Imagine waking up every day at 3 a.m for a whole month during the summer.
Well, that’s what I did during June – and I absolutely loved it! I know it sounds crazy, but let me explain.
This summer, I did a short course through Robert Bosch UWC in Germany, where the time zone is six hours earlier.
The UWC student makeup includes 90+ different nationalities. I liked how I was able to vicariously experience many different countries through the other students. Some of the countries represented include Brazil, Tunisia, Bosnia, Egypt, Palestine, Myanmar and Yemen.
Since we were all diverse, we brought our own experiences and perspectives to the table. I learned more than I ever could imagine from my classmates’ backgrounds. It was this beautiful exchange of culture, knowledge and experiences that broadened my perspective.
During my UWC course, many students had gone through dangerous situations and experienced oppression.
They were willing to take risks to get an education and have opportunities. One of my classmates from Iraq had to hide by doing Zoom meetings on the floor where no one could see her through the windows in Iraq. I may not remember everything I learned from the course in twenty years, but I will definitely remember the stories shared.
One story shared really stuck with me. A guest speaker from Paraguay, David Garcia, told us how he grew up poor and abandoned, unable to get clean water to drink.
He wrote articles exposing the suffering in his country. He was threatened by corrupt government officials, all of this happened when he was in high school. Now, he is a graduate of The London School of Economics, a world traveler and founder of a non-profit to help the poor, reAcction.
My UWC experience was eye-opening to me. We are so lucky to get a good education, safety, clean water and free food at Chapman.
The teachers devote their time to us, and we have enriching opportunities like clubs, fine arts, and sports. It’s easy to take all that we have for granted, but I am reminded of the many who don’t have a school like Chapman.
There are 18 UWCs in various countries. This enables you to explore a country that you are interested in.
I strongly encourage you to explore programs like UWC that allow you to experience something new. It will shock you how much you learn from these experiences.