Category: News

 COVID-19 prompted the continued renovation of the historic Montezuma Castle at the United World College-USA.

Not included in the castle’s $10.5 million renovation from 2000-01, the vacant third floor over the summer was remodeled for additional classrooms.

“We didn’t have the (right) size classrooms for appropriate social distancing and decided to finish four large classrooms,” said UWC-USA President Victoria J. Mora.

Most classrooms can accommodate 15 to 18 students, said Alexis Mamaux, dean of students. These classrooms were initially built for purposes other than classrooms, including hotel rooms.

“With appropriate physical distancing, we only had five classrooms that could fit more than 13 students,” she said.

The school contracted with Grimm LLC of Las Vegas, N.M., on the project. The renovation included finishing the wooden floors, painting, installing electrical service and more.

“We did a bare bones project to make sure we have adequate space,” Mora said. “It’s a beautiful space with natural light that will offer a lot of flexibility.”

The long-term plan is to use the third floor for additional dormitory space.

“The one wonderful thing is while this was a different use than what was contemplated, none of this work will be wasted,” Mora said. “It will be very easy to convert. It was a great opportunity to get folks working in the area. It was a great opportunity to make sure we were prepared for the kind of health precautions needed over the next two to three years.”

One of two Harvey Hotels in Las Vegas, the first Montezuma castle was built by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad in 1882. It was rebuilt twice after fires and had multiple owners before being abandoned for decades. In 1981 the Armand Hammer Foundation purchased the 90,000-square-foot Queen Anne castle and surrounding acreage for UWC-USA. Known today as the Davis International Center, the castle houses the dining hall, dorm rooms, offices, classrooms and student center.

Last year, the school completed a $1 million bat guano remediation project of the castle. Workers removed bats and sealed the building to prevent re-entry.

“It was a big effort to remove them safely and in an environmentally responsible way,” Mora said.

A crew of 30 spent a month removing the bat guano; sanitation followed. Upon completion, the third-floor space was build-ready.

The United World College-USA has joined five Las Vegas educational institutions along with the city to provide volunteer opportunities for students. 

Representatives from UWC-USA, City of Las Vegas, New Mexico Highlands University, Luna Community College, and Las Vegas and West Las Vegas school districts on Sept. 11 signed an agreement to create Vecinos Juntos de Las Vegas.

“This is a historic day in Las Vegas,” said Mayor Louie Trujillo. “This is the largest volunteer organizational effort Las Vegas has ever seen.”

UWC-USA has been involved with community volunteering for years–to the tune of 17,000 hours per year.

“Mayor Trujillo’s vision to unite the various educational institutions in the area, and coordinate through the city to provide volunteer hours to meet individual needs as well as the needs of non-profit organizations, is really exciting and something we knew we wanted to be a part of right away,” said Victoria Mora, president of UWC-USA. “It is wonderfully consistent with our own work with students to learn how to be part of a sustainable community, wherever they come from and wherever they land.

The mission of Vecinos Juntos – which means “neighbors together” in Spanish — is to make volunteerism a force for promoting the concept that we are all neighbors sharing an uncommon commitment for the common good.

The first project scheduled for Oct. 3 will be painting the Bridge Street bridge over the Gallinas River in Las Vegas and gazebos in the Plaza, South Pacific and Lincoln parks, Trujillo said.

“We’re also brainstorming for new projects and volunteer opportunities including snow removal for the elderly, litter eradication, weatherizing homes, and (providing) firewood,” he said. “The list goes on and on.”

Mora will serve on the Vecinos Juntos Advisory Council along with Trujillo, NMHU President Sam Minner, LCC Interim President Dr. Kenneth Patterson, Las Vegas Schools Superintendent Larryssa Archuleta and West Las Vegas Schools Superintendent Christopher Gutierez.

“Personally, I’m excited by the message we are sending as vecinos (y vecinas!) unidos(as): we don’t have to buy into the politics of division here in Northern New Mexico,” Mora said. “We can be united around the common good, and take care of one another, like we were taught by our abuelas and abuelos.”

This year’s theme for UWC Day is United We Can and UWC-USA is pleased to announce that two alumni – both from the class of 1994 – are sharing their recent work.

Please complete this form to receive the links and codes to watch the documentaries. You can also register for a workshop featuring the filmmakers this Sunday, September 20, 2020.

16 Shots, directed by Rick Rowley ’94, is a documentary about the 2014 shooting of Laquan McDonald as he walked away from police in Chicago. Rowley’s film is up for three Emmy awards (the Emmy’s are this weekend) and it is co-produced by UWC-Adriatic alumna Jacquie Soohen ’94.

¿Quién mató a mi hermano? (Who Killed My Brother?) is a documentary directed by Ana Fraile ’94 that explores the enforced disappearances of people in Argentina and the human rights issues they face.

Workshop Schedule (all times are Mountain Time):

11:30am  Discussion of Rick and Jacquie’s movie 16 Shots
12pm       Discussion of Ana’s movie ¿Quién mató a mi hermano? / Who Killed My Brother?
10 minute break
12:40pm  Q&A: Audience will be able to ask questions and Rick, Jacquie, and Ana will ask each other questions

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Elizabeth Legault ‘21, Canada, wasn’t exactly thrilled about camping for six nights at the United World College-USA farm during a recent sustainability leadership expedition.

But when “farm camp” came to a close, Elizabeth was grateful.

“I learned a lot of skills, working with carpentry and power tools,” she said. “There was a lot of teamwork.”

The sustainability program was one of three leadership expeditions that second-year students participated in after completing their 14-day quarantine in mid-August. Wilderness leaders took a 10-day backpacking trip, and Constructive Engagement of Conflict leaders did a training retreat on a local ranch.

The 14 students staying at the farm, officially named the Agroecology Research Center, got a hands-on experience with the opportunities and challenges of a sustainable community, including working together to grow food, manage water, produce electricity, and deal with waste.

“The idea was to have students leave their normal lives where everything is taken care of for them, come to the farm and experience their use of resources more directly, said farm director Ben Gillock, who also teaches IB environmental systems and societies at UWC-USA. “When our relationship to our environment is more intimate, it is easier to see the connections between our decisions and their impacts.”

Students camped in a meadow and used a tarp structure as a communal kitchen and gathering space. Each morning while some students gathered eggs, harvested vegetables and weeded the garden, others cooked breakfast.

During the day, students broke into teams to work on sustainability projects, ranging from infrastructure projects to pressing cider and making land-based art. In the evenings, students participated in discussions that focused on the ethics of place and explored the intersections between sustainability and social justice.

The sustainability infrastructure projects were aimed at improving the quality of camp life while shifting to more sustainable resource-use and learning about appropriate technologies. For example, students built a pair of highly efficient, wood-fired rocket stoves. Using these stoves allowed the camp to expand its cooking area and reduce propane use, while also connecting to the reality of people who rely on wood for cooking and heating.

Students spent several days building a solar-heated shower using on-farm materials like black irrigation tubing and reclaimed lumber. Using an old UWC-USA school bus as a platform, students built a solar power plant that powered camp lighting, a stereo and a projector for watching films at night. Students also spent an afternoon re-plastering the farm horno — a traditional adobe oven used to cook sourdough pizza on the last night of camp.

Farm camp had several contributors that enlivened the learning experience. Farm manager Adrian Carter taught students construction skills and vegetable wrangling. Autumn Billie, co-founder of the 3 Sisters Collective, spent four days introducing students to the sustainable traditional practices of Pueblo and Dine peoples, while engaging them with the complex and challenging legacy of colonization in Northern New Mexico.

Mikaela Osler ‘13, USA-Vermont, spent the week at camp engaging students in discussions about environmental justice in the context of Northern New Mexico. One evening, UWC-USA art teacher Santos Contreras showed the documentary Lean into the Wind about Andy Goldsworthy’s land art, then helped students create a sculpture from branches and found materials the following day.

Joined by their two children, UWC-USA economics teacher Liam O’Hara and his wife, Aracelly, led students in preparing farm-based dinners.

“There’s something about intense physical labor that makes food taste especially good at the end of the day,” said Isabela Alvarez ‘21, USA-Minn.

The students plan to return to the farm.

“I am definitely going to come back down here and hang out during the school year” said Becca Panlilio ‘21, USA-Fla. “The farm is all set up with everything we need.”

Mikaela Osler ‘13 has shattered the fastest known time for a self-supported hike by a female on the 485-mile Colorado Trail.
Hiking with blistered feet and little sleep, Mikaela averaged 45 miles a day to complete the trek from Denver to Durango on Aug. 9. It took her 10 days, 12 hours and 36 minutes. Russian Olga King held the previous best time of 15 days, 2 hours, and 28 minutes set in 2018.
“I cried a lot and just was so happy it was over,” said Mikaela, a graduate student in creative writing at the University of New Mexico. “I think I was euphoric and so proud of myself.”
Buzz Burrell, co-founder of Fastest Known Time, a website that tracks hikers like Mikaela on 2,328 routes worldwide, called the 26-year-old’s performance a “great accomplishment.”
“Four days is a massive margin,” Burrell said. “As usual with these multi-day efforts, her trip report describes many hardships to endure, obstacles to overcome, a lot of determination, and then a last-gasp push to the finish.”
From Jericho, Vt., Mikaela is among an elite group to complete the Triple Crown — thru-hikes of the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail, 3,100-mile Continental Divide Trail, and 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail.
Rated moderate to strenuous, the Colorado Trail has an elevation gain of more than 80,000 feet with most terrain above 10,000 feet; the highest point is 13,271 feet. The average hike-thru takes four to six weeks. The trail passes through six wilderness areas and goes over eight mountain ranges. Hypothermia, dehydration, and lightning hazards are common problems, and snowfields may be encountered well into mid-summer.
Self-supported hikers like Mikaela, who is known as FlyBy in the thru-hiking world, can accept support along the way, including caching supplies in advance, purchasing supplies along the way, to finding or begging for food or water. They cannot make plans for assistance from others.
“I was carrying my own stuff and had three mail drops with packages of food that I sent to businesses and campgrounds,” she said.
The base-weight for Mikaela’s backpack was 5½ pounds. She estimates she never carried more than 8 pounds of food.
Mikaela slept as little as 45 minutes one day and up to 6 hours on other days. Mikaela would sleep from 9 to 11 p.m. and then hike until 3 or 4 a.m., or when the sun came up.
“I didn’t plan it that way, but had a full moon, which was nice,” she said. “(This was) part of a psychological experiment. I think your brain needs sleep, but your body doesn’t need to be asleep. Just rest. A little sleep-break is supposed to reset the brain.”
For the last 75 miles on the Colorado Trail, Mikaela hiked 31 hours straight except for a 30-minute and a 15-minute nap.
“On the final day, I tried to run to keep myself awake,” Mikaela wrote. “I took a lot of caffeinated crystal lite and took a lot of caffeinated electrolyte pills, but they didn’t help that much. I felt bone-tired.”
Swaying on the trail with her eyes slipping out of focus and shutting, she ran as much as possible.
“I ran as much as I could, but with 6 or 7 miles to go my quads started to seize and I just had to walk really, really slowly. (I) finally finished a little after 8 p.m.,” said Mikaela, who acknowledged the Cheyenne, Ute and Pueblo tribes for allowing her to pass through their land.
Mikaela was a wilderness leader at UWC-USA and led wilderness trips while studying at Stanford, where she received her undergraduate degree in comparative studies in race and ethnicity.
She said UWC-USA prepared her for her hiking-related accomplishments.
“I think having modeling that type of balancing academics with things outside academics was formative for me,” she said. “Every time I led a trip with UWC-USA, I felt like I learned so much about myself as a leader and an outdoorswoman. Starting to lead trips was the beginning of that journey. So being a UWC wilderness leader was important.”
Mikaela was born into a hiking family. Her parents met while hiking the White Mountains in New Hampshire. When her father was in his early 20s, he hiked the Appalachian Trail. Growing up, Mikaela and her two siblings took hiking and backpacking trips with their parents.

Elie Rizk fears the reconstruction of Beirut from Tuesday’s massive explosion in Lebanon’s capital city will be beyond his country’s capabilities.

“Lebanon is experiencing its worst economic crisis,” said Rizk, a 2020 graduate of the United World College-USA, who left his home in Beirut for two years to study at the international high school in Montezuma.

The explosion left at least 135 dead and 5,000 wounded. Hundreds have been reported missing, raising fears that the death toll will rise, Lebanon’s Health minister said Wednesday.

“Before the explosion, almost half of the population lived below the poverty line as the value of the Lebanese Lira lost 80 percent of its value, (in addition to high) unemployment, and the COVID-19 lockdown,” Rizk said. 

“After the explosion, I believe those numbers will skyrocket as more than 250,000 people were displaced from their homes and (there was) more than $5 billion in damage,” he added. “On Aug. 4, we simply paid the price of having incompetent, corrupt, and criminal leaders in charge of our beautiful country.”

The investigation is focusing on an estimated 2,750 metric tons of the explosive ammonium nitrate stored at a warehouse, according to published reports. Authorities say it was stored on a Russian vessel in the port of Beirut since 2013 without safety precautions despite warnings by local officials.

“Documents published online show that Lebanese officials knew of the danger posed by having those chemicals at the Beirut port six years ago,” said Rizk. “The issue here is that the Lebanese authorities kept explosives in the heart of Beirut for six years. The issue is not how they blew up.”

At the time of the explosion, Rizk was visiting a friend about 10 miles north of Beirut. They heard a loud boom and thought it was an earthquake.

“We tried to open news sources on our phones, but the Internet stopped working,” he said. “The TV channels were not covering (it) yet. We were very lost! We both thought it was an Israeli aircraft flying over Lebanon.”

They soon learned the explosion came from Beirut, a city of 2.4 million.

“We never imagined that such a catastrophe could happen in our capital,” said Rizk, who plans to double major in economics and data science at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn. “It is a tragedy. I am still in shock. The sound of the explosion is still in my head and will probably always be.”

He said the detonation sent shockwaves through Beirut, destroying much of it.

“The explosion was the equivalent of a 3.5 magnitude earthquake or 3 kilotons of TNT,” Rizk said. “Analysts compared it to the Hiroshima bomb that was 15 kilotons.”

The disaster killed a young lady from his hometown while two of his family members were wounded from broken glass as the explosion blew out windows for miles away; one of those family members lost their home.

The number of messages Rizk received from friends and teachers at UWC has been heartwarming.

“I thank every one of them for checking on me,” he said. “I thank them for caring about my country, Lebanon, and I invite them to join the Lebanese in rebuilding Beirut by donating to the local NGOs such as Lebanese Red Cross or by simply exposing our corrupt regime.”

 

The Montezuma Hot Springs and Dwan Light Sanctuary on the United World College-USA campus will remain closed to the public until the COVID-19 situation improves.

“We are in a wait-and-see mode with the governor since she just tightened things up,” said Taylor Gantt, chief financial and operations officer for the international high school in Montezuma. 

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced this week that the state will continue to require people to wear face masks in public settings until the end of August. In addition, Lujan Grisham continued the prohibition on indoor dining based on surging COVID-19 infections and concerns that gathering without face masks to eat can increase risks of transmitting the disease. 

Martin Leger, president of Friends of the Montezuma Hot Springs, said residents continually ask him about the reopening of hot springs, which have been closed since March 8, 2020, due to COVID-19.

“I’m approached at least 10 times a week,” said Leger, whose nonprofit manages the hot baths owned by UWC-USA. “They want to soak.”

“My biggest response is it’s up to UWC,” Leger said. “The rationale I give is we have COVID exploding in all the states around us. People from all over the place stop and soak. You don’t know where they’ve come from, or where they’ve been. People seem to understand.”

Last year, the UWC-USA Board of Trustees agreed to lease the hot baths to FMHS to reduce the legal exposure of the school, while empowering community members to take greater responsibility for site management.

“Those leasing details are still in process, which is why we still have the authoritative position on the opening/closing,” Gantt said. “ If the lease agreement was complete, that would be FMHS’s decision.”

Students began returning to campus on Aug. 1, however, the campus is closed to non-essential visitors, Gantt said. 

“We want this to be the safest option they have, compared to where they are currently living,” Gantt said. 

 

Four United World College-USA students and a 2020 graduate have teamed up to offer free graphic design services to nonprofits. Upon returning to campus in August, the students hope to offer their services to entities in New Mexico.

Since its start in March, Castillo Design has worked on logos, websites, advertisement posters, and general commercial design work, said founder Jon Yeung ’21, Hong Kong.

“We have already worked with 10-plus clients,” Jon said. “Right now, we are in talks for one project with an art society in Hong Kong and working for another retail trading organization.”

Jon wanted to create an experiential education program on the Montezuma campus to handle the international high school’s design needs, including flyers, event posters, social media posts, and so on. He recruited classmates Taisei Yokoshima of Japan, Neelabh Kashyap of India and Dumjachiki Umeh of Nigeria in addition to recent graduate Aryan Laad of the United Arab Emirates and a friend who attends Cornell University.

“My friends and I noticed that there is a lack of coherency and consistency in terms of design work,” Jon said. “Yule Ball, TEDx, culture day shows all require designers, and I thought it would be a good idea to group all the designers in an ExEd and then allocate the work amongst the group, instead of each of these events having to recruit their own designers.”

The spread of COVID-19 across the United States resulted in the mid-March evacuation of UWC-USA students. Back home, Jon realized he could still put his design skills to use to help start-ups and businesses struggling through the pandemic.

An artist and aspiring architect, the 17-year-old has done internships with three architectural practices in Hong Kong. That’s how he learned the basics of graphic design.

“I consider myself to be a creative person, and hence, dabbling in the arts of graphic design and web page design doesn’t feel foreign to me,” Jon said.

Castillo Design’s first job was to create an advertisement for a non-profit that offers tutoring to minority groups in Hong Kong.

Clients have expressed amazement after learning that Castillo Design is made up of high school students, he said.

“I don’t think they have ever worked with teenagers, as some of them were competitive companies in their respective industries,” Jonathan said. “However, after each proposal we made, they were stunned by the professionalism that we exhibited.”

One project involved designing a website.

“We provided the client with several options that our design could lean toward and intended animation for each and every entity on the website,” Jonathan said. “They were amazed by our level of dedication.”

Taisei joined the team because of his interest in industrial design.

“I have not done a lot of design work yet, so I decided to acquire experience,” he said.

The 17-year-old is pleased with client interest thus far.

“Any work we do will allow us to enhance our senses to produce higher quality aesthetics,” he said.

The name Castillo Design was inspired by UWC-USA’s historic castle.

“This idea was talked about with my friends during our daily meals in our own Harry Potter-themed cafeteria, and with a spice of Spanish from the local New Mexico culture, hence, Castillo Design,” Jon said.

About half of the 220 students enrolled at the United World College-USA for 2020-21 are expected to return to the Montezuma campus beginning Aug. 1 for the start of classes in September.

The remainder will take courses online until COVID-19 restrictions and related matters make it possible for their return.

“Given our mission and values, it made sense that we would do everything we could to open for an on-campus experience while protecting the health of our campus and larger community,” said UWC-USA President Victoria Mora. “Our students’ education is as focused on the experience of living together as learning together, across the differences that might otherwise divide them.”

UWC-USA in mid-March evacuated about 230 students from the two-year international high school due to the spread of COVID-19 across the country. School officials have spent the past four months implementing protocols for their return.

Las Vegas Mayor Louie Trujillo said he has received details about the plan, which includes COVID-19 testing and quarantining, and is happy to hear students will return.

“I think there has been a lot of thought put into the admission process and how they will keep everyone safe,” Trujillo said.

Upon arrival, students will quarantine and be tested on campus by the state Department of Health, said dean of students Naomi Swinton. Thereafter the campus health team, which includes nurses and EMTs as well as a medical director, will conduct testing as needed. Daily symptom checks, including for above normal temperatures, are planned. COVID-19 testing will continue regularly for students and employees, and everyone on campus must wear a mask. UWC-USA worked with public health representatives, local, regional and national medical advisors, the Office of Emergency Management, and is following best practices outlined by the Center for Disease Control and the National Association of Independent Schools to coordinate the safe return of students.

Students, who normally come from about 90 countries, will be restricted to the campus except for wilderness excursions, outdoor ranch trips and essential appointments in town, Swinton said.

Traditionally, UWC students go to Las Vegas to shop and volunteer in schools, the Samaritan House, El Comedor de San Pascual Soup Kitchen, the city’s animal shelter and more; students, faculty and staff annually contribute about 17,000 hours of community service in the region.

“Our students will still be engaged in the community either virtually or by helping produce food on the (UWC-USA) farm to organizations serving those in need in the community,” Swinton said. “We are looking forward to setting up a buy local and bulk ordering effort in collaboration with Las Vegas businesses.”

Prior to leaving their homes, students are asked to quarantine and be tested for the coronavirus. UWC-USA will transport students directly to campus from the airport; students will be tested within a few days of arrival.

Classrooms have been set up for responsible physical distancing, and a sanitation checklist is being implemented for all public and private spaces, with an emphasis on disinfecting high touch surfaces before and after use.

“We’ve organized our classroom spaces to adhere to physical distancing requirements,” said Taylor Gantt, chief financial and operations officer for UWC-USA. “We have masks and hand sanitizer and will have plexiglass shields around teachers’ desks.”

The dining hall will be set up for 50 percent capacity, or a maximum of 100 students. Tables will be 6 feet apart, with no more than four persons per table.

Outdoor classroom spaces are planned throughout the 200-acre campus.

“Students are making face coverings for us — because it’s our policy — and for local members of the community who need one,” Swinton said. “We’re proud to have helped partner with local sewing groups to distribute more than 4,000 face coverings this summer.”

“UWC-USA sees itself as an anchor institution in our community,” Mora added. “We want to keep our people employed, and that means we need to be viable financially. Opening, even if with fewer students, is key. We also want to continue offering service in our community.”

Three northern New Mexico teens have received scholarships to attend one of 18 United World Colleges around the world this fall.

Joaquin Romero of Mora, the son of Paula Garcia, will attend UWC-USA in Montezuma; Ella Katz of Llano in Taos County, the daughter of Kristen Davenport and Avrum Katz, is going to UWC East Africa in Tanzania; and Savannah Gallegos of Villanueva, the daughter of Holly and Louis Gallegos, has been accepted to UWC Changshu China.

Joaquin and Ella will begin their UWC education in August. COVID-19, however, has delayed Savannah’s education in China for one year. She, however, has the option to attend UWC-USA.

“China is not allowing international students to get the final part of their visas (to allow entry into the country),” said Savannah, who is also considering finishing her senior year at West Las Vegas High School then going to China in the fall of 2021. “I was a little disappointed at first, but now I think it’s the best thing you can do.”

The 16-year-old had the option to take UWC classes online or wait a year. Savannah said she has been guaranteed a spot on the Changshu campus for next year.

Tanzania’s borders remain open. As of mid-July, the East African country of 56 million had reported a total of 509 cases of COVID-19 and 21 deaths, according to a published report. 

“The Tanzania president believes, technically, there is no COVID there, and the borders are open,” said Ella, who will fly to Washington, D.C., then Qatar and Kilimanjaro.

According to a published report, Tanzanian President John Magufuli said his country has eradicated coronavirus, but urged people to continue taking precautions.

Joaquin, Ella and Savannah are among 60 U.S. students selected for the merit-based, $25,000 Davis Scholarships. UWC is an international high school for 16- to 19-year-olds whose mission is to unite cultures through education, thus creating a peaceful, sustainable world. UWC students represent up to 90 countries at some campuses; many come from conflict regions.

The Davis Scholar program is named for philanthropist Shelby M.C. Davis, founder of and a senior adviser to Davis Selected Advisers, a mutual fund management company, who funded the scholarship program some 20 years ago.

Joaquin Romero

Joaquin, 17, recently completed his junior year at Mora High School. He works at Los de Mora Growers’ Cooperative, an agricultural nonprofit in nearby Cleveland and on his family’s 50-acre ranch.

As a junior, he held a 3.89 grade-point average and was ranked fourth in his class of 23 students. He ran track, belonged to student council, and was vice-president of the MESA Club. He also studies classical piano.

Joaquin had his first UWC experience two years ago while attending the three-week summer Global Leadership Forum in Montezuma. Fourteen- to 18-year-olds from around the world engage in summer programming that focuses on arts and culture, wilderness, constructive engagement of conflict, and sustainability.

“I really liked it and liked their idea of communicating with each other, no matter our borders, and finding our commonalities on different world issues,” he said.

For Joaquin, receiving a Davis Scholarship was “a huge honor.”

 “If you grow up in a rural community, you see the same people and the same faces all your life,” he said. “Then you get accepted to this prestigious private school that’s pretty much next door. It’s kind of surreal.” 

Ella Katz

Ella was raised on her parents’ organic vegetable and herb farm. She grew up crawling around in the mud, milking goats, and harvesting squash. Her home has a composting toilet, and for a while didn’t have running water. 

The 17-year-old has belonged to the Taos High School varsity cross country, track, and soccer teams since eighth grade; during that time, her cross country team won two state championships, and as a freshman, she took the state title.

As a junior, Ella had a 4.4 grade-point average and also participated in speech and debate, and theater.

She applied to UWC after hearing about a friend’s experience with the Global Leadership Forum.

“I’ve always wanted to see the world and experience other cultures, and thought this would be a great way to begin that process,” Ella said.

She will be leaving for Tanzania on July 31.

Savannah Gallegos

Savannah applied to UWC to meet people from around the world and learn about their perspectives on life. Receiving a scholarship “seemed to be out of this world,” Savannah said.

“It was wonderful,” her mother added. “I’m very happy for the opportunity. She’s very outgoing and she’s very smart.”

As a junior, Savannah held a 3.3 grade-point average and was ranked 34th out of a class of 112 students. She was president and founder of the LGBTQ+Spectrum Club, belonged to Earth Care: Youth Allies and MESA, and was the student representative on the West Las Vegas School Board.

The second-born of three children, Savannah has worked at the Villanueva General Store and for the Youth Farm to Market.