GS student Sang Ra was born in Anyang, South Korea. Before three years of age, his family moved to Los Angeles, California to begin a new life in the United States. After enrolling at Santa Monica Community College, Ra took a leave of absence to pursue his passions, including amateur motorcycle racing. Soon after, Ra travelled to Seattle to commence work aboard Merchant Vessel Courageous. Over the following three years, as deckhand, he sailed the shores of Alaska fishing salmon and sablefish, sometimes at sea for 25 days at a time.
Weary of the long stretches at sea, Ra reflected on his South Korean heritage and the role of U.S. soldiers in the Korean War. It inspired him enlist in the U.S. Army Infantry where he was detailed to the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. For three years he attended to Ceremonial and Memorial Affairs as a soldier of the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment, often identified as “The Old Guard.”. During his time honoring the consequences of war, pall bearing caskets of the fallen, Ra resolved to research the repatriation of fallen American soldiers in North Korea. By chance, it was at this time that Sang discovered GS and sought to return to higher education.
As a political science major at GS, Ra has been an active member of the community. He is president of the Columbia University chapter of Service 2 School, a non-profit providing application counseling to military veterans, as well as a research assistant at the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies. Upon graduation, he will pursue a career in government and public affairs, advocating for improved processes for the exhumation and repatriation of fallen soldiers overseas.
