Princetonians Photo: Dear Stranger

Image

Photo: Mandee Johnson

When Diana Chao ’21 was 13, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. As part of her treatment process, she began exchanging letters. This experience inspired her to start Letters to Strangers, a nonprofit, in 2013, where people can anonymously write and exchange letters, often with a theme, combined with trained peer leader discussions about the topic. It’s not quite a pen pal system, but a way for participants to unpack their emotions while uplifting others. Letters to Strangers has reached more than 500,000 people in 70 countries on six continents since it began. “We are really trying to tackle the whole journey of mental wellness, and letter writing is great at any point in the journey,” says Chao. Read more about Chao in PAW’s Tiger of the Week story.