UWCSEA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME Graduating Scholars 2019/2020
Meet some of our scholars
Etsubdink Bereket Gebremariam
Matheus de Lima Silva
Luuk Karmarker
Polen Ton
Pretty Ram
Wangdrak Dorji
In this world there are three types of people; people that make things happen, people that watch what happens and people who wonder what happened … I expect UWC scholars to be those people that make things happen.” – Shelby Davis, Philanthropist Thank you for your generous support of the UWCSEA Scholarship Programme. With every gift, you are helping deserving young students access a UWC education, where they learn how to reach their greatest potential and have a positive impact on their communities and the wider world.
in the Class of 2020 are exceptional and resilient, and they will not be deterred from their plans to change the world. In fact, in the face of the current global pandemic, which impacts vulnerable communities most, they are even more determined to be of service and to make a difference.
For a scholar, a UWC education opens the doors to an entirely different future. It provides a remarkable chance for students to gain the qualifications that will set them on a lifelong path of success, and to develop the qualities and skills that will help them grow as aware individuals with a bias towards action. Scholars return to their communities empowered and guided by the UWC mission to build a more peaceful and sustainable future.
We are honoured to share just a small selection of stories from our scholars. Stories of hope and resilience, of action and impact, and of future aspirations and a desire to create a better world.
Despite the current challenges around the world, it is heartening to see that the UWCSEA Scholarship Programme continues to receive tremendous support from our community, allowing it to continue to thrive. The 41 graduating scholars
Again, a heartfelt thanks for your continued generous support to make our Scholarship Programme possible. As our graduating scholars head out into an uncertain world, their UWCSEA experience and the knowledge that they have benefited from your generosity will be a welcome source of support. Sinéad Collins Director of Engagement and External Relations
Perspective Taking Scientist
Etsubdink Bereket Gebremariam ’20 Scholar from Ethiopia When I came to UWCSEA in 2018, I wasn’t sure if I had made the right decision. But now I realise it was the best decision of my life—I found my true self, my best friends and I started looking at the world in a totally different way and out of the ‘boxes’ that I had put everything and everyone into before. My hometown Jinka and UWCSEA are similar as they both are very diverse, but at UWCSEA I learned how important it is to be fully immersed in your community and to create positive change. I joined the Initiative for Peace (IfP) activity, an action-based program to promote international understanding and conflict resolution. IfP helped me to become more action orientated and to consider other people’s perspectives. When I go back home to Jinka, I hope to develop a similar program, to bring people together through shared understanding.
My perspectives have changed and I have found my passion through my journey here. Being immersed into a new culture and using my second language all the time was challenging, but my weapon to overcome challenges is positivity; my challenges are my improvement tools. The hope and confidence that my community has in me makes me stronger. When I was selected for UWCSEA, it was a great achievement not only for myself, but it has allowed me to provide a positive example for the girls in my small town. When I graduate, I will attend Trinity College (USA) where I will study Biomedical Engineering and PreMed. My dream is to use my education to advance medical research in Ethiopia. The impact of a UWCSEA education on my life is drastic—I don’t have the words to fully express it! አመሰግናለሁ!
… At UWCSEA I learned how important it is to be fully immersed in your community and to create positive change.” Graduating Scholars 2019/2020 | 2
Computer Scientist on a Mission
Matheus de Lima Silva ’20 Scholar from Brazil At UWCSEA, I met wonderful people who challenged my ideas and made me a better person. I had classes with incredible teachers that empowered me on both a personal and academic level. I took part in amazing and rewarding opportunities, and I tried new sports that I never would have imagined! Grade 11 Project Week was the highlight of my UWCSEA experience—we travelled to rural Cambodia and together with Tabitha, built houses by hand (using hammers and nails), that improved the lives of 16 people, giving them a permanent home and a waterproof roof over their heads for the first time in their lives. As a leader of Global Concern, Casa da Amizade, I helped to raise thousands of dollars to help low-income kids in Brazil. My future after UWC is bright—I was accepted to Tufts College in Boston (my dream college!) with a full scholarship.
I will study Computer Engineering with a minor in Education, as I feel strongly about learning how to pass on the knowledge and lessons I learnt at UWCSEA. I will also continue to try to make an impact in my local communities in Boston and Brazil, and will mentor a low-income Brazilian student long distance over the next year, to help him access education and scholarships in the US. Meeting people from all over the world, from different backgrounds, and making friends with them was the most stimulating part of the last two years. We opened our minds to different topics and problems worldwide and pushed each other to grow. It was hard to adapt to life abroad, away from my family and friends, but it was a life changing experience and with the support of the UWCSEA community, I did it! Obrigado!
My future is bright … I will study Computer Engineering with a minor in Education, as I feel strongly about learning how to pass on the knowledge and lessons I learnt at UWCSEA.”
3 | Graduating Scholars 2019/2020
Taking Impact to Great Heights
Luuk Karmarker ’20 Scholar from The Netherlands My experience at UWCSEA was quite different than I expected it to be. When I arrived, I was convinced that my friend group would consist of my cultural cousins in Europe and North America. Graduating two years later, I have developed a healthy appreciation of more cultures than I initially thought existed. Looking back, I can’t imagine how small my world actually was. My UWCSEA education has given me an ability to understand and move among people and cultures different from my own. During Grade 11, I heard about Mikael Mörn ’92’s Pik Lenin Challenge to bring a scholar from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to UWCSEA, and I decided to join him, even though I had only started climbing a few years earlier. I wanted to do my part to help bring another scholar to the College. My parents taught me that if you can sacrifice something to make another person happy, you should do it. One of the most powerful UWC ideals is about giving back to the community, and I loved the idea that I could contribute while still being a student. In August 2019, we braved sub-zero temperatures and mental and physical exhaustion to climb the tremendous Pik Lenin (7,134 m). I self-funded my climb through working as a garbage collector in The Netherlands during my previous summer break and using all the birthday money I had saved over the years. With generous community support sufficient funds have been raised to fund a scholar to come to UWCSEA. I hope by showing my commitment to the UWC values and the impact of giving back, that I inspired my peers to do the same. After graduation, I was planning on volunteering with Teach for India, as I wanted to give back and share what I’ve learned here with as many people as possible, but with the global travel restrictions, I will most likely enroll at KU Leuven (Belgium) and do my gap year one year later. The extraordinary opportunities and experiences that come from being a UWCSEA scholar have reshaped my world views, making me a different person in such positive ways and determined to give back to the community. Thank you.
I hope by showing my commitment to the UWC values and the impact of giving back, that I have inspired my peers to do the same.”
Graduating Scholars 2019/2020 | 4
Sharing Culture through Creativity
Pretty Ram ’20 Scholar from Fiji These past two years at UWCSEA have helped me to learn so much—about my own passions and skills and other cultures and traditions. During my time at the College, I tried everything ‘arty’ (including dancing!) and now I hope that one day I can pursue Art as a career; it is truly my passion.
Bringing Transformative Education Home
Polen Ton ’20 Scholar from Cambodia Even though it might sound cheesy, it is true—these past five years at UWCSEA have changed my life completely. I used to be someone whose first priority was education and having the best grades, but after my time here, I have realized that there are things that matter more, such as making a difference in the world. UWCSEA gave me the best education and so many opportunities—local and College Service, Global Concerns and Activities. All of these elements together have impacted the way I look at the world, the way I perceive the meaning of life, which is not just to live for myself, but for others too. I have come so far, that I can no longer see myself living without making a difference for others and I can no longer ignore the hardship that others go through. Working with Global Concerns such as Tabitha has been really impactful and it has been inspiring to meet and help so many kids in Cambodia. One of my most memorable UWCSEA experiences was volunteering with IfP in Thailand. All the kids that I talked to had different experiences and stories, and they all want to make a difference and shape their futures. After graduation I will attend Northwestern University (USA) and study Architecture and Civil Engineering. I am absolutely determined to give more young Cambodians access to transformational educational experiences, such as UWCSEA. But wherever I go, I will take the UWC values with me and I will continue making a difference. Saum arkoun anak!
I can no longer see myself living without making a difference for others and I can no longer ignore the hardship that others go through.” 5 | Graduating Scholars 2019/2020
I loved Project Week and I learned so much from every country I visited over the last two years. On all of these trips, I learned about other cultures and was able to share my culture as well. I applied to four universities in the United States and was accepted to all with full scholarships. I have chosen to attend Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida. I hope that one day I can be an example to the people of Fiji; to show them that having an artistic career is possible. Everyone asks what my favourite memory is of UWCSEA but I don’t have one. I don’t think of UWCSEA as a ‘memory’—it is more permanent than that, my time at UWCSEA is something that will stay with me forever and is part of my life that I will cherish. At UWCSEA I discovered what I can do and how I can make a difference in the lives of people around me—I will carry this knowledge with me every day. Vinaka vaka levu
I don’t think of UWCSEA as a ‘memory’—it is more permanent than that, my time at UWCSEA is something that will stay with me forever.”
Dreaming Big: PhD with a Purpose
Wangdrak Dorji ’20 Scholar from Bhutan Growing up in Bhutan, my grandma taught me that heartfelt prayers will always be heard, and the day I found out I had been accepted to UWCSEA, my prayers were answered. It was the beginning of an eye-opening two year journey, where my dreams began to turn into reality. The UWCSEA experience has shaped my mindset and perception of the world. I have learned the value of being a compassionate community member, both serving others and ‘paying back’ what I have received. I joined IfP and it helped to develop my public speaking skills and confidence. Perhaps even more importantly, it restored my faith that when we are tackling problems of this generation, we are not alone and victory is possible. Although the IB was mentally exhausting at times, the holistic curriculum of activities, service and alongside academics helped to develop values of respect and integrity, while balancing critical thinking skills with creativity. Every hour in the lab spent refining my experiments brought me closer to my dreams, so I don’t regret it for a minute. Another prayer was answered when I was accepted into my dream college, Brown University (USA). I will study Molecular Biology and Biomedical Engineering. One day, I hope to return to Bhutan with a PhD in Genetics and start a scientific research centre, providing opportunities for local youth. Every task I am faced with in the future, I will give it my best, keeping in mind the UWC mission that brought me this far. And I hope that I too can change someone’s life one day, and make their dreams come true. Kadrinche!
Every task I am faced with in the future, I will give it my best, keeping in mind the UWC mission that brought me this far.”
Graduating Scholars 2019/2020 | 6
UWCSEA Scholarship Programme 2019/2020 at a glance
41 36
57
108
Scholars graduating from UWCSEA
101 2 1 2 2
countries represented by graduating scholars • Argentina • Belgium • Bhutan • Brazil • Burkina Faso • Cambodia • China • Colombia • Denmark • Estonia • Ethiopia • Fiji • Germany • Ghana • Honduras • Hong Kong • Hungary • India • Italy • Kazakhstan • Kenya • Laos • Malaysia • Myanmar • Netherlands • Peru • Philippines • Portugal • Russia • Senegal • Spain • Taiwan • Uganda • Uruguay • USA • Vietnam
Scholars receiving a UWC education thanks to support from the UWCSEA community scholars at UWCSEA UWCSEA Refugee Scholarships at UWC Mostar (Iraq and South Sudan) UWCSEA Refugee Scholarship at UWC Atlantic (Sri Lanka) UWCSEA Staff Fund Scholarships at Waterford Kamhlaba UWC UWCSEA Staff Fund Scholarships at UWC Mahindra
Countries across the world are represented by scholars
28% Europe
30%
21%
Asia
Americas
19%
2%
Africa
Oceania
Countries per region
17
Asia
| 16
Europe
| 11
Africa
| 6
South America
| 6
North and Central America
| 1
Oceania
Thank you. Your gift is making a difference. For more information about UWCSEA’s Scholarship Programme or to renew your support today, please contact: UWCSEA Foundation +65 6419 9353 | foundation@uwcsea.edu.sg | www.uwcsea.edu.sg/supportus 012FOUND-1920