Sara (Ran) Ji is a Psychology major at University of California, San Diego. She's passionate about exploring how people learn, grow, and connect, especially at the intersection of education, mental health, and technology.

Her experiences include supporting children and young adults in special education programs and developing social–emotional learning initiatives that foster emotional regulation, communication, and inclusion. These opportunities deepened her interest in how cognitive and developmental psychology can inform more compassionate approaches to learning and well-being.

In 2025, Sara joined Thriving Asians as an Intern on the Research & Resource Development Team. She researched AANHPI stressors and cultural stigma, and developed public-facing resources including the AANHPI Stressors Fact Sheet Series. She supported Youth Mental Health Leadership data collection and analysis; and developed a survey to capture new mentor experiences & feedback.

She hopes to continue learning how to support youth mental health with empathy and evidence-based insight, and to help bridge psychological research with meaningful community impact.