Safiya Tran grew up in Mountain View, California and attended Notre Dame High School in San Jose. At Notre Dame, she balanced academic honors, leadership roles, and community-focused projects that deepened her interest in financial literacy. She graduated with Highest Academic Honors, was recognized as a National Merit Commended Scholar and AP Scholar with Distinction, and was an active member of both the National Honor Society and the California Scholarship Federation.
In high school, Safiya acted as Speech Captain for her Speech and Debate team. She competed in impromptu speaking, becoming a finalist at Coast Forensic League tournaments, experiences that strengthened her ability to think on her feet and communicate clearly under pressure. She served as President and co-founder of the Life Skills Club, organizing workshops on “adulting” topics and coordinating guest speakers. She was also active in athletics, serving as JV tennis co-captain before joining the varsity tennis team.
Safiya is the founder of She Profits, a volunteer organization that delivers hands-on financial literacy workshops for students—especially young women of color—through partnerships with local YMCAs and Boys and Girls Clubs. She focuses on making conversations about money feel approachable and empowering, creating a curriculum that includes mock budgets and goal-setting exercises to build both practical skills and confidence. She recently became a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI) and hopes to deepen her technical knowledge so she can expand and strengthen financial education programs in the future.
As an avid classical guitarist, Safiya volunteered with Guitar Outreach and Leadership Skills (GOALS), teaching weekly guitar lessons to younger kids. Over her four years in the program, she worked to make guitar a low‑pressure, enjoyable outlet, especially for those who might not otherwise have access to arts education.
Safiya is excited to start this next chapter at Santa Clara and is grateful to be a part of the Johnson Scholar community. She’s eager to see how her interests in economics, financial education, and community work evolve and hopes to build lasting relationships with the people she meets at Santa Clara.