At just 17 years old, Connor Gupta proved that one person can make a big difference. While a student at Torrey Pines High School in La Jolla, California, he founded a Feeding America Club that grew to more than 80 students working to fight hunger in their community. What began with a volunteer experience at age seven evolved into a mission of compassion and leadership that continues to inspire young people today.
Now a college student, Connor’s impact lives on through the peers he empowered and the awareness he helped spark. As a teen ambassador for Feeding America and author of Hungry, he showed what’s possible when empathy meets action, helping to create a movement of teens dedicated to building a hunger-free future.
Name: Connor Gupta
Age: 17
School: Torrey Pines High School
School District: San Diego Unified School District
City/State: La Jolla, CA
Instagram Account: @ConnorFeedingAmerica
Upworthy & Feeding America Post
How It Started
When Connor Gupta was just seven years old, he volunteered for the first time with his elementary school at Feeding San Diego. That day changed everything.
Serving at a food distribution pantry, Connor helped hand out fresh produce to neighbors facing hunger. What he saw left a lasting impression.
“I felt humble and determined to help when I realized the face of hunger could be anyone’s,” Connor said. “It really can impact so many people.”
That moment opened his eyes to the reality of food insecurity and sparked a deep desire to help. What began as a simple act of kindness grew into a lifelong mission to make sure everyone has enough to eat.
Finding His Purpose
At age 10, Connor attended Tony Robbins’ Unleash the Power Within event with his dad. During the famous “fire walk,” Connor was challenged to think bigger about how he could make a difference in the world.
He realized he didn’t have to wait to grow up to take action. That experience gave him the courage to dream bigger about how he could help others and inspired him to use his voice to create change.
Connor decided to combine his passion for helping people with his love of community leadership. Soon after, he became a teen ambassador for Feeding America, a national network of food banks that includes Feeding San Diego.
Leading the Way
As a teen ambassador, Connor volunteered regularly on Saturdays, often speaking to groups of volunteers at Feeding San Diego. His enthusiasm reminded others that hunger affects people of all ages and backgrounds, and that everyone has the power to help.
At Torrey Pines High School, he took his leadership further by founding a Feeding America Club, giving students a platform to learn, serve, and lead together. Through volunteer events, awareness campaigns, and community engagement, Connor mobilized more than 80 students to take action, building a new generation of Hunger Action Heroes.
A Lasting Impact
Connor’s leadership didn’t end when he graduated. His work continues to ripple outward through the peers and siblings he inspired and the awareness he raised. His book, Hungry, helps young readers understand food insecurity and discover their own power to make a difference.
In a world that faces many challenges, Connor proves that one person’s voice and heart can make a difference. He reminds us that helping others isn’t about age or experience. It’s about caring enough to start.
Hero Lessons
- Be brave: You’re never too young to take action.
- Lead with kindness: Helping others inspires more people to join you.
- Dream big: Even one idea can create change.
- Work together: When everyone pitches in, transformation happens.
