Meet Joy

Joy Sim

Incoming Co-Chief of Community

Meet our volunteer, Joy Sim! Joy has been a dedicated volunteer with MMSF for 5 years. She is currently a senior mentor helping her 2nd mentee graduate! Her passion and devotion has enabled MMSF's students to be 30x as likely to attend a selective college that prepares them for career and beyond when compared with peers from similar backgrounds.

Beginning with the 2022–2023 school year, Joy will be stepping into a leadership role as Co-Chief of Community. MMSF is so excited for Joy to continue impacting the lives of less privileged students in the Bay Area!

“MMSF is the most well-run non-profit I’ve ever volunteered with.”

What Is Your Favorite Minds Matter Memory? Minds Matter SF is the most well-run non-profit I've ever volunteered with, and I have been volunteering with various non-profit organizations for 17+ years. When I first joined as a mentor, I was impressed with the structured curriculum that Minds Matter SF has developed. We are very well supported with volunteer pod leaders who present content, facilitate group discussions, and share topics for us to discuss with our mentee. It made our weekly sessions productive and valuable to both mentors and mentees, and made things so easy for us to show up and be present for our mentee.

Aside from the structured content and pod leaders, I also enjoy being part of a like-minded volunteer community that is passionate about helping low-income students. I have made many amazing friends through Minds Matter SF, and the people are definitely my favorite part of showing up to sessions every week!

What Is a Fun Fact About You? I was born and raised in Singapore, and spent 5 years in Hong Kong as a child. I then moved to the United States for college and stayed there ever since. Because of my global background, I love traveling and have been to every continent except for Antarctica!

What Inspired You to Become a Mentor? I enjoy volunteering and giving back to the community, and I feel most passionately about education for under-served children. As an immigrant myself who had no help applying to US colleges, I understand the difficulties of navigating the US college and funding process on your own. To me, providing educational opportunities and mentorship are meaningful ways to give back, especially since many mentees are first or second generation immigrants, and would be the first in their families to go to college. I want to help these mentees get into college and become successful, while growing and learning as a mentor as well.

How Did You Hear About Minds Matter? In 2016, I first heard about Minds Matter at a networking event at work, from someone who was a board member of the Colorado chapter. Two years later, I then heard about Minds Matter, SF chapter from a college friend at an alumni event, and thought it was serendipitous to have heard about the same organization twice, from two different chapters! I was also looking for volunteer opportunities that were in-person on the weekends, as I was travelling often during the week for work. All of these added up to the best decision I've ever made—applying to be a mentor at Minds Matter SF!