The Department of Economics is proud to announce that Grace Du, a senior studying Economics and Law, Societies, and Justice, has been named one of the Husky 100. This prestigious honor is awarded to undergraduate and graduate students from all three UW campuses that exemplify what it means to be a Husky. We had the chance to sit down with Grace and learn more about her UW experience and the impact of her Economics education.
Grace came to UW knowing that she wanted to be an Econ major after taking an economics course in high school. She learned that “what you study in university is going to be the specialty that you carry with you throughout life,” and was intrigued by the economics perspective. She was eager to apply economics to her understanding of the world. During her early undergraduate experience, she was also introduced to the Law, Societies, and Justice (LSJ) major. Grace’s interest in the economic aspects of policy and legislation tied in perfectly to this program. She initially thought that she would only be able to minor in LSJ and stay on track to graduate early due to financial constraints. Grace secured a position as a Resident Advisor in one of UW’s residence halls and was awarded the Alberta C. Corkery Scholarship in 2021 and 2022 by the Department of Economics, allowing her to complete a double-major in Economics and LSJ. Her coursework in both programs has informed how she sees social justice. “Economics is fundamentally about decision-making, particularly how money can impact decision-making. LSJ focuses a lot on social justice – a lot of these injustices can be explained by legislation or policies.”
Grace’s favorite Economics classes were those that explored the human aspects of economics, including Associate Professor Xu Tan’s Behavioral Economics and Game Theory courses. Her advice for current Econ students? “Focus on being the best at where you are right now. When we’re looking at the future, it’s really easy to get lost. Focus on what you can control. Small wins really build over time, and suddenly the path that you thought was once far away becomes attainable.”
Grace has made the most of her time at UW by getting involved on campus and exploring different internship opportunities. During her freshman year, she was a research assistant in the Foster School of Business and began serving as a campus tour guide. Throughout her time as an undergraduate, she interned in business development at a tech startup, legal services at Domestic Abuse Women's Network (DAWN), and community education and social justice at Sankofa Impact. In her free time, she connected with fellow students by playing volleyball at the IMA's open gym.
Grace is graduating this spring as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She will be teaching English in Japan as a member of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. Afterwards, she hopes to gain experience in the social justice and legal fields and apply to law school. We wish her the best on her next steps, and look forward to seeing her continued success.