Category: News

Like generations before him, Yasin Yousuf was destined to herd camels, goats, and sheep. Fate however, took the 22-year-old from Somaliland down a most unexpected path.

A second-year student at the United World College-USA, Yasin has received a full scholarship to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the world’s most prestigious schools with a less than 7 percent acceptance rate. The scholarship is valued at $84,000 a year. Yasin is considering studying either computer science or electrical engineering. 

Yasin didn’t think he had a chance to be accepted, particularly coming from Somaliland – a region of Somalia that isn’t recognized by any other country. He also had doubts when faced with questions about his family’s finances.

One of 11 children, Yasin was the third son born to his parents in three years. His grandmother offered to help his struggling mother by moving then 3-year-old Yasin to her home in another village. No longer a nomad, Yasin defied the odds and got to attend school. 

“I’m lucky and I’m grateful,” he said. “I got the fortune they (his siblings) never got because the village had a school.”

In eighth grade, Yasin received one of the highest scores in Somaliland to continue his high school education at SOS Children’s Villages, a boarding school. 

After graduating at age 19, Yasin had few options for college in his homeland, but was accepted to UWC Robert Bosch College in Freiburg, Germany; he learned about UWC from a student at SOS. Yasin’s visa was denied and his education delayed. The following year, Yasin received his visa to attend UWC-USA.

Abaarso School of Science and Technology helped facilitate the UWC application. Yasin also took classes at Abaarso for one semester. Founded in 2008 by Jonathan Starr, an American hedge fund tycoon who moved to Somaliland and set up a school for brilliant kids who otherwise wouldn’t have a chance.

 Yasin said there’s no way he can describe the opportunity to study at MIT.

“I’m actually excited instead of nervous,” he said. “I like to challenge myself.”

UWC-USA turned out to be a place that challenged him both academically and personally. He worked closely with all of his teacher and enjoyed his science classes very much. His experiences in the wilderness program also helped him work more closely with others.

Due to travel restrictions, Yasin has not returned to Somaliland since arriving in the United States in the fall of 2019, but stays with an uncle in Houston during breaks. The uncle also helps out Yasin with pocket money.

Yasin believes education is one of the best ways to break the cycle of international generational poverty. He hopes to one day make it possible to educate his younger siblings and his own children.

“What if some of my brothers and sisters would have had the fortune to go to school?” he said. “Their future would then be like mine.”

Yvonne Kielhorn, Ph.D. (Ghana) and Jennifer Barna M.D. (USA) met as classmates at UWC-USA, graduating in the Class of ‘88. The bonds formed during those two years in the New Mexico wilderness have proven to be those of enduring friendship. The two classmates had not been in touch for over 30 years until a virtual reunion in July 2020. When Kielhorn and Barna joined their former UWC classmates for a virtual reunion in July 2020, they had no expectation beyond a brief and joyful chance to see friends and catch up. The reunion, led by fellow classmate Mudit Tyagi, led to a business discussion that continued between Barna and Kielhorn, regarding Barna’s plan to develop a coaching and course platform for physicians called DocWorking, and Kielhorn’s own award-winning education platform, Why Science. Discussions quickly prompted action, built on trust and friendship established at UWC years ago. Read more about their collaboration and partnership here.

The result is DocWorking (www.DocWorking.com), Barna’s online platform to help physicians achieve work-life balance by providing life and career coaching, nonclinical course options, as well as Coding for Life (https://www.docworking.com/for-your-kids/), a virtual learning program powered by Kielhorn’s platform Why Science, to help kids explore the world of coding. Says Kielhorn, “When Jen first described the platform she envisioned to help fellow physicians, it struck a chord with me because I grew up in a family of doctors, my father a neurosurgeon. I recall vividly that the stresses he faced at work in Ghana weighed on our whole family, kids included. I imagined that if I had been able to take an engaging coding class from home while he was away for what seemed like months sometimes, it would have brightened my days. And he would have been happy knowing his kids were learning and preoccupied.” The Coding for Life course offerings serve as part of DocWorking’s broader mission of helping physicians and their families achieve the best of work and home. The virtual program enables children in grades 1-8 to take part in an interactive course that allows for varying skill levels, where kids can learn the fundamentals of coding through hands-on learning, games and interactive computer simulations that bring fun and creativity to long-term understanding of STEM principles, encouraging creativity in video game design and app development.

“Working with Yvonne has been like working with family, our bond is so strong from our time together at UWC,” says Barna. “Yvonne helped me to bring my vision of DocWorking to reality. With her brilliance and expertise, she advised me as a mentor and business coach. She worked with me to understand my vision and guided her development team to create my website. By bringing Coding for Life onto the DocWorking site, our hope is to bring peace of mind to frontline healthcare and essential workers by ensuring that their kids, the future innovators of our world, are having fun while learning from home.”

The timing is remarkably fitting as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged parents to look for new and innovative ways for their children to learn at home. “By offering Coding for Life, it is our hope to contribute to the next generation of doctors, scientists and creative thinkers,” says Kielhorn.

According to Kielhorn, “The bonds we made with our fellow classmates made at UWC through intensive study and wilderness activities were so strong. The memory of reaching out our hands to help each other during rock climbing exercises sticks with me. The fact that Jen and I were able to reunite after all of these years and move forward at such a rapid pace was based on a strong foundation of trust that arose from our time together as classmates.”

Bonds formed through UWC friendships only grow over time, despite the long distances that may separate us. As proven time and time again, the UWC experience never stops giving.

To learn more about DocWorking and Coding for Life, visit www.DocWorking.com

To learn more about Why Science, visit https://www.whyscience.com/

A few years ago while back home in Venezuela, Jesus Lara Rivas ’21 had a friend collapse from a mental breakdown.

“The guy got crazy and was beating himself on the wall,” Jesus said. “We were holding him on the ground.”

Since taking the Youth Mental Health First Aid course at the United World College-USA, he now feels better equipped to handle this type of situation.

“I would’ve tried to calm him down, taken him to a private place and requested an ambulance (instead of dealing with the situation) in the middle of the street,” Jesus said.

Selena Sermeno, a psychologist who mentors United World College students at the U.S. and Costa Rican campuses, has been teaching the course since October 2019. A total of 33 employees and students have participated in one of three sessions this academic year with a fourth session scheduled from 1 to 6 p.m. March 5 via Zoom.

“We offer the course in order to build our capacity as a UWC community to offer early intervention to anyone within our community experiencing a mental and/or emotional challenge,” Selena said. “It is our duty as educators to have basic literacy in mental health, its meaning, and its manifestations in a youth population. I will be offering a Youth Mental Health First Aid  course via Zoom on March 5th from 1:00 to 6:00 pm. Please read all of the details below if you are interested in becoming certified. 

Fourteen slots are available for the course, which involves a two-hour self-paced mandatory portion participants must take no later than 72 hours prior to the virtual course. Students must be at least 18 to take it. 

 Jesus recommends taking the course.

“I’m really interested in mental health and this is more like you are in the first line of defense,” he said. “You see the signs for a situation, you stabilize the person, and call for professional help.”

A few states require the course for teachers working with adolescents. There is a high correlation between mental health, social and emotional learning, and academic success, Selena said.

“We want our approach to education, particularly during COVID, to reflect evidence based practices in education and grow our capacity for compassionate interventions as educators,” she said. “YMHFA is an evidenced based practice for early intervention with youth experiencing a mental health and/or emotional challenge.”

The courses focuses on early intervention to prevent the escalation or onset of a mental/emotional health crisis such as suicide and other forms of self-harm. It can be thought of as the equivalent of CPR.

“It offers basic definitions of adolescent development, the incidence of mental health issues in youth within the USA and it provides a simple but powerful frame for responding to a mental health challenge, disorder or crisis,” Selena said. “The course also addresses the impact of traumatic events as the most impactful factor in someone’s mental health.”

People who complete the course earn a three-year certification.  

 

When Carson Miller ‘19 decided to backpack the American West alone with just a tent, her parents were a little nervous for their 19-year-old daughter. When Carson’s brother, Caleb, 18, decided to join her, their nervousness turned into excitement.

“And when they asked if Sawyer (their 15-year-old brother could go), it broke my heart just a little bit,” said their father, Kiley Miller.

Driving their parents’ 2012 Chevy Suburban with 200,000 miles, the Iowa siblings started their five-month adventure on Jan. 4 after spending the holiday with their grandparents, who live near Big Bend National Park in Texas – their starting point. Sharing a three-person tent, they have experienced 20-degree nights, icy mornings and mountain snow.

Carson and Sawyer also have to find the time and WiFi to continue their online studies. Carson is a sophomore at Cornell University, majoring in international agriculture and rural development; she is taking 14 credits this semester instead of her usual 22. Sawyer is a high school freshman and Caleb recently graduated from high school.

“We’ve tried very hard to open our kids’ eyes to the idea that the world is theirs for the taking and it should be experienced,” their father said. “So when they decided to go, you sort of have to say ‘yes.’ There’s just not going to be a chance for them to do something like this together again.”

Carson became interested in extended backpacking trips after serving as a wilderness leader at UWC-USA. She has also backpacked the Camino de Santiago in Spain and traveled in Jordan, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Montenegro, Italy, France, and Mexico.

“We had been cooped up a lot because of COVID,” she said. “I felt I could socially distance in the backcountry and go on an adventure.”

Since leaving Big Bend, the trio has traveled to Guadalupe Mountains National Park on the Texas-New Mexico border; and Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands national parks, Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, and the Lincoln and Gila National forests, all in New Mexico.

In the Gila, a snowstorm forced them to head for Arizona’s warmth. Earlier this week, they made it to Saguaro National Park near Tucson; their two-night stay was extended to one week.

“We really like it and there’s some nice state parks, and the weather’s nice,” Carson said.

They plan to continue onto Southern California and take Highway 1 north into Washington and Oregon. From there, they would like to cut back across central California to Utah.

Carson worked three jobs over the summer to help pay for the trip. She continued her public relations job with Cornell Lab of Ornithology; did data analysis for Rembrandt Foods in Iowa, one of the world’s largest egg producing and processing facilities; and worked in the office at a resort in her hometown of Arnolds Park.

Carson, Caleb and Sawyer grocery shop every two weeks, try to limit campsite fees to $15 and have become weekly regulars at truck stops.

“We have learned the joy of Pilot showers,” Carson said. “It’s us and the truckers. It’s so funny when you see three teenagers standing outside with towels and toothbrushes.”

As for getting along, they’re making it work.

“I’m very blessed,” Carson said. “Caleb and Sawyer are probably my two best friends in the world. We do sometimes argue and know each other a little too well. We encourage each other.”

“Every morning, Caleb makes breakfast,” she continued. “I normally cook dinner and lunches, and Sawyer takes all the photos. We all contribute and participate in the planning. There are plenty of times, I’m really glad I’m not doing this by myself.”

Their father, who is the executive director for Trees Forever, an environmental non-profit in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, noted that Carson is the planner. Caleb will argue against plans, while Sawyer is the mediator.

“They’re going to have significant struggles and arguments, but six months after the trip is over, they’re going to remember the crazy unplanned adventures, not the arguments,” he said.

The siblings’ mother, Carry, teaches English as a second language and gifted students.

To follow the Millers’ adventures, go to this link.

Enrico Caporale ’84 has been an audio engineer for many years and also produces music.

Gina Neff ’89, a professor at the University of Oxford who studies work and technology, was recently featured on the Untangling the Web podcast discussing the pandemic, work, and technology.

“We see a moment that we’re in right now of being somewhat trapped, I think, between the necessity of contributing to a public good, but also needing to understand where we fit personally in these. So I’ve spoken out quite publicly about back-to-work solutions that don’t protect workers’ privacy, right? What we know about organizations and workplaces, is that we absolutely have an imbalance of power between employees who need work and employers who might have other interests or demands in the workplace.”

A transcript of the podcast is available here or listen to it here.

Reader’s Digest recently ran a series about the nicest places in the United States. Bueno Para Todos, a farm collective in nearby Villanueva where our students work and spend weekends, was featured as a finalist.

“If you think you had it hard dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, trying to find toilet paper and getting your family ready for time spent together in the house, imagine what it was like for people trapped in a foreign country, thousands of miles from home. That was the predicament facing Omobolanle Kafidipe, 18, of Nigeria. She was one of 230 students from 99 countries studying at United World College (UWC) in Montezuma, New Mexico, when the pandemic hit. ‘When that happened, we realized it wasn’t possible for us to get home,’ she told Reader’s Digest.”

Read more about Bueno Para Todos and UWC-USA here.

For the United World College-USA’s 223 students, cook Rosalita Esquibel is the next best thing to “mom.”

“Rosalita has always played an important role in my life at UWC-USA,” said Eline Witomsky ‘21, Germany. “From the very beginning, she showed me her interest in my life, as well as in getting to know me. She is a kind soul, full of love. I couldn’t imagine this school without her.”

A mother of six, Rosalita never misses an opportunity to chat with students while serving breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday in the Montezuma Castle dining hall. She learned about kindness from her own mother, who passed in 2008 at age 86 from congestive heart failure. Rosalita was her caretaker for eight years.

“If you treat someone with kindness, they return that kindness,” she said. “I just love humanity, just talking to people. That’s my nature. To show the love. To show the peace.”

The youngest of nine children, Rosalita for the past seven years has worked for Sodexo, the food services company that manages the UWC-USA dining hall. Born and raised in Las Vegas, N.M., Rosalita left her 20-year cosmetology career, working primarily in Santa Fe, to care for her mother.

The 54-year-old enjoys talking to students because she knows they are far away from home.

“I like to be a mother figure to them, to talk to them and ask them how they are doing,” she said. “They remind me of my own children. To me it’s a motherly instinct.”

Rosalita, whose own children range from 13 to 25 years old, makes her best attempt to learn the names of all UWC-USA students.

“Some (names) are hard to pronounce, so I just call them ‘sweetie,’” she said.

Eline always looks forward to seeing Rosalita.

“She is always there to ask me about my day or to tell me a story of her own life,” Eline said. “She remembers things I had told her before and always gives me coffee because she knows that that’s all I drink.”

Eline admits that being so far away from home can be hard.

“It can feel like we’re here all by ourselves without a parent that looks after us,” she said. “Having Rosalita as part of our community is just a blessing because at least to me it feels like she is always there to listen. Rosalita is definitely one of the most impactful people I met here, and I know that I will always have a place in my heart for her. She is amazing.”

Ben Curry ’21, USA-New Mexico, also can attest to Rosalita’s kindness.

“I got to know Rosalita as she made omelets every morning last year,” Ben said. “We would talk about New Mexico, what it means to be a New Mexican, her favorite meals, and the recent happenings in her life.”

He noted that she often shares details about the dishes she prepares, especially the Mexican (dishes), describing the spices, cooking process and key ingredients.

“Rosalita has always been kind to me and is an amazing member of the Sodexo team,” Ben said.

Rafael Goncalves Gregorio Peres ’21, Portugal, talked about meeting Rosalita for the first time.

“I remember seeing her warm smile, which immediately captivated me,” Rafael said. “I would say that she seems to carry the sun inside of her, and that is why she immediately reminded me of home.”

He called Rosalita the light in his day.

“I can tell she really cares,” Rafael said. “Rosalita rarely does small talk; every single word of her has a meaning, is tender, cozy, and welcoming.”

 

 

Carlos Gomez ‘21, Mexico, spent last summer with other high-schoolers forming a startup company that helps people with mental illness find appropriate healthcare. 

Carlos participated in the Launch X summer entrepreneurship program, which identifies needs in a market and creates a real-life business. The 18-year-old received a scholarship to cover the $8,600 cost for the three-month program.

Initially, he planned to participate in the program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but with the spread of COVID in the United States, the program became virtual.

Carlos and his four teammates got their information from public data on medical image studies and mental health research compiled by Stanford University. His group created a company called Lighthouse. They worked with professionals in the healthcare industry to provide the best treatment available online and offer low-cost professional advice for those with mental illness.

“We did an algorithm,” he said. “We found online resources for people struggling with mental health, counseled them and guided them on how to get help.”

Of the 120 initial participants, eight paid the company for its services, Carlos said. 

“It was really insightful,” he said. “What started as a project for summer camp, ended up helping people who needed our services and reaching out to industry experts.”

They have asked a Canadian group to invest in Lighthouse and are partnering with the National Alliance for Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization serving millions of Americans affected by mental illness.