Liana Star, Grade 12
UWC Mostar
I never necessarily had friends growing up. I was by no means completely alone, but I never felt as though I genuinely liked any of my friends nor that I “belonged” with them. I spent a large portion of my middle school years crying over this fact. I begged and pleaded with the universe to give me friends, someone I could rely on. I expected to make genuine friends when I got to UWC, but I never expected it to be this intense or rewarding. Mejdan Beach is where I found my people. At UWC in Mostar we have a small “beach” where students often like to spend time. Towards the beginning of my first year, I went there with three other students, not expecting much to occur. I liked all of them at a surface level, but I didn’t expect us to stay friends further than the first few weeks of school.
I met Maria on my second day in Mostar. We’d never even texted before, yet the kindness and happiness she expressed at getting to meet me made me feel incredibly appreciated. She’s the type of person no one is capable of disliking, and those who claim they do are just jealous of her positivity. You can’t help but smile everytime Maria graces your presence, she’s incredibly magnetic. I, on the other hand, am a generally negative, repelling person. This fact alone led me to believe that Maria and I could never be friends, as we are far too different to mesh well. I was extremely wrong, as she became my source of comfort in times of need at UWC. Having someone to go to when I need to be cheered up or told that everything is going to be okay was vital to enjoying my UWC experience. She taught me to smile more and appreciate the seemingly small moments in life. She was my ray of sunshine throughout my first year at UWC, and for that I am eternally grateful.
I was terrified of Yoann when we first met, he seemed too cool and refined for me. Yet he recognized when I was at my lowest points and did an incredible job of forcing me to acknowledge that people truly do care about me, a fact which I am quick to ignore. He’s the only person who would randomly show up at my dorm room to ask me to go to dinner with him or offer to proofread my essays to make sure I sounded competent. He’ll never turn down an opportunity to dance with me on a Friday night, but he’s also extremely disciplined in making sure he’s up the next morning and already working. If there’s a person I relate most to at UWC, it’s Yoann. Odds are if I’m feeling upset, he’ll understand what I’m going through in some capacity and do his best to comfort me. He’s shown me how to be cool and collected while still enjoying life to the fullest.
I met Cole during the US Finalist Weekend of 2021. We spent a few weeks joking about how fun it would be if we ended up at the same campus, and by some miracle we did. I was so worried that they would quickly become bored of me once we arrived on campus, but they did the impossible in forcing me to realize that no matter how alone I feel, they will always be there, ready to comfort (or annoy) me into feeling better. I have spent countless nights talking about anything and everything with Cole. They’re the person I go to when I need to talk about how angry I am at the world, they’re always willing to just sit and listen. One of the things I love most about Cole is their ability to make me care about them. I’ve always found it very easy to refrain from caring about others if I didn’t think it was productive, but with Cole, I can’t manage to not care. I feel sick knowing that after this year I’ll probably live hours away from them for the rest of my life.
The years I spent alone made me bitter, yet somehow these three managed to thaw the ice that surrounded my heart. Since the beginning of first year, I have since been made aware that my identity only exists in relation to other people. I am so incredibly grateful that my relativity is being measured compared to these three. They both encourage and uplift me into being a better person, whether or not it’s what I want to do at the time. The realization that I’m not supposed to be alone is one I’m still attempting to swallow, but these three have made it a much easier process, as there’s no one else I would want to be with.
I met Maria on my second day in Mostar. We’d never even texted before, yet the kindness and happiness she expressed at getting to meet me made me feel incredibly appreciated. She’s the type of person no one is capable of disliking, and those who claim they do are just jealous of her positivity. You can’t help but smile everytime Maria graces your presence, she’s incredibly magnetic. I, on the other hand, am a generally negative, repelling person. This fact alone led me to believe that Maria and I could never be friends, as we are far too different to mesh well. I was extremely wrong, as she became my source of comfort in times of need at UWC. Having someone to go to when I need to be cheered up or told that everything is going to be okay was vital to enjoying my UWC experience. She taught me to smile more and appreciate the seemingly small moments in life. She was my ray of sunshine throughout my first year at UWC, and for that I am eternally grateful.
I was terrified of Yoann when we first met, he seemed too cool and refined for me. Yet he recognized when I was at my lowest points and did an incredible job of forcing me to acknowledge that people truly do care about me, a fact which I am quick to ignore. He’s the only person who would randomly show up at my dorm room to ask me to go to dinner with him or offer to proofread my essays to make sure I sounded competent. He’ll never turn down an opportunity to dance with me on a Friday night, but he’s also extremely disciplined in making sure he’s up the next morning and already working. If there’s a person I relate most to at UWC, it’s Yoann. Odds are if I’m feeling upset, he’ll understand what I’m going through in some capacity and do his best to comfort me. He’s shown me how to be cool and collected while still enjoying life to the fullest.
I met Cole during the US Finalist Weekend of 2021. We spent a few weeks joking about how fun it would be if we ended up at the same campus, and by some miracle we did. I was so worried that they would quickly become bored of me once we arrived on campus, but they did the impossible in forcing me to realize that no matter how alone I feel, they will always be there, ready to comfort (or annoy) me into feeling better. I have spent countless nights talking about anything and everything with Cole. They’re the person I go to when I need to talk about how angry I am at the world, they’re always willing to just sit and listen. One of the things I love most about Cole is their ability to make me care about them. I’ve always found it very easy to refrain from caring about others if I didn’t think it was productive, but with Cole, I can’t manage to not care. I feel sick knowing that after this year I’ll probably live hours away from them for the rest of my life.
The years I spent alone made me bitter, yet somehow these three managed to thaw the ice that surrounded my heart. Since the beginning of first year, I have since been made aware that my identity only exists in relation to other people. I am so incredibly grateful that my relativity is being measured compared to these three. They both encourage and uplift me into being a better person, whether or not it’s what I want to do at the time. The realization that I’m not supposed to be alone is one I’m still attempting to swallow, but these three have made it a much easier process, as there’s no one else I would want to be with.
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