October 23, 2025
ASPIRING SECRETARY OF STATE, CALEB LEE: AGE 16
By Nic Wong
By Jeffrey Wang
“多少 钱?” ‘How much?,’ is a common thing to hear in the streets of Flushing, Queens, where street vendors sell endless varieties of snacks and desserts. Regarded as the ‘Chinese Times Square,’ or ‘Queen’s Chinatown,’ it’s home to a large Mandarin-speaking population. Beginning in the 1970s, many Taiwanese immigrants settled there, away from the already well-established Chinatown in lower Manhattan. Flushing also hosts large communities of Korean and Latino residents and businesses, held dear in the hearts of many.
Flushing is also home to my friend, Caleb Lee, an ambitious high school student, who like any teenager hangs out, studies, and gets into trouble. He’s no different in that he has parents who bug him about what time he’s coming home and how little he studies. He’s Taiwanese, bisexual, and aspires to have a career in international relations and political science.
Where he might differ from most high school students is the unique experience he has and the struggles he’s faced as a teenager working and engaging in professional settings. At 16, he’s often been the youngest in the room in fields ranging from corporate philanthropy and nonprofit administration to communications, law, finance, government, and even the United Nations. I’ve always admired the dedication it took to maintain these positions, waking up at the crack of dawn, commuting to his various events and jobs.
Lee had his start at The Boys’ Club of New York, an organization that uplifts young boys and provides free after-school programs, as his parents couldn’t afford the typical prep programs that most kids attended. His time at The Boys’ Club allowed him to foster his passions for public service and his curiosity of the world, which is a huge part in why he’s so involved. It’s also where he started his career as a photographer. He’s always stressed that his opportunities didn’t come from an application, but simply because he asked. His supervisor at The Boys’ Club, Avita Bansee, stated, “If someone else came up to me and asked, I would’ve let them as well, Caleb’s ambition and drive is what has allowed him to build his experiences thus far.”
One of the biggest roles that he currently holds is that he is one of the three Organizing Partners of the Youth Publications and Socioeconomic Forum (YPSF), a position that allows him to to uplift youth voices in traditionally adult spaces. “I’ve always wanted to create more opportunities for others, allowing other youth to participate in spaces I’m lucky to have been able to enter,” says Lee. Through his work at YPSF, he’s been able to sponsor youth voices at numerous UN events, including fifty youth delegates that attended the most recent High Level Political Forum (HLPF).
As a youth delegate myself who attended HLPF at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, I can say that the opportunities for young people to be the voice of change, speak up on issues they’re passionate about, and become familiar with different causes, are abundant. While at the UN, I had the opportunity to see Maxxane Wallace-Segal, YPSF youth delegate and cofounder of the “Together Project” speak on issues pertaining to the Israel-Palestine conflict at a side event hosted by the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations. My experiences were enriching, educating, and in my opinion, fulfilling of Lee’s mission at YPSF and the UN.
While it may be impressive to hear, being in these spaces hasn’t been easy for Lee, and more often than not the struggles are both physical and social. As he notes, the lack of connections at his disposal and the willingness for many adult professionals to cooperate with youth is incredibly frustrating. He recounts his effort to find a venue for an event near the UN that he “messaged hundreds of Permanent Missions at the UN on Linkedin, and all of them ignored my request except for Senegal, for which I am immensely grateful.” Though he faces these challenges, it hasn’t stopped his mission but rather augmented his passion for diplomacy and the inclusion of youth voices. Currently, Lee is participating in the United Nation’s INC Tax Convention and the BBNJ Second PrepCom, representing children and youth in negotiations on fairer global tax rules and the protection of biodiversity in the high seas. He is also looking forward to participating at the UNGA’s High-Level Week in September.
Beyond his work at the UN, Lee has a passion for photography. You’ll notice he’s always got this huge bulky camera and a backpack with all the accessories, even at the dinner table. He’s a photographer for various community sports teams, something he takes great pride in. Exploring various cuisines is another hobby of his, which he documents through social media. He’s always trekking to many parts of the city, looking for the best food. It’s a way in which he’s able to stay connected with the members of his community, sharing his experiences with the regional and diverse cuisines that Flushing is known for.
A career in diplomacy has always been the goal for Lee. As someone who’s heavily involved at the United Nations, he has had great interest in global politics and affairs “since I was old enough to understand the news.” His dream school is—unsurprisingly—Georgetown School of Foreign Service, and he aspires to become a diplomat in the U.S. State Department.
