Each year, the University of Washington recognizes 100 students from across its three campuses who are making the most of their time at the UW. These are students from all areas of study whose dedication, leadership and enthusiasm inspires others to shape their own meaningful Husky experience.
This year, 13 students who are pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in the School of Public Health were selected to the 2024 Husky 100. Since its inception, nearly 100 UW SPH students have been recognized through the Husky 100 program.
Congratulations to our 2024 UW SPH Husky 100 honorees!
Alison Beriliy Wiyeh
- Kumbo, Cameroon
- Ph.D. Epidemiology with Concentration in Public Policy & Management
My deep connection to my African heritage, combined with an extensive education spanning public health, medicine and public policy, has sparked a fervent dedication within me to serve humanity. Embracing this noble calling, I have become a catalyst for meaningful change, beginning within my UW community. I stand humbly on the shoulders of the giants of yesteryears, who viewed learning not merely as an obligation, but as a sacred opportunity for personal enlightenment and the advancement of the greater good.
Sophie Li
- Renton, WA
- B.S. Public Health-Global Health; Data Science; Informatics
During my time at the UW, I have come to recognize that stories are the foundation of human experience, serving as the threads that weave together the fabric of our shared history, identity and culture. By immersing myself in the narratives of others through my public health studies and internships, I developed a greater appreciation for perspectives different from my own and learned how stories and interdisciplinary research can be utilized as tools for advocacy and action. With the skills and knowledge I have acquired at the UW, I am ready to translate stories into impact; I aspire to use evidence-based approaches to address health inequities and ultimately improve accessibility of healthcare services.
Sandra Urusaro
- Kigali, Rwanda
- MPH in Global Health; Graduate Certificate in Global Health of Women, Adolescents, and Children
My time at the UW has been rich with meaningful connections, intellectual growth and opportunities for collaboration and learning. From teaching roles to focused volunteer work to supporting impactful research projects in Seattle and beyond, I’ve been fortunate to deploy acquired technical skills with guidance from supportive mentors. As I advance in my career, I carry a refreshed sense of responsibility, an enhanced toolkit that will enable my contribution on an array of topics and areas of focus in global public health, and an invaluable network of inspiring colleagues.
Patience Komba
- Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
- Doctor of Global Health Leadership and Practice (DrGH)
The UW has been a pivotal platform for linking my past experiences with my future aspirations in global health leadership. Through my doctoral studies, I have deepened my knowledge and skills in health system strengthening, focusing on policy, governance, and the evaluation of digital health initiatives. My growing interest in global health justice has further enriched this experience. I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with global experts and continuously learning from an extremely supportive network of supervisors, advisors, mentors and colleagues. The vibrant UW community has provided me with an immersive Husky experience, enabling me to forge meaningful connections and engage deeply in a transformative educational journey.
Lyda Ebadani
- Seattle, WA
- MPH in Epidemiology
As an Iranian-American and Middle-Eastern woman, I am eager to translate my UW experiences in data-driven advocacy and community mobilization to spearhead the everlasting protection of reproductive healthcare in the United States and abroad. I am prepared to serve as a visionary for equitable maternal and child healthcare that is reflective of diverse intersectionalities. As a future women’s healthcare leader, epidemiologist and healer, I aspire to encourage generations of public health leaders of their important voices in leading advocacy efforts for safe public healthcare.
Leodegario Rodriguez-Duarte
- Soap Lake, WA
- B.A. Public Health-Global Health
As a first-generation student, I’ve committed myself to making spaces in higher education more inclusive and accessible to all students regardless of immigration status. Holding officer positions in various student organizations, I have utilized the power of the community to push for institutional changes that advance equity and inclusion efforts at the UW. I want to show people that we are more than just dreamers — we are the next generation of leaders.
María Navarro
- Yakima, WA
- Public Health-Global Health; American Ethnic Studies
Hi, my name is María, and coming to the UW, I wanted to honor my parents’ experiences in agriculture by participating in research. Coming from Yakima, WA, my parents, just like many other farmworker families, worked in warehouses and fields to provide for our family. Witnessing the toll that agricultural labor took on their health, I hope to shed light on the struggles Latine farmworkers encounter and drive efforts to improve Latine health outcomes through research, making this recognition as a Husky 100 recipient personal and meaningful.
S. Adriana Pérez Solorio
- Naches, WA
- MPH in Health Services
As a proud first-generation student and Mexican immigrant, my mission is to dismantle health inequities and their impact on human development, as well as on long-term physical and mental health. As a UW graduate, I will leverage the privilege of my education and the lessons from my lived experiences to create solutions through research and advocacy for systems that fail historically marginalized communities. I leave my graduate career as a public health researcher and practitioner, ready to collaborate with communities to address health inequities perpetuated by structural racism and colonialism.
Nell Thompson
- Lynnwood, WA
- B.S. Environmental Public Health
During my time at the UW, I have both embraced my own identities and had the privilege of learning from and working with various communities throughout Washington. Through my field experiences and internships, I have explored how gender identity, water and soil, natural disasters, colonialism and infectious disease all intersect and influence population health. I love where my path has taken me and hope to continue doing community-based work that helps everyone prevent illness and improve their health.
Sneha Subramanian
- Bellevue, WA
- B.S. Public Health-Global Health
Witnessing pervasive health disparity, I am driven to pursue research, leadership, and community initiatives that promote accessibility in medicine. The University of Washington has equipped me with indispensable experiences, enabling me to harness public health frameworks to dismantle institutional barriers that perpetuate inequity in healthcare. I am dedicated to leveraging my unique lived experiences to catalyze systemic change within health systems, while providing empathetic and culturally competent care to diverse populations worldwide.
Clarissa Sofian
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- B.S. Public Health-Global Health
As a first-generation immigrant from Indonesia, experiencing my community’s barriers to healthcare access and witnessing the life of an individual’s health has ignited a deep passion in me to become a public health-centered pediatrician. Through leadership roles, direct engagement with underserved communities and clinical volunteering in pediatric units in hospitals, I am driven to provide transformative care that goes beyond just medical treatment, instead focusing on the underlying social determinants of health and community-based interventions. The UW has been instrumental in providing the support, opportunities and resources to pursue this path, empowering me in multifaceted ways to make a meaningful impact in healthcare.
Aliyah Cleveland
- Bremerton, WA
- B.S. Public Health-Global Health
Integrating classroom concepts into my extracurricular activities and exploration has enriched both my educational experiences and professional aspirations. After several years of health advocacy, clinical work and cultural-contraceptive-perceptions research, I feel fulfilled in my experience here at the UW and satisfied with the opportunities I took advantage of. I look forward to growing these skills and serving community through future advocacy, research and clinical practice.
Mikaela Peizer
- Sammamish, WA
- B.A. Public Health-Global Health (with Honors); B.A. Spanish
My journey at the UW has empowered me through an array of diverse lessons and experiences that have underscored my passion for social justice through the utilization of multilingual communication within the interdisciplinary field of public health. From advocating for enhanced accessibility for all students on campus, to interning at the Municipal Archive of León, Spain, I have strengthened my commitment to bridge the gap between communication and serving diverse communities through community engagement. I am immensely grateful for the plethora of opportunities to explore my academic interests in public health and Spanish in order to address health disparities and promulgate diversity and inclusion in the pursuit of health equity for all.