Fátima Reyes, Grade 11
UWC Costa Rica
After months of waiting and deliberating, I finally accepted my position as an incoming UWC Costa Rica student in mid-May. Most of my co-years had already been assigned to their respective school and, although I wasn’t yet allowed to know who they were, I knew I would have a Guatemalan companion going with me. I was later informed my co-year was a girl. ‘A girl!!’ I thought too excitedly. I kept trying to figure out who she might be, while I impatiently waited for the final reveal. I ran through my mind every possible scenario, imagining how the inevitable friendship between me and my mysterious co-year would play out. I looked back at all the amazing people I met during selection camp, wondering which of them would be my new companion and daydreaming of all the sisterly adventurous we were bound to have. When I finally discovered her identity, it was through a Whatsapp message. The excitement that followed her introduction can not be fully expressed in words. Right there began a friendship that, little did I know, would define my UWC journey.
I met Eyleen on our first day at the selection camp. We were on the bus on the way to camp in one of the hottest regions of our country, and we had stopped for some ice cream. I was as annoyed by the heat as someone can be, but when I expressed my sentiment to Eyleen, she didn’t second it. She comes from one of the coldest regions in the entire country and, yet, the 39º Celsius that was frying us inside the bus didn’t have any effect on her. We talked with some other girls, introducing each other and talking about our expectations for camp and so on. She always seemed so genuinely happy just to be there, enjoying every single moment, no matter how insignificant it might have appeared to the rest of us. I don’t think I have ever seen anyone smiling so much amongst a group of strangers. Looking back, I recognize that little bus moment as the first sign that should have revealed my co-year’s undefeatable spirit.
I remember thinking of her as a little girl, although she is just a year younger than myself. She had back then and still has an unmistakable glow in her eyes that I only ever see on amazed toddlers. The greatness, the compassion, the hope, the wonder, and the innocence that lay underneath this glow made me question if anyone could really be that pure. She spreads a light, an aura if you will, that is simply impossible to ignore and so contagious that I firmly believe anyone who has ever been touched by it cannot deny its power. At the end of our first day at camp, just a few hours after we met, she revealed to us all that it was her birthday. We were having an emotional sharing moment, and that was hers. Although she barely knew any of us and had kept her special day a secret, she admitted it was a great birthday. Seeing the happy tears in her face after we sang “Happy Birthday” to her, a tiny gesture given the occasion, I understood I was in the presence of a genuine and extraordinarily special human being.
Fast forward several months later, and I meet her again. It is my first day at UWC CR campus, where Eyleen arrived a day earlier than me. As I got off the bus in an unknown place, I was very confused and scared, to say the least. In the midst of this disorientation, the very first caring and familiar gesture I received, one I will never forget, came from my amazing co-year. She hugged me from behind, laughing; with me or at me, I couldn’t tell. Even though I was still frightened by the novelty, for a second, that hug gave my world a little more sense.
It’s been now almost a year since that hug, and I have to say I cannot imagine this journey without Eyleen by my side. I owe her more than I could ever give her back. She has loved me even when I don’t deserve it, supported me even when I think I don’t need it. With her courage, optimism, and sincerity, she has slowly given campus, life, and myself the meaning that for so long they lacked. She has taught me how to keep my head up and brave the world with a smile on my face, no matter what. She showed me the importance of having a nation-sister while exploring the wide world. Perhaps most significantly, Eyleen brought me back to my faith and showed me how much my life needed Him. She trusted me with her most valuable possession, her heart, despite my awkwardness at handling it.
I now firmly believe that Eyleen’s friendship is the reason I was meant to attend UWC CR. It is through her, after all, that I have come to understand the value of true friendship and become the better person I am today. I still have a lot to learn from her, and yet, I might never be the quality of human being she is. Nonetheless, I am forever grateful I get to spend my UWC years with such a great sister guiding me through the right path. I can’t wait to see what our second year awaits us together.
I met Eyleen on our first day at the selection camp. We were on the bus on the way to camp in one of the hottest regions of our country, and we had stopped for some ice cream. I was as annoyed by the heat as someone can be, but when I expressed my sentiment to Eyleen, she didn’t second it. She comes from one of the coldest regions in the entire country and, yet, the 39º Celsius that was frying us inside the bus didn’t have any effect on her. We talked with some other girls, introducing each other and talking about our expectations for camp and so on. She always seemed so genuinely happy just to be there, enjoying every single moment, no matter how insignificant it might have appeared to the rest of us. I don’t think I have ever seen anyone smiling so much amongst a group of strangers. Looking back, I recognize that little bus moment as the first sign that should have revealed my co-year’s undefeatable spirit.
I remember thinking of her as a little girl, although she is just a year younger than myself. She had back then and still has an unmistakable glow in her eyes that I only ever see on amazed toddlers. The greatness, the compassion, the hope, the wonder, and the innocence that lay underneath this glow made me question if anyone could really be that pure. She spreads a light, an aura if you will, that is simply impossible to ignore and so contagious that I firmly believe anyone who has ever been touched by it cannot deny its power. At the end of our first day at camp, just a few hours after we met, she revealed to us all that it was her birthday. We were having an emotional sharing moment, and that was hers. Although she barely knew any of us and had kept her special day a secret, she admitted it was a great birthday. Seeing the happy tears in her face after we sang “Happy Birthday” to her, a tiny gesture given the occasion, I understood I was in the presence of a genuine and extraordinarily special human being.
Fast forward several months later, and I meet her again. It is my first day at UWC CR campus, where Eyleen arrived a day earlier than me. As I got off the bus in an unknown place, I was very confused and scared, to say the least. In the midst of this disorientation, the very first caring and familiar gesture I received, one I will never forget, came from my amazing co-year. She hugged me from behind, laughing; with me or at me, I couldn’t tell. Even though I was still frightened by the novelty, for a second, that hug gave my world a little more sense.
It’s been now almost a year since that hug, and I have to say I cannot imagine this journey without Eyleen by my side. I owe her more than I could ever give her back. She has loved me even when I don’t deserve it, supported me even when I think I don’t need it. With her courage, optimism, and sincerity, she has slowly given campus, life, and myself the meaning that for so long they lacked. She has taught me how to keep my head up and brave the world with a smile on my face, no matter what. She showed me the importance of having a nation-sister while exploring the wide world. Perhaps most significantly, Eyleen brought me back to my faith and showed me how much my life needed Him. She trusted me with her most valuable possession, her heart, despite my awkwardness at handling it.
I now firmly believe that Eyleen’s friendship is the reason I was meant to attend UWC CR. It is through her, after all, that I have come to understand the value of true friendship and become the better person I am today. I still have a lot to learn from her, and yet, I might never be the quality of human being she is. Nonetheless, I am forever grateful I get to spend my UWC years with such a great sister guiding me through the right path. I can’t wait to see what our second year awaits us together.
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