Ella Williams, Grade 11
UWC Mostar
UWC comes with a multitude of major experiences, memories and opportunities; however, the experiences that really embodied the mission statement for me were those little moments that had a massive impact. I think that it’s the unexpected, spontaneous conversations or the walk to school with someone new or the time you decided to do something a little bit out of your comfort zone; these are the moments that make UWC what it is.
I remember a day, very close to the beginning of my experience, that I found myself in the room of a guy I hadn’t previously spoken to much. In true UWC fashion, to start the conversation, I asked: “So, where are you from?” - the unofficial mantra of the first month - and he replied telling me he was from Yemen. I am fortunate to have grown up with a lot of privilege in a beautiful area of the UK. However, the media coverage and education system in the UK is not at all inclusive of external (and even some internal) conflicts. As a result of this, in combination with my lack of active self-education, I joined UWC with less global awareness than many of my peers. I take no pride in saying that, when my new friend told me he was from Yemen, I was extremely detached from the tragedy that his country is currently facing.
This, of course, led to a long, very emotional and unexpected conversation about the civil war, the causes and history behind it, the current situation and what may happen in the future. We talked about his family, his journey in coming to UWC and so much more. I found myself fascinated by how passionately and eloquently he spoke about the war and its effects, heartbroken at the thought of the danger he and his family were and still are in, and shocked at the fact that I was so unaware of such an important topic.
Throughout the conversation, a couple of others joined us and found themselves in a similar situation to mine stunned at their own lack of global awareness. We all sat quietly, listening, learning and, occasionally asking questions. This is a moment that could have passed us by without us noticing; we wouldn’t have been any wiser about Yemen’s situation. Luckily, thanks to the openness and willingness of our co-year to engage with us and educate us, we learnt so much. This was one of the first conversations of this kind that I had at UWC; realising that I could feel so deeply connected to people I barely knew, felt surreal. Although, I believe that when a moment is shared between people with mutual respect, curiosity and thirst for awareness, a connection is inevitable, and it is in those moments that I truly understand the meaning behind the UWC mission statement.
“UWC makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future”.
This moment really showed me that UWC does live up to its mission statement; it was through an unconventional method of learning, that I built a new friendship. We couldn’t possibly have had a more different upbringing or more different views of the world. Still, it was our differences that started the conversation and our similarities that carried it on. It showed me that in UWC, you are constantly expanding your knowledge just by being with people who have completely different knowledge sets and backgrounds to you. UWC encourages people who are different to form connections around their differences and this, in my opinion, is the most sustainable way to build peace.
I remember a day, very close to the beginning of my experience, that I found myself in the room of a guy I hadn’t previously spoken to much. In true UWC fashion, to start the conversation, I asked: “So, where are you from?” - the unofficial mantra of the first month - and he replied telling me he was from Yemen. I am fortunate to have grown up with a lot of privilege in a beautiful area of the UK. However, the media coverage and education system in the UK is not at all inclusive of external (and even some internal) conflicts. As a result of this, in combination with my lack of active self-education, I joined UWC with less global awareness than many of my peers. I take no pride in saying that, when my new friend told me he was from Yemen, I was extremely detached from the tragedy that his country is currently facing.
This, of course, led to a long, very emotional and unexpected conversation about the civil war, the causes and history behind it, the current situation and what may happen in the future. We talked about his family, his journey in coming to UWC and so much more. I found myself fascinated by how passionately and eloquently he spoke about the war and its effects, heartbroken at the thought of the danger he and his family were and still are in, and shocked at the fact that I was so unaware of such an important topic.
Throughout the conversation, a couple of others joined us and found themselves in a similar situation to mine stunned at their own lack of global awareness. We all sat quietly, listening, learning and, occasionally asking questions. This is a moment that could have passed us by without us noticing; we wouldn’t have been any wiser about Yemen’s situation. Luckily, thanks to the openness and willingness of our co-year to engage with us and educate us, we learnt so much. This was one of the first conversations of this kind that I had at UWC; realising that I could feel so deeply connected to people I barely knew, felt surreal. Although, I believe that when a moment is shared between people with mutual respect, curiosity and thirst for awareness, a connection is inevitable, and it is in those moments that I truly understand the meaning behind the UWC mission statement.
“UWC makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future”.
This moment really showed me that UWC does live up to its mission statement; it was through an unconventional method of learning, that I built a new friendship. We couldn’t possibly have had a more different upbringing or more different views of the world. Still, it was our differences that started the conversation and our similarities that carried it on. It showed me that in UWC, you are constantly expanding your knowledge just by being with people who have completely different knowledge sets and backgrounds to you. UWC encourages people who are different to form connections around their differences and this, in my opinion, is the most sustainable way to build peace.
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