Category: News

Through the generosity of alumni, students, staff, and friends, UWC-USA has successfully met the $2 million Davis Family Challenge Grant which unlocked a match of an additional $2 million to support scholarships and programs for students at the school. 

This is the third successful year of the five-year challenge established by the family of UWC-USA benefactor Shelby Davis. “We couldn’t be more grateful,” said UWC-USA President Victoria Mora. ““This year was obviously even more challenging for us and for our community of alumni and friends all over the world. We understand that the disruption of Covid-19 extended to the personal and professional lives of our donors. Yet so many still gave to support our students and our ability to live our mission. This is a testament to the importance of what we do, but it also showed what is possible when we work together to make something good happen. This year’s effort was one for the books. We won’t forget it, and it will only make us work harder to make this education possible in service of our students and of a better world.”

Among alumni, the class of 1986 had a remarkable 64% participation rate. Also notable were members of the classes of ‘87, ‘88, ‘89, and ‘04. The alumni giving rate was 28% overall. Class representatives were particularly active in the closing months of the challenge employing Zoom sessions, class challenges, calls, and emails to encourage their classmates.

The successful completion of this year’s campaign was the result of alumni and members of the UWC-USA community including parents of alumni, students, faculty and staff, community members, and friends of the school around the world.

The funds from the grant will go to the operations of the school to support the student experience, including programs such as wilderness, sustainability, and arts and culture.

By Tianyu Chen ’21, China

More than 75 students in the UWC-USA Class of 2020 have received a total of $39 million in college scholarships, according to Marie Assir, director of college counseling.

The class’s 114 graduates completed a total of 1,130 college applications. To break it down, students submitted 940 applications for schools in the United States, 85 for schools in Europe, 75 in the United Kingdom, and 30 in Canada.

Some 400 offers were made, Marie said. Sixty-six percent of students will go to colleges in the United States, including MIT, Brown, Stanford, Georgetown, University of Pennsylvania, University of Oklahoma, and Wellesley. Another 8 percent will attend schools in Europe, 5 percent in the United Kingdom, and 3 percent in Canada.

Sixteen percent of the students are taking a gap year.

Sixteen percent of the graduates are first-generation college students. 

A sampling of where students are going includes: 

• Alejandro Ortiz Venezuela, University of Florida in Gainesville to study politics and economics.
• Ellis Ward, Brown University in Providence, R.I.
• Elie Rizk, Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn., double majoring in economics and data science.
• Milania Lucia Soares da Costa, Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore., to study political science, and sociology and anthropology.
• Karolina Maria Szewczyk, Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands, to study international economics and business economics. 
• Rhiannon Griffiths, Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore., majoring in environmental studies.
• Isabelle Grace Burns, Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, either this fall or next fall. Isabelle is undecided about taking a gap year. 
• Elijah Allen Martineau, Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, majoring in outdoor and environmental recreation.
• Catherine Quinn, Tufts University on the border of Medford and Somerville, Mass.
• Omobolanle Kafidipe, Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. Major undecided.
• Ying Han, Lake Forest College in Chicago, likely double majoring in psychology and neuroscience with a minor in journalism.

Areas of study range from liberal arts to science. The hot choices are international relations, economics, neuroscience, architecture, and literature.

 By Bo Hou ’21, China

Five UWC-USA students unable to return home due to the COVID-19 pandemic returned to the Montezuma campus on May 19 to work on the farm. All had been staying with host families since leaving campus in mid-March.

Kritim Krishna Rijal ‘20, Nepal; Milania Lucia Soares da Costa ‘20, Timor-Leste; Paula Fabiana Ramirez Orozco ‘20, Ecuador; Bo Hou ’21, China; and Daniela Rivas Clavel ‘21, El Salvador are living in dean of students Naomi Swinton’s three-bedroom home. 

Most cannot go back home because their countries are locked down.

“I plan to stay here until the border back home opens because until then, I don’t have another place to be,” said Kritim.

“If everything can be normal again before or during July, I will travel back to my country. I think I like the farm. Also living with people of similar age as I am is fun,” Milania said. 

Residential Life proposed the idea to the UWC-USA Strategic Leadership Team.

“We typically have had farm interns over the summer, usually not students or recent alumni though,” Naomi said. “We wanted to be sure to be able to continue to distribute produce locally in the community as many people benefit from the donations of fresh vegetables and fruit in town.”

The students work on the farm from 8 to 11 a.m. and then 7 to 8 p.m. five days a week. While at the farm, students are supervised by farm manager Adrian Carter and environment systems teacher Ben Gillock. Resident coordinator Alex Curtiss oversees students when they are away from the farm.

Students are expected to stay on campus except for emergencies or chaperoned trips, wear masks in public, wash hands regularly and report any health symptoms immediately. They also are expected to uphold the UWC Code of Conduct, and consider safety and responsibility as they carry out their tasks on campus, Naomi said.  

Kritim talked about his experience on the farm.

“A lot of things are new, especially because I have not been involved in the farm, at least not for a while, but it is pretty interesting,” he said. “Some of the chores are challenging, while others are comparatively easier. The overall experience however is pretty satisfying.”

Students make breakfast and dinner, and through the end of May, got lunches from the cafeteria.

“It is usually good,” Kritim said. “But even if we get the food from there, we have to bring it to our place and eat it.”

Besides the cafeteria, all castle rooms and other dorms are locked.

“We can only access the library and IT Center,” Milania said. “Other than that (access) is not allowed by the school, but (we have access to) the castle only for taking lunch food.”

Students are enjoying their time on campus.

“It was a nice opportunity to meet some friends and faculty,” Kritim said.

“I can access the library, so I read for fun,” Milania added. “And there is a projector to watch movies.”

The United World College-USA is encouraging the community to write to President Trump and Congress to lift the temporary bans on travel to the United States from 31 countries and reopen U.S. consulates so students can get visas.

In the first 24 hours more than 200 people participated in this effort. Refer to this link on the UWC-USA website for a sample letter and more information.

“I think it’s really important for as many people as possible to send a message to their congressperson that these presidential proclamations affect not only us, but many other people at hundreds of institutions in the United States,” said John Carpenter, director of admissions at UWC-USA. “The proclamations affect our mission, our revenue, and the experience the kids get to have. We are committed to providing a UWC experience based on our values and we want to provide that to the same diverse group as always.”

UWC-USA is expecting a total of 220 students for the upcoming academic year who represent about 90 countries, Carpenter said. About half of those attending the two-year international high school in Montezuma, N.M., will be first-years, including nearly 30 from the United States. All students from abroad, except those from Canada, need visas to study here.

The United States has travel bans on China, United Kingdom, Ireland, Iran, Brazil and 26 European countries who share relaxed border controls. Carpenter has heard they could be lifted in 30 to 60 days.

“I’ve been checking websites, but nothing official yet,” he said. “We know we will start with a much smaller group in August. (Students) will come in waves as consulates do open.”

When COVID-19 spread worldwide, embassies were closed so its employees could return to the United States.

“The U.S. consulates have temporarily stopped issuing visas,” Carpenter said. “Even though (first-year students) have all the paperwork needed, the last step is having a visa interview at a consulate.”

Carpenter remains optimistic that bans will be lifted and consulates will reopen.

“However, it may be a while, which is why it’s important for us to reach out to our elected representatives to start issuing student visas again,” he said, noting the school will offer an online teaching, experiential education and residential program for students.

Carl-Martin Nelson, the school’s director of communications, cited a UWC tradition of activism for the effort to contact Washington.

“The UWC community is typically focused on action to solve problems rather than just talking about problems,” Nelson said. “We can all write letters and call our representatives in Washington to support these students and the international study community as a whole. We’re better off as a country when we have opportunities to learn with and from people from other places and with different backgrounds.” 

The San Miguel County 100% Community initiative is planning a summer event program that includes giveaways to 1,000 children.

The Mask Parade will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 20, in Melody Park on the New Mexico Highlands University campus. Children ages 3 through 12 participating in the free drive-through event will receive masks, books, toys and other educational resources, said Kim Blea, dean of students for NMHU. Local residents have volunteered to make masks for the event celebrating summer reading, while the United World College-USA is donating 500 books and 1,000 toys.

“Education changed my life, and it started with Head Start,” said Victoria J. Mora, president of UWC-USA. “It means so much to me to be partnering to support literacy and learning through play in our local community.”

“The time we spend with our children reading, or playing games with them that teach them skills and develop their resilience, is never wasted,” Mora continued. “I’m so glad UWC-USA could provide books and games to so many children at a tough time for so many.” 

Participants are encouraged to decorate their vehicles and masks. Everyone must remain in their vehicles.

“We encourage people to attend this event,” Blea said. “For one, we want every resident including youth to have a mask. We are also really focusing on literacy, ensuring students and youth have access to education resources during the summer.”

“The main purpose of this is to celebrate the students, to keep them safe and educated through COVID-19 and to celebrate their efforts during distance learning,” said Liz Probst, community resources specialist for 100% Community. “It definitely wasn’t easy for them, and to celebrate their parents for their effort.”

The 100% Community helps residents have access to vital services committed to strengthening their health, safety and resilience. The county-focused initiative supported by the Anna, Age Eight Institute in Santa Fe is part of the state’s higher education system.

The purpose of the initiative is to connect the resources and support our people within the community,” said Probst, whose husband, Matt Probst, is director of 100% Community and medical director at El Centro Family Health.

“We all help those that need it most, and that will get our community through this,” Matt Probst wrote in an email. “United by the conviction in our hearts we join forces to fight disparity. This new and rapidly growing movement is already doing a lot of good.”

He noted that during the Mask Parade, families will receive surviving and thriving kits that will contain resources for families to have fun this summer in a safe way, resources for food and other free resources for youth, and information on how to be counted in the U.S. Census.

For more information or to participate, contact Liz Probst at lizprobst100@gmail.com or 505-470-3729.

 

Please join law professor, community activist, and author Arjun S. Sethi for a webinar on policing, surveillance, and its impact on communities of color. We’ll explore racial profiling, predictive policing, facial recognition, NSA surveillance, and other trends and practices, including new developments in light of COVID-19 and the unrest in the United States in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd.

There will be time for questions.

When: June 13 @ 9:00 am MDT (75 minutes)
Where: Online
How: Register for this free webinar below

This webinar is open to the public and sponsored by UWC-USA’s Bartos Institute for the Constructive Engagement of Conflict.

Arjun Singh Sethi is the author of American Hate and a frequent collaborator with UWC-USA and the Bartos Institute.

Dear UWC-USA Community,

As I am sure you are aware, wherever you are across the globe, this is a painful moment in the United States of America. The images on our screens leave no doubt that the United States continues to struggle with racism and its heartbreaking effects. Systemic racism is a call to conscience for those who benefit from it, and to compassion for those who suffer from it. Together we are called to do something about it. Violence and lawlessness distract us from our need to listen to those affected by the insidious injustices that demean and demoralize. Together we are called to stand against them. The destruction of property makes visible the scars of racial injustice that need healing. Together we are called to look at both, and to condone neither.

The UWC movement was founded during the Cold War with a simple, guiding insight: We can be better than this. Education can only be a force for peace because the possibility for change rests with each one of us — in the daily commitments we make to be better and in the actions we take to do better. We are given the opportunity each and every day to see and to seek to understand the Other with openness, respect, and compassion. We are given the opportunity each and every day to examine our own lives and to determine how we benefit from systemic injustice and how we perpetuate systemic racism. We are given the opportunity each and every day to open a dialogue with the Other, to listen more and talk less. We are given the opportunity each and every day to reject the polarization that numbs us to the simplest lessons, the ones we teach our children with such care, like treating others the way we would like to be treated. 

I hesitated to say anything at all in the face of so much suffering. I have been overwhelmed by it, feeling something akin to the grief I felt at the death of my nephew, James, many years ago. But burying my nephew as my sister lay in a coma following a car accident that killed her 14-year-old son, I discovered something that I have rediscovered at UWC: We encounter our best selves when we learn the preciousness not only of our own children, but of the children of others.

I love to remind our students that we are a “microcosm of the world” here in tiny Montezuma, New Mexico. Amid this unrest in our host country, a country I love, I want all of our students to know that they make the world easy to love, too. But this past week has reminded us that there is hard work ahead of us if we are to fulfill our mission of peace and a sustainable future. Of course we all confront this lesson every day in our own global contexts–in places of conflict that drag on as wars, in places where political reform would be a luxury for those who struggle to subsist or who are oppressed, in places where prosperity makes unwelcome the plights of those who would migrate to have something better. It isn’t about where or why the suffering is taking place; only about recognizing that we are called to stand up for any mother’s child, for every mother’s child, when we see them treated with anything less than the dignity they deserve. We are called to stand up for George Floyd and for so many others whose lives have been taken by injustice here in the United States and all over the world. 

Wherever we are–in our homes, in our workplaces, in the UWC movement–we are being called to stand up for peace. And for the justice that makes it possible. We are also being called to listen, especially to the Other. It is, as ever, the only way forward. 

In the spirit of love and hope,

Victoria J. Mora
UWC-USA President

Congratulations to René Celaya ’88, recipient of the 2020 Giulio Regeni Alumni Impact Award.

As vice president for humanitarian programs at Sesame Workshop, René leads an innovative collaboration between Sesame Workshop and the International Rescue Committee. The committee provides early learning opportunities for displaced and host community children and caregivers affected by the Syrian conflict in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and northern Syria. The program will reach more than a million children by delivering urgent early childhood development support to families through classrooms and health clinics. The program will also provide an all-new, Arabic-language Sesame TV show called Ahlan Simsim that is broadcast in 20 countries across the Middle East and North Africa. Ahlan Simsim is also elevating awareness, engaging policy makers, spearheading research, and increasing investment to support the critical needs of early childhood development in crisis settings.

René appreciates that his commitment to international development started in a school by a castle in the small Southwest US town of Montezuma, New Mexico. He went on to earn a bachelor’s in Russian and Soviet studies from Harvard University and a master’s of international affairs on economic development from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

The Giulio Regeni Alumni Impact award honors UWC-USA alumni whose work and life exemplify the UWC mission. Giulio Regeni ’07 was an Italian citizen and a doctoral student at Cambridge University in the UK. He was conducting his Ph.D. research on the formation of independent trade unions, specifically the street vendors’ union, in Egypt after the fall of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. He was in Cairo conducting field research when on January 25, 2016, the fifth anniversary of the “25 January Revolution,” he disappeared. His body was found nine days later.

The UWC-USA faculty and staff, under the direction of the talented Dave Heldreth, produced a lipdub tribute to our students.

 

 

 

While we wish we were all gathering this Saturday on the soccer field below the Castle for graduation, we will not have that great pleasure this year.

Our graduation ceremony on Saturday will be an online event featuring our speakers, some reflections on the past year, and thoughts on the path ahead. The link to the event will be made public on the graduation page of our website and on the school’s social media channels at 10:30 am on Saturday, May 23.

We hope you will join us as we wish our graduating students well!