We are always proud to see our alumni living the UWC mission after leaving RCN, but we are equally proud of our current students who are already making an impact. Meet Asta, a first-year student from Denmark who is passionate about global issues, music, outdoor activities, and, most of all, people. Asta’s interest in others drove her to start her own podcast, where she has the opportunity to hear people’s stories, learn about conflicts from around the world, and understand different perspectives. Recently she introduced first-year student Valeria from Ukraine, who fled with her family from the war and College guest Gato Catun, who used art to help him escape from violent street gangs in Guatemala. Keep an eye out for Asta and her podcast – we do not doubt that she will continue to make a positive impact in the world.

I applied to UWC to learn, not only academically but because UWC gathers people from all around the world with totally different backgrounds, cultures, religions, and opinions. I wanted to learn from people who are personally related to these conflicts, cultures, or stories that I would otherwise only have the chance to hear about in the news. Maybe some people would call us idealistic, naive young students who think we can change the world, but I truly believe that gathering young people from around the world to talk and educate each other as friends will help create change for a better future.

When I came to RCN, I found out that there wasn’t much time for tea, talks, and conversations because people were so busy with academics. It can be hard to create these conversations around a lunch table, so I wanted to create a space where difficult conversations could be the focus. First, we were a group of students that started a conversation club to establish a space for people to talk and share their opinions. I thought about creating a podcast for a long time. The whole process was a long journey as I had to find out about all the techniques behind it first. Luckily, Pablo Reyes has saved me all these times when I have yelled at the microphone for not working and taught me how to edit from scratch. Without this help and support from other students and teachers, I wouldn’t have been able to start my project. I appreciate this spirit, where people are supporting and helping each other. This spirit supports people in their projects, and I think this is especially special for the mission and spirit behind the UWC movement as a whole.

I am proud of my podcast and where it is today. I hear people’s stories, learn about conflicts from around the world and understand controversial opinions, which was my personal goal at UWC. Every episode takes a long time, but I feel honored that people want to share their stories. The idea behind my podcast, Point of View, is written in the description under each episode:
“The meaning behind Point of View is to hear and learn about different perspectives from all around the world that vary because of our country, religion, or culture. United World College is the perfect place to explore and learn face to face whilst listening to new perspectives.”

In the future, I want to keep on learning and hearing others’ stories. I want to keep on recording and developing the podcast. My goal is that not only people at RCN will listen to it, but hopefully, it will reach out to people from outside that don’t have the opportunity to speak with people from all around the world every day. I hope this podcast can be a small step closer to us listening and learning from each other and creating peaceful environments built on understanding, especially outside UWC.

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.