Category: News

Three UWC-USA alumni received Gateway Scholarships from the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) for last-minute course openings.

Recipients were:

• Cristian Mendoza Gomez ’19, USA-Calif., for the Wilderness First Responder Program in San Francisco
• Max Saylor ’14, USA-Vermont, for the North Cascades Mountaineering Prime in Washington
• Talia Augustidis, ’18, United Kingdom, for the Whitewater River Expedition in Utah

The scholarships are worth a total of $9,115.

“We are super excited for UWC-USA’s relationship with NOLS to continue to grow,” said Anders Fristedt, co-director of the wilderness program at UWC-USA. “What started as two scholarships a year has now grown to seven for the summer of 2019.”

NOLS is non-profit dedicated to teaching environmental ethics, technical outdoors skills, wilderness medicine, risk management and judgment, and leadership on extended wilderness expeditions and in classrooms. NOLS partners with organizations like UWC-USA through its Gateway Partner Program to engage exceptional youth in expeditions.

Mendoza, who finished the first responder course his week, said he was extremely excited to receive the scholarship.

“Thanks to the wilderness program at UWC-USA, I have fallen in love with backpacking and can continue to work in this field with a WFR certification,” he said. “The course has been extremely educational, fun, and an experience I will carry with me forever.”

Mendoza will continue his education at American University in Washington, D.C., on full-merit-based scholarship worth $260,000 over four years.

Additional recipients for 2019 were Evan Myers ‘20, USA-Oregon, for rock climbing; and Ekaterina Tsavalyuk ‘20, Russia, Valentina Cuellar Rodriguez ’19, Colombia, and Kyra Geissler ’19, USA-Ill., all Alaska backpacking and sea kayaking.

Kathy Hendrickson never misses a Cultural Day Show. She finds something surprising or poignant every time she attends and she appreciates that the students are so pleased to share stories about their countries. A true friend of the school, Kathy gives tours of the Castle and the Dwan Light Sanctuary through her company, Southwest Detours, to visitors from across the country and around the world.

Each year Kathy donates the proceeds from two of her biggest tours – large groups from Santa Fe – toward scholarships at UWC-USA. Her relationship with the school is more than a partnership, however. She believes in the mission and is one of the best Get-Away Family moms the school has ever seen. “It’s a very rewarding experience meeting these students from all over the world,” Kathy says. “We get to learn their customs and they get to learn ours; it’s a lot of fun. But what I most enjoy is hearing about their life experiences. We are so insulated here in the U.S. Many of these students come from very different countries – some from places where getting by is very challenging. Listening to them tell stories about their lives helps us see that the world is bigger than Montezuma or the U.S.

Andrii Bezman ’18 came to UWC-USA from the Ukraine in 2016 and felt a little unsure of himself when he arrived. He attributes both Kathy’s tremendous support as a Get-Away Family and her welcoming home as an important part of his success in Montezuma.

“It’s actually astonishing the number of people who know about UWC-USA because of Kathy’s efforts and our partnership with Southwest Detours,” says Carl-Martin Nelson, UWC-USA’s director of marketing and communications. “Kathy speaks eloquently to the UWC mission and is so enthusiastic about our students and the program that visitors start to feel the same excitement.”

“The people who come on my tours are fascinated by the history of the Montezuma Castle,” Kathy explains. “But when they get here, they often are even more intrigued by the school and the UWC mission. I love introducing hundreds of people every year to the school – and I always encourage families from Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico to consider the Get-Away Family program.”

More information about the Get-Away Family program is available on the UWC-USA website.

UWC-USA alumna Aurora Cecilia Martinez Molina ’19 provides an update on the release of Amaya Coppens, herself an alumna of our sister school in Hong Kong:

In the morning of June 11, 56 political prisoners were released in Nicaragua, among them Amaya Coppens (Li Po Chun ’14), who had been in prison since September 10, 2018, accused of conducting terrorism and arson.

Many other leading protest leaders were released, including Miguel Mora and Lucia Pineda, the director and news director of independent digital and cable news channel 100% Noticias; Medardo Mairena, a peasant leader; Irlanda Jerez, dentist and merchant; and Edwin Carcache and Nahoriby Olivas, student leaders.

The liberation occurred after President Daniel Ortega agreed in February to release all political prisoners no later than June 18th. Since then 456 have been released, 350 under house arrest and the rest under a controversial new law that grants amnesty to protesters involved in last year’s uprising against the government.

Some media reports allege that at least 325 people were killed, around 80 are still in prison, and more than 80,000 fled to exile fearing government retaliation.

Even if many are euphoric that the amnesty law has reunited families and loved  ones, they are angry at the premise of a law that assumes  they are guilty and at the challenges Nicaragua still faces. The future of Nicaragua is uncertain; at least until all political prisoners are released, missing people are found, and early elections are accepted by the Ortega regime.

Amaya had strong words for her government upon her release. “We don’t accept an amnesty law. How is it possible to be told that they forgive us? We haven’t done anything. They are the ones who need forgiveness – and we neither forgive nor forget. We demand justice in Nicaragua!” 

Over 50 years after the founding of the first UWC college in 1962, the UWC movement continues to educate young people with its mission to “make education a force to unite people, nations, and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.” 

But is this true? Researchers from the Harvard Graduate School of Education want to know, and to help find out they have launched the most important study in the history of the UWC movement: Harvard’s UWC Impact Study.

The study, being conducted over four years, seeks to determine whether UWC  graduates become forces for a more peaceful and sustainable world. The study’s findings will enable the UWC movement to improve its educational program with a view to strengthening the UWC mission. The results are expected to be of interest to the wider educational community as well.

The study consists of two strands. The first is a longitudinal study of two cohorts of students from their entry into the first year of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program through their UWC graduation.

The second strand concerns UWC school and college IB Diploma Program (IBDP) alumni, who are being asked to contribute to the study by participating in an online survey and/or interview in order to help the researchers understand how a UWC education impacts UWC graduates’ lives, and whether it affects the impact UWC alums are having on society or their communities.

Alumni will also have the chance to sign up for an interview with the researchers, which will provide the study with even more valuable insights into individual UWC experience.

Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education is conducting the Impact Study with absolute independence and responses will remain completely anonymous.

We are asking all UWC IBDP alumni to take the survey today. We are counting on alumni to help us improve UWC – every voice matters!

For more information about Harvard’s UWC Impact Study and the alum survey, including its methodology, click here. Questions? Contact communications@uwcio.uwc.org.

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.”

President Victoria J. Mora added, “It’s easy to talk about change-making in the abstract. Every day at UWC-USA, we change one mind and heart at a time by facing our differences and working toward understanding. The world needs more of what we’re doing every day, right here in Northern New Mexico.”

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.”

“Charles Wong has been a pioneer since joining our first graduating class at UWC-USA,” said President Victoria J. Mora. “Listening to him talk with our students, I could still hear that pioneer spirit — considering the ‘what ifs’ and looking to what is possible. He really challenged our students to see that celebrating diversity doesn’t mean resolving all differences. We might disagree vehemently. But if we have taken the time to understand as fully as possible another’s point of view, mutual respect is possible. Charles’ visit was a wonderful opportunity for all of us to reflect on what we know and think we know, and on why political differences are more complex than we might typically acknowledge.”

“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.
• According to researcher Dr. Richard Oppenlander, 82% of starving children live in countries where food is fed to animals, and the animals are then eaten by western countries.
• 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.

Faculty sponsor Naomi Swinton is very proud of the students and grateful to the Santa Fe Council on International Relations, which organized and sponsored teams from New Mexico to participate.

“The event was very inspiring, demonstrating great knowledge among the students of current events, economics and global issues,” Swinton said. “Our team from UWC-USA worked hard to prepare and learned a lot in the process. I hope more schools from New Mexico will join in next year.”

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.