3 Things I Learned About UWC

UWC Philippines' 2015 Reunion Party with Alumni, future scholars, and
host sponsor Gigi Virata (daughter of Cesar Virata)

Around two months ago, I was given the privilege and honor of a scholarship to attend the Li Po Chun UWC in Hong Kong for my two year IB Diploma Program. I am really excited to go there this August. Just last week, I attended the Global Citizenship Summer Program, a series of talks and activities aimed to introduce us to UWC and what being a Global Citizen is all about.

Before I start, here's a little about UWC colleges, taken from their website:

UWC was founded in 1962 with the vision of bringing together young people whose experience was of the political conflict of the cold war era, offering an educational experience based on shared learning, collaboration and understanding so that the students would act as champions of peace. We remain committed to this goal today but have expanded our reach to embrace the tensions and conflicts that exist within as well as between societies. 

To find out more about UWC, check out this link: http://www.uwc.org/

Here are three important things I learned from both the Program and the Selection Process for the scholarship.

1. It's a Global Community.

Playing "Bang" at the reunion

During the Selection Process, we had quite a few activities that surprised me.

• "WATAAAAAAHHHH!!!!"
• "BANG!"
• Interpreting emotions
• other wacky and crazy icebreakers

As you can see, the names I listed above are crazy, one liner words that seem to have no meaning. I was surprised because I thought we were going to do more serious activities, like finding out solutions to Global Warming. The games we played, "WATAAAAAAHHHH!!!!" and "BANG!", were pure icebreakers, to kick everyone out of their comfort zones, to enjoy and interact with one another. Interpreting emotions was more on giving people an impression of your identity without sounding rude or discriminating.

But, you may ask me, Why do you say it's a Global Community? These were games meant to bring out our true selves, to find out whether or not we were open-minded. They were meant to make us feel alike, despite our differences, and the fact that we never have met before. (While humiliating ourselves in the process.) We had so much fun, and we learned so much about each other in a few hours. If this was what UWC was all about, I wanted to be part of it.

2. UWC cares.

A sample of a Luntian Bag

Our world is dying. Both physically and in our values. UWC's mission is to "make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future." This means that we have to take care of our environment and our people. During the recent Short Program (an introduction to UWC and Global Citizenship), I had the opportunity to listen to many speakers, and some other activities like Gumboot dancing and Capoeira. All of the speakers talked about different topics, but all of them had the same thoughts that they shared to us: We need to see the world's issues, whether environment or society, and do something about it. During the reunion dinner, UWC Philippines officially launched their "Be the Change" bags made by Luntian Bags (a company which makes environmentally friendly bags). Helping our planet should be a priority, and UWC has got it right. You can help this advocacy by purchasing your Luntian Bags here: http://www.luntianbags.com/.

Dinner with participants of the Global
Citizenship Program (with Daniel Dejapin,
rightmost seated)

3. UWC is change.

During the panel interview in the Selection Process, I was asked some thought-provoking questions. What do you think is the biggest issue in the world today? How will you help others? (What are your relationship plans?). The last one was the most surprising of all. Kidding aside, these questions not only seemed personal, but also unrelated, at first. Most colleges ask questions like What sports have you played? or Why did you choose this college? It was only after the interview that I knew why they asked such questions. They asked me what I could do to help change the world for the better. During my term as president of the student council in Domuschola International School, I was able to create and sustain Projects Feed and Read, to help underprivileged children in Alay Pag-asa. As an incoming first year, I would say that I would like to learn how I could create and make change, and I can definitely look for other people as inspiration. Take, for example, Nathania Aritao. As a UWC alumnus, she has started the Buhay Makulay (see the link below) project in the Philippines to help children and youth at risk. Another example is Daniel's story. From the slums of Metro Manila, he was given a chance by UWC to change his life. Now, he is on his way to a better future. His story and Nathania's are living proof that UWC changes people's lives, and helps them transform others. UWC's impact reads: "UWC students, alumni, volunteers and staff are catalysts of change. UWC educates for action and each member makes a series of positive contributions to society on a personal, community and global level." Change is coming, just like in the lives of Nathania and Daniel, and I hope that all of us, including you, can be a part of it.

To UWC Philippines, thank you for accepting me as a part of your community, and for giving me the chance to make a change. Until next time!

To more migsADVENTURES!

Migs

Links:

Short Program: http://uwc.org/uwc_education/short_programmes/default.aspx

UWC Philippines: http://www.ph.uwc.org/

How to apply for a scholarship (Philippines): http://www.ph.uwc.org/how-to-apply

Buhay Makulay: http://www.uwc.org/our_impact/alumni_initiatives/buhay_makulay.aspx
Daniel's story: http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/59018-slums-to-scholarship-germany

(Pictures taken from Google Images)