Each year, the University of Washington names 100 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students to the Husky 100 — a list recognizing those who have made the most of their time at UW. This year, three undergraduates from the Jackson School — Alice Bruil, Tin Pak, and Antonia Romana Zito — were among the selected students; Bruil and Zito shared with us their reflections on their journeys and the impact the Jackson School has had on their success.
Charting a global path: Alice Bruil
Alice Bruil, a fourth-year international studies and French major.
For Alice Bruil, being named to the Husky 100 was a moment of pride and reflection — a recognition of the unique path she has carved during her time at UW.
“Not many students spend half their time on campus and the other half studying abroad,” Bruil said, adding that her motivation to apply for the Husky 100 stemmed from her desire to “showcase what’s possible to accomplish at UW, and especially within the Jackson School of International Studies.”
Bruil’s academic journey wasn’t a straight line. Initially uncertain about her direction, she credits the Jackson School with providing both clarity and purpose.
“As I began taking Jackson School courses, my passion for human rights continued to grow and my interests in climate change, migration, and culture converged and led me to the opportunities I have been fortunate to have at UW and around the world,” she said.
One of these opportunities included studying abroad in Senegal through the Boren Scholarship’s African Flagship Language Initiative, which Bruil noted as the highlight of her time at UW.
“Aside from vastly improving my French language skills, I was able to draw connections between my Jackson School courses in Seattle and my new lifestyle in Dakar,” she said.
According to Bruil, the combination of classroom learning and real-world immersion has been key to shaping her future. Most recently, as part of the Jackson School’s Disability Inclusive Development Initiative, she had the chance to speak on disability research at the United Nations office in Vienna — this followed her June 2024 appearance at the United Nations’ Conference of States Parties to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
“I [am] excited and proud to represent the Jackson School as a Husky 100 recipient,” Bruil said. “I am humbled to be recognized among some of the most inspirational minds in my class and I cannot wait to see what we all accomplish in our futures.”
Pioneering strategy and scholarship: Tin Pak
Tin Pak, a fourth-year international studies and political science major.
Tin Pak has distinguished himself through innovative research and public service. According to his Husky 100 profile, Pak is the youngest faculty-level visiting scholar at Taiwan’s National Defense University and has contributed to Taiwan’s defense strategy through his research on electromagnetic resilience and China’s military posture.
At UW, he is president of the Rainier Institute for Foreign Affairs, where he is working to establish the organization as a premier hub for foreign policy research and dialogue in the Pacific Northwest.
Embracing identity and leadership: Antonia Romana Zito
Antonia Romana Zito, a fourth-year international studies and history major.
For Zito, the news of being selected came in a quiet but unforgettable moment.
“I was sitting in a lecture room in Condon Hall waiting for my class to begin when I suddenly received the congratulatory email,” Zito said. “I was incredibly surprised. The room was completely empty, making this moment feel unreal — for a few seconds, I simply sat there in disbelief.”
She quickly called her father to share the news. “While at the time he did not really understand what I was talking about, he was very happy for me — I am very glad he picked up because it felt like I was going to explode with joy.”
Zito’s journey to the Husky 100 had been years in the making. After being nominated by Jackson School adviser Sabrina Tatta, she first applied in 2024. Though she didn’t make the list that year, Tatta encouraged her to reapply — and nominated Zito again in 2025.
“Sabrina and I have worked closely together since my first day at the UW, and she has always pushed me to believe in myself,” Zito said, adding that there is always “someone out there who believes in you, even if you don’t.”
Originally from Panama City, Panama, Zito has leveraged her multicultural background both academically and in the community.
“My highlight at the UW has been how the Jackson School has allowed me to thoroughly integrate my multicultural background as an immigrant into my studies and off-campus activities,” Zito said. “As a student, I have focused on how my identity can push me to reach for opportunities … and how these opportunities gave me a sense of purpose.”
Zito’s accomplishments have included an internship with the Latin America Regional Center in Washington, D.C., work with the grassroots group La Resistencia, and being named the April 2025 Global Visionary by the UW Office of Global Affairs.