As a Parkland shooting survivor, Kai Koerber understands the urgency of mental health awareness. As an advocate, entrepreneur and data scientist, he has a vision and a plan to make a difference.
Koerber enrolled at UC Berkeley intending to become a rocket scientist like his uncle. But he also came to the university as a public speaker advocating for youth mental health awareness, spurred by a shooting at his high school in 2018, now the third deadliest school shooting in the United States.
Koerber explains, “I came here wanting to be a rocket scientist, but I also had an interest in political science because I had done a whole lot of speaking about the Parkland shooting with various publications, everything from the Daily Show to Time magazine.” Koerber’s advocacy work includes establishing Societal Reform Corporation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting mental health programs in schools.