with positively shaping their communities and maybe, hopefully one day, changing the world.

Our co-founders, Olivia Liao (left) and Olivia Kang (right) side-by-side