Written by: Shuhan Jin, FCSN Voices Youth Reporter
Graphics by: Anna Wang, FCSN Voices Graphic Artist

As a young actor, 18-year-old Rosalie Chiang has already accomplished impressive milestones in her career, including being the voice actor for the main character Mei Lee of Turning Red. While Rosalie is known for her voice and acting skills, a big part of her identity lies elsewhere: giving back to the community. FCSN has always been a key part of her story. Having joined FCSN at an incredibly young age and growing up with the organization by her side, the recent high school graduate has not only made a defining impact on the organization but has also learned valuable lessons while volunteering. 

Rosalie was first introduced to FCSN at just one year old when she and her brother would attend various FCSN events. “My brother has autism and grew up with this organization,” Rosalie said. One event in particular that her brother frequently participated in was the organization’s Saturday social playgroups. To help him feel more comfortable in an unfamiliar place, Rosalie would often accompany her brother to these events. As years went by, Rosalie grew up with everlasting memories of how the organization impacted her brother, and when she became old enough to volunteer, she did not hesitate for a moment. 

Even through her busy schedule with her acting career, Rosalie continued to put aside time to help a good cause. “When I was a freshman in high school, which was the minimum age I could join, I began to volunteer [at FCSN] immediately. I guess that’s because FCSN has been such a helpful organization to my family, and I wanted to pay back,” Rosalie recalled. In the beginning, Rosalie focused on various event-based volunteer opportunities and slowly moved on to bigger projects. 

During her sophomore year of high school, FCSN’s very own Friends Coffee and Tea shop presented students and volunteers with the opportunity to take part in a commercial video to promote the coffee shop. After her concept idea was chosen for the video, Rosalie spent a lot of her time dedicated to planning, directing, and filming the commercial. Soon after the commercial was completed, she was then given the role of Social Media Manager for the Friends Coffee and Tea shop’s various social media pages. 

While growing up with FCSN by her side, Rosalie has made timeless memories and learned unforgettable lessons along the way, specifically about the special needs community as a whole. “I learned a lot about the special needs community because my view was so limited with just my brother,” Rosalie said. “I thought everyone in that organization was just like him. But everyone is unique.” Through her commitments to FCSN projects like Friends Coffee and Tea and other volunteering events, she also gained valuable knowledge in leadership and teamwork. 

As for the future, Rosalie will be a college freshman this fall as an undeclared major, and hopes to impact the neurodiverse community within her campus. Although she will be going off to college, Rosalie still plans on contributing to FCSN as a member of the FCSN Young Leaders Committee, where she hopes to form a community with FCSN alumni.