We are proud of the impact Anna is making in her home country, Senegal and the world, and we believe her project is a testament to the power of a RCN education. Anna Diagne Sene, who graduated from RCN in 2020 and is currently a Junior at Macalester College. Anna’s project, “xam sa bopp xa sa adduna” (Wolof for “Know Yourself, Know the World“), aimed to empower 20 Senegalese middle school students to become more open-minded and empathetic towards the world beyond Senegal, as well as equip them with strategies to cultivate well-being in their education journey.

My name is Anna Diagne Sene and I graduated from RCN in 2020. I am a Junior at Macalester  College, studying Political Science and Arabic (my 2 majors) with some Economics on the side. Macalester was in my top 2 choices and I applied through the regular decision round (Shoutout to Mark for seeing right away that Mac was the place for me). My time there so far has been exceptional. I have carried out multiple projects, including the most recent one in my home country, Senegal.

My project, “xam sa bopp xa sa adduna” (Wolof), which translates to “Know Yourself, Know the World” sought to encourage and empower 20 Senegalese completing middle school to become more open-minded and empathetic towards the world beyond Senegal, as well as equip them with strategies to cultivate well-being in their education journey through a series of workshops over three full days. It was funded by the Macalester Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

The idea of introducing the participants to the world beyond Senegal mainly came from my realization that the Senegalese education system does not critically explore the world beyond our borders. Such realization mostly sparked from my time at UWC. RCN broadened my horizons as I lived, shared meals, went to class, and discussed and learned about diverse cultures with young people from all around the world. It’s in Flekke that I started to think more critically about the world and how I fit in it. I wanted other Senegalese to also start their journey of knowing the world even if they don’t attend a UWC, because that opportunity is not given to everyone.

Parallelly, the well-being portion stemmed from my desire to help younger Senegalese students realize that they should take care of themselves even under intense pressure. Back in Senegal, I was never introduced to the idea that I should think of my well-being when I study. I wanted this narrative to change, even for a small group of students, because if I had to pick one thing I learned at RCN, it’s that change starts with one person. Finally, this project helped me start my journey of making the Senegalese education system more grounded in the country’s history and open to the ever-changing world.

RCN literally changed my life! Graduating with a bilingual international diploma enhanced my self-confidence. It’s also RCN that instilled in me the responsibility to make a difference with what I have. Going there as a 17-year-old, without my family, in a country miles away from Senegal also taught me to be self-reliant, responsible, and adaptable, qualities that made me quickly settle in college. RCN gave me a lovely host family, mentors who pushed me to excel (shoutout to Daniel and Barbara and the entire staff back then), friendships, and sisterhoods that I hope will last for a lifetime. I owe much to the Flekke bubble and can’t wait for the day I return by the grace of Allah!

Meet Valeriia Ivanova, our first year student from Ukraine:

I live in Irpin, a city close to the capital, Kyiv. My city was occupied for several months, and I had to flee my hometown to Vienna through Poland. In June, my city was freed, but when we returned, we found that 70% of my town was destroyed, stopping the Russian troops from entering the capital. To come to RCN, I went to Poland, where I could take a plane to Bergen. My family is in Ukraine, and the situation there is devastating as Russia continues to shell civilian objects. Over 50% of power plants have been damaged, causing frequent power outages, and often there is no electricity the whole day but for 3 hours. In my hometown, people live in fear and uncertainty, and I am worried about them.

I learned about the UWC movement from my friend, who graduated from UWC Mahindra and got into the University of Chicago. At first, I did not believe in myself, and I decided to give it a chance. However, during the application process, I realized how much I relate to the UWC movement and share its values.
Here at UWC RCN I feel privileged to be in a safe environment, surrounded by people who show their support and understanding. Since coming to campus, I have been exposed to so many different experiences I would have never been able to do at home. I have been pushed out of my comfort zone and broadened my horizons, for which I am so grateful. I met inspiring people from all over the world and made connections that will last for the rest of my life. I enjoy being here and try to take the most out of the many opportunities the college gives, including extracurricular activities and student-led initiatives. For example, I participate in The Knights EAC, where we help students with varying abilities to experience outdoor activities and sports. We work in a team to overcome the limits that can hinder participation in physical activities. I am very much looking forward to Ridderrennet, the biggest winter sports event in Europe for people with different abilities, where we will provide help for the games. It feels like I can already give back some of the gifts I got by being part of the UWC community.

Extra-Academics sometimes can be overwhelming, and it is challenging to juggle everything happening in the school. Still, I am doing my best to make the most of both academically and personally, and I feel I am succeeding so far.
After my first term, I already feel that the knowledge and experience I gain here will become a foundation to revealing my full potential and joining the force of like-minded young people who aspire to make this world a better place. Being surrounded by people from so many different countries, you understand that you cannot stay indifferent to anything happening in the world because it affects people you see every day, and you want to know more about issues these countries face to show support to your friends.

I plan to use the skills and knowledge I gain here at UWC RCN to continue pursuing my interest in International Relations and Human Rights in the future. I wish to become part of a youth force that will rebuild my country and contribute as much as possible to preventing future wars and spreading UWC values worldwide.

You can hear Valeria’s full story in the Point of View podcast of our students, Asta, on Spotify.