Cooper Ying: Empowering Youth Voices
Cooper Ying, a senior at The Emery/Weiner School and Youth Leadership Team member in Greater Houston Community Foundation’s 2024-2025 Family Giving Circle, has always admired his two older sisters, Sydney and Emory Ying. As he observed his sisters engage in the Family Giving Circle, Cooper found himself reflecting on the kind of impact he wanted to make: empowering others to find their voices.
Guided by Family
Sydney and Emory modeled kindness and leadership. Cooper shared, “Younger kids tend to pay more attention to older kids than they do to adults. A huge part of what inspired me was watching my older sisters when I was younger. They constantly showed up for other people, and it made me realize that anybody can help.”
Cooper also credits his parents, Anita and Alan Ying, for fostering his spirit of service by exposing him to real-world challenges and opportunities. This exposure allowed him to formulate his own philanthropic opinions and values. The independence that Cooper’s parents gave him in cultivating a commitment to his community enabled service to be an organic part of his life—he never felt that contributing to the community was forced upon him.
From Participant to Advocate
Following in his sisters’ footsteps, Cooper has also joined the Community Foundation’s Family Giving Circle. He is now the “older kid” serving as a role model for other young changemakers. Through
his participation in this program, Cooper has been educated about various issues affecting many Houstonians—an eye-opening experience. He cited one example, “Living in Houston, I knew that many people often travel here to get cancer treatment. But what I never really thought about was the drastic financial burden of not only the treatment, but also the cost of travel and housing.”
Cooper acknowledges how fortunate he is to have the opportunity to engage with and learn about many pressing challenges that Houstonians face. Cooper conveyed, “If you are lucky enough, like me, to learn about these issues, how can you just continue sitting around without helping to fix them?” His experience with Family Giving Circle has empowered him to do more than just volunteer. Cooper has gained a deeper understanding of his community, recognized its disparities, and learned how to support efforts that help bridge those gaps.
In November of 2025, Cooper’s community leadership skills were on display at the Community Foundation’s 2025 Family Philanthropy Day. Alongside several other youth leaders, Cooper helped deliver a powerful message. He stated, “Change starts small: one act of kindness, one idea, one voice. And when we come together, we amplify those voices and their impact.” At the event, attendees walked away with an understanding that every action, no matter its size or scope, and every voice, regard-less of age, can make a meaningful difference in strengthening the community.
It is natural, especially for teens, to feel over-whelmed or unsure about where to begin on their community service journey. Cooper said, “Many people are open and willing to help, but don’t know where to begin. That was me before the Family Giving Circle. It taught me how to use my voice effectively for the greater good while keeping me accountable.”
Looking Ahead
What’s next for Cooper? He shared, “I hope to take what I learned in Family Giving Circle and use it to teach and empower others to make a positive difference.” As a soon-to-be college freshman, Cooper is looking ahead to the next chapter of his life. Though he will not be able to participate in the Family Giving Circle as he does now, Cooper stressed, “Just because I may be living elsewhere, that does not mean I won’t stop giving back.”
Cooper closed with, “At the end of the day, people want someone to listen to them; they want to be heard no matter what it is about. I want to be that someone for as many people as I can,” Cooper expressed. Cooper’s journey is a refreshing reminder that, with a willingness to listen, care, and act, meaningful change can happen anywhere.
For more inspiring stories of impact and generosity, explore our 2025 Annual Report.
More Helpful Articles by Greater Houston Community Foundation:
- What is a Legacy Fund?
- Wealth Preservation with Charitable Giving: The Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax
- What Is the Great Wealth Transfer?
- How To Get Started with Legacy Giving
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