UWC-USA’s 2019 graduation was held on May 25, 2019 and featured 105 students from 75 different countries participating in the ceremony. Of the students graduating almost 95 percent are continuing their educations on scholarships, and 50 percent received full rides. The impressive list of school acceptances includes Duke, Wellesley, Cornell, Yale, University of California Berkeley, Princeton, New York University, Brown, Columbia and more.
Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro, chairwoman of the United World College International Board and globally recognized for initiatives that advance health, development, and human rights, was the keynote speaker.
Kanyoro served as the president and chief executive officer of the Global Fund for Women, a foundation that invests in and advocates for women and girls. With more than 30 years of experience mobilizing and managing international non-governmental organizations at both the global and grassroots levels, Kanyoro’s early work focused on the self-determination of African peoples and the abolition of apartheid in South Africa. Kanyoro has doctorates in linguistics from the University of Texas, Austin, and feminist theology from San Francisco Theological Seminary.
Len Necefer, the recipient of the 2019 Giulio Regeni Alumni Impact Award, also addressed attendees. A 2007 UWC-USA graduate, Necefer advocates for native nations and the environment. He is an assistant professor with joint appointments with the American Indian Studies Program and the Udall Center for Public Policy.
The Giulio Regeni Alumni Impact Award is given annually to a UWC-USA alumnus or alumna who has made substantial contributions and created impact in the local, national, or global community, and whose accomplishments, affiliations, and professional career honor the UWC mission.
For the second year in a row, the United World College-USA community has met the challenge issued by the family of donor Shelby M.C. Davis — raise $2 million to unlock a $2 million match to support scholarships, programs, and school operations.
As of May 31, 2019 all UWC-USA Davis Scholars participated in the challenge. Additionally, 85 percent of students made a contribution to the Annual Fund.
“While the numbers are still being calculated, the participation has been incredibly inspiring. We’ve been led, not surprisingly, by our own students and alumni in meeting the challenge,” said UWC-USA Chief Advancement Officer Mark Hodde ’89.
The Davis Family Challenge Grant is a five-year effort to encourage alumni, students, faculty and staff, and community members to participate in UWC-USA’s philanthropic efforts. A small number of dedicated benefactors led by Shelby and his family have had outsized impact in supporting scholarship and program costs. We couldn’t be more grateful! However, maintaining the vitality of the UWC-USA experience, as well as the long-term fiscal health of the school, requires growing the donor base.
“We are very grateful for the response to this year’s Davis Family Challenge Grant,” Mark said. “We want more students from even more diverse backgrounds enrolled at UWC-USA. That’s how the UWC mission comes alive each year.”
Charles Wong ’84, a member of UWC-USA’s first graduating class, recently shared his experiences with current students at a Fireside Chat at the president’s house.
A successful investor and entrepreneur, Charles began by sharing his experience as a student in the earliest days when essentially none of the technologies that connect people around the world existed. He recounted how he and his roommate (from the Soviet Union) debated for hours the merits of a free market as opposed to the benefits of a Marxist system.
Much of the discussion following his introduction centered on Charles challenging students to see world events from a broader perspective. Octave Chouvet ’19, a second-year student from France, attended the presentation and acknowledged that the discussion in the Fireside Chat “made me wonder if our idealist perception and praise of Western democracy are justified and if our demonization of China’s communist party is exaggerated.”
Andie Parry ’19 (US-CA) echoed Octave’s reflections and added that Charles’ perceptions of the world were valuable and interesting. “He had more conservative viewpoints than many of us,” she explained. “And that exposure was stimulating in regards to thinking about Chinese-U.S. relations.”
“UWC is not a place where we impose a belief system on other people, but it’s not a place where you get to be comfortable.”
— Ben Gillock, Director – UWC-USA Agroecology Research Center and Environmental Systems and Societies Teacher
During Earth Week, UWC-USA Environmental Systems and Societies teacher, Ben Gillock, presented on the impact of eating meat. The “Meating,” as he billed the event, was not designed to convert people to become vegetarians or vegans. Instead, the goal of the Meating was to increase students’ understanding of the environmental impact of producing meat and to encourage everyone to make decisions based on science and fact. Each of his slides featured sources documenting the research supporting the data he presented.
Several of the takeaways from the presentation included:
The leading causes of rainforest destruction are livestock and feed crops.
Growing feed crops for livestock consumes 56% of water in the U.S.
Ben suggested the following ways to eat meat more sustainably:
Consider eating chicken or rabbit instead of beef, pork, or lamb.
Raise meat yourself or learn how to hunt.
Eat less meat – once per day is plenty.
Be an informed consumer about the food you eat (not just meat) and the impact growing that food has on the environment.
In the end, Ben contends, it is a lifelong process to bring our values in alignment with the UWC mission. That can mean gradually making small changes to our habits or diets or attitudes knowing that incremental changes can have a big impact on us and our planet.
A team of four first-year students representing New Mexico and UWC-USA placed fourth out of 45 teams during a national competition that tests students’ knowledge of international relations, current events and foreign policy issues.
UWC-USA garnered 88 points out of possible 100 during the Academic WorldQuest in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, April 27. Jasper High School from Plano, Texas, took the title with 94 points.
UWC-USA students Paul Joscha Ellsiepen ’20 of Germany, Alejandro Rene Ortiz Lopez ’20 of Venezuela, Karoline Soe Nedergaard ’20 of Denmark and Vidar Axel Oscar Önnerfors ’20 of Luxembourg received an all-expense paid trip to the competition after taking the state title in New Mexico earlier this spring.
The competition was based on 10 key global affairs issues and students are quizzed on 10 questions for each topic including how to deal with North Korea and the global refugee and migration crisis.
Saïf-Deen Akanni ’85 and four other UWC-USA alumni are behind a company that is revolutionizing the drone (UAV) industry by increasing the flight time of UAVs from about 30 minutes to up to four hours. Saïf, CEO and Chief Technology Officer of Sentient Blue, accepted a $1M grand prize from the GENIUS NY business accelerator competition in early April.
“When the U.S. government opened the use of drones to commercial applications in 2016, I realized there was a great opportunity to improve the performance of drones,” Saïf explained. Lithium batteries could only support flight for about 30 minutes with a recharging time of up to 80 minutes. And in cold weather flight time was often reduced to 10 minutes.
Saïf and the team at Sentient Blue developed a hybrid propulsion system using a microturbine which is essentially a very small jet engine that can increase flight time up to 4 hours.
Saïf gained important experiences and developed valuable skills in his two years at UWC-USA. “I came to UWC-USA in 1982 with very few skills and left two years later with new experiences that were instrumental in making me the person I am today.” When pressed for further clarification, he explained that UWC-USA encourages students to go outside their comfort zones while pushing themselves – and the organizations they come into contact with – to do more.
Saïf also contends that his ability to speak six languages has been instrumental in his ability to build a company that works in a highly international field. “The applications for drones with longer flight times can help both industry and humanitarian efforts,” Saïf said. “We’ve been in conversations with non-profits and foundations about using drones to deliver medicines or vaccines to remote areas. I’m an aerospace engineer but my work can be used to improve the lives of others and support the UWC mission.”
Saïf is the only member of the class of 1985 who has been part of this project but is pleased that four other alumni from his time at UWC-USA are investors or advisors. Bertrand Kan ’84, Amit Mohindra ’84, Charles Wong ’84, and Eugenio Ruggiero ’84 are also involved.
Since winning the award, Saïf and Sentient Blue have been inundated with calls from investors and media inquiring about their plans. “The recognition this prize affords us is nothing short of amazing,” Saïf further explained. And the prize money will help them hire more employees and get their product to market more quickly.
Congratulations to Len Necefer ‘07 the recipient of the 2019 Giulio Regeni Alumni Impact Award. Len has been a strong advocate for Native nations and the environment since graduating from UWC-USA. Congratulations are also in order for finalists Rick Rowley ‘94 and Shiva Gurung ‘84.
Len Necefer ‘07 (2019 Winner) is an assistant professor with joint appointments with the American Indian Studies program and the Udall Center for Public Policy. He is also the CEO of NativesOutdoors, a Colorado-based outdoor apparel company. Len has worked with Allegheny Science & Technology as an energy manager and the Department of Energy’s Office of Indian Energy in Golden, Colorado. Len has become a strong young voice in the debate about public lands and national monuments, as well as an enthusiastic advocate for native communities. He regularly consults and serves on panels for the outdoor and native communities. Len participated in the 2016 Annual Conference on campus. Len is passionate about the environment, the land we inhabit and has, throughout his years as an alumnus, fought to protect and represent the voice of Native Nations.
Rick Rowley ‘94 (2019 Finalist) is a filmmaker devoted to telling the stories of people who fight for truth, for freedom, and against war. Rick also uses film to tell stories about those who struggle against unfair capitalistic systems in developing countries. His work not only shows commitment to the UWC mission but also shows how important it is to engage the public and to share the stories that Giulio Regeni was exploring at the time of his death. Through his art, Rick is able to help change the way we see the world by humanizing the stories of real people. All his films, from Zapatista up until Dirty Wars, focus on unveiling atrocities while celebrating the power that we all have to fight back.
Shiva Gurung ‘84 (2019 Finalist) comes from a very small village in Northern Nepal (Badagun, Besisahar). When he graduated from UWC-USA, he chose to return to Nepal, refusing a scholarship for university study, in order to “give back” to his country the fantastic opportunity he had acquired through his UWC education. Shiva started his career in Kathmandu as a successful computer scientist in one of the biggest banks in Nepal. While working there he became an inspirational leader for his team members. In time he also became an inspirational leader of his village Badagun, taking over from his father’s leadership. He created a new vision for the valley that led the 22 villages to form an agricultural cooperative. Shiva has been a tremendous supporter of Badegun’s initiatives including promoting sustainability and encouraging the involvement of women in village projects.
The Giulio Regeni Alumni Impact Award is conferred annually on a UWC-USA alumna/us whose work and life are exemplars of the UWC mission. The winner each year is a featured speaker at graduation. Learn more about the Giulio Regeni Alumni Impact Award here.
Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro, chairwoman of the United World College International Board who is globally recognized for initiatives that advance health, development and human rights, will be the keynote speaker for the UWC-USA graduation at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 25, on the Montezuma campus.
Kanyoro served as the president and chief executive officer of the Global Fund for Women, a foundation that invests in and advocates for women and girls. With more than 30 years of experience mobilizing and managing international non-governmental organizations at both the global and grassroots levels, Kanyoro’s early work focused on the self-determination of African peoples and the abolition of apartheid in South Africa.
Born in Kenya, she has travelled all over the world and lived for extended periods in Africa, Europe and United States. Kanyoro is passionate about using philanthropy, education, media and technology to drive social change
particularly amongst youth, women and marginalized people of the world.
Kanyoro has doctorates in linguistics from the University of Texas, Austin, and feminist theology from San Francisco Theological Seminary.
The UWC-USA Class of 2019 will have 106 graduates from 65 countries.
Mark Hodde, a UWC-USA alumnus from the class of 1989, has recently joined the school as Chief Advancement Officer. Mark will manage all aspects of our giving, alumni, and communications efforts as we work to fulfill the Davis Family Challenge Grant and build the foundation for a future capital campaign. The five-year grant from the family of Shelby M. C. Davis provides a match if the school is able to raise $2M in the Annual Fund.
Mark has more than 25 years of experience in fundraising, marketing and communications with international humanitarian relief organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds a master’s in public administration from the University of Southern California.
Mark counts the experiences he had as a student among the most formative in his life. “As a second-year student, I organized a project to Matamoros, Mexico to assist a single mother and her children rebuild a home that was damaged in Hurricane Gilbert,” he said.
Mark had to raise money to support travel for the international construction crew (pictured left) and supplies for the project. As it happened, Ray Hankamer, the father of Gabrielle (Hankamer) Welch ’90, was visiting campus and learned about the trip. He provided the students with a place to stay at a hotel he owned in Brownsville.
“As I look back, this experience helped shape my career path working for international humanitarian agencies, building partnerships, and raising funds for urgent causes. And, best of all, this year I’ll celebrate with Ildiko (Jekl) Hodde ’90, one of the participants in that project, as we mark our 25th wedding anniversary!”
Mark is eager to tackle the challenges he faces. “UWC-USA is a unique place in so many respects. It is an international school tucked away in the remote Southwest, and a school with a 37-year history that is still relatively unknown. The mission remains relevant, but we need to be more visible in expressing our values and inviting people to participate in the work of the school.”
Matt Farwell ’02 presented a fireside chat on Wednesday evening at UWC-USA. Fireside chats are opportunities for UWC-USA students to meet alumni or other thought leaders in an informal setting. Matt, who is a veteran of the U.S. War in Afghanistan, shared insights about his recently published book, American Cipher, which is a narrative of the life, captivity, and trial of Bowe Bergdahl, a U.S. soldier who was in Taliban captivity for five years after he deserted. Bergdahl’s story, and Matt’s book, provide some surprising insights on the U.S. War in Afghanistan that began in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks and continues today.
Read an excerpt of American Cipher published in Vanity Fair.
