Arriving at UWC Red Cross Nordic was a life-changing experience for me. At 16, with only a slight idea of how to speak English, I attended the school’s summer course to prepare for my two years at RCN. Once I arrived, I kept thinking, ‘I can’t believe I am here,’ which marked the beginning of a wonderful experience at this institution.

During my second year at RCN, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and I had to return to Bolivia., with the uncertainty of not knowing if I would ever come back. This made me appreciate my first year at RCN even more, motivating me to fully embrace every learning opportunity at UWC. Once I returned to campus, I aimed to gain knowledge not only from textbooks but also from my classmates and teachers, who provided a truly supportive environment where I was able to grow as a person. When my graduation came, I realised I needed to apply the UWC values I learned in every aspect of my life.

After leaving RCN, I aimed to create UWC-like opportunities for myself and others. This led me to become the Vice-Chair of the UWC Bolivian National Committee. Inspired by my own experience, I started volunteering for the committee right after graduating from RCN. I began by reviewing applications and essays, and now I have been in charge of running our selection process, nominating students to their schools, and providing an orientation process so that they can fully embrace their UWC experience. I’ve also led our very own School Visits project, which, with financial help from the IO, allowed us to travel to remote, underrepresented parts of Bolivia to promote UWC and share such an amazing opportunity.

Volunteering for National Committees, the backbone of the UWC movement, is my way of giving back. Regardless of age or experience, everyone can contribute to the movement, it just takes a bit of dedication. Even in university or abroad, there are many virtual ways to offer help to your NCs. As a UWC graduate, you know what it takes to make the most of the experience and how to prepare. Volunteering has also given me numerous benefits, including skill development and networking across the globe, which have helped me boost my professional readiness for the future. Despite the hard work at my NC, this quote by Faith Abiodun keeps inspiring me to give my best: “There is always someone working for UWC, at each minute of each day, someone is working to improve and better UWC.”

Another part of my life in which I tried to implement the UWC values was my higher education. At Case Western Reserve University, I noticed that many UWC students weren’t connected, and many local students didn’t know about UWC. So, along with some friends, I founded a UWC Student Organization as an attempt to support international students and promote UWC values. Our organization shares global perspectives with the local community, creates safe spaces, organizes gatherings, and plans projects that impact both locally and globally. It’s challenging, but we always try our best to promote our mission at the university.

My message to UWC students, alumni, and friends is that the UWC experience never ends. Connect with people, reflect on your experiences, and think about what has inspired and transformed you. Help more people connect with UWC. Use your knowledge and skills to give back to your community. Whether through donations or volunteering, your contributions make a difference, and they allow us to keep making a difference through UWC.

Giulio Giorgi, a proud and talented alumnus of the United World Colleges Red Cross Nordic (UWC RCN), embraced the spirit of global citizenship and community service that defines the UWC movement. His journey from a UWC student to a landscape architect highlights the lasting influence of the UWC experience on his personal and professional life.

Recently, Giulio has been collaborating with World Child Cancer, an organisation dedicated to providing treatment for children with cancer in middle and low-income countries. Together, they created the World Child Cancer Nurturing Garden, which has won the prestigious RHS award at the Chelsea Flower Show. This garden is a stunning blend of technology, sustainability, and homage to the cultural heritage of Sub-Saharan gardens.

The materials used in the garden are fully sustainable, with no metal or concrete, and primarily feature clay blocks. This choice demonstrates that these gardens can be created in many countries using simple, basic materials. Additionally, the plants were chosen with great care; all are resilient, symbolising hope and courage for children undergoing cancer treatment and their families.

Moreover, the garden provides a sensory experience, allowing those with impaired vision to fully embrace the sensation of the garden. This thoughtful inclusion ensures that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can find solace and connection within the garden’s nurturing environment. Giulio emphasises the importance of maintaining the UWC connections made beyond the UWC campus. He encourages current students and alumni to keep their networks alive, stressing that the shared values and learning experiences at UWC form a strong foundation for lifelong relationships. Reflecting on alumni gatherings, Giulio shares the joy of reuniting with former classmates, where the energy and camaraderie feel as vibrant as ever, despite the passage of time.

Recognizing the privilege of his UWC education, Giulio is committed to giving back in various ways. He believes there is no single path to support the UWC movement, as each alumnus brings unique skills and backgrounds. Giulio’s contributions range from staying engaged with national committees in Italy and France to offering his expertise in landscape architecture to support UWC initiatives. He actively participates in alumni networks and is always ready to help with fundraising, student recruitment, and spreading the word about UWC.

Giulio Giorgi’s story shows the long lasting values that are nurtured during the UWC experience. During the conversation Giulio mentioned that World Child Cancer Nurturing Garden represents resilience and practice of care. Similarly, his commitment to nurturing connections, giving back, and supporting future generations of UWC students supports the core values of the UWC movement. As he continues to inspire and engage with the UWC community, Giulio is an example of the positive impact that UWC alumni can have on the world.

Lea Komba is an RCN alumna of the class of 2024 from Angola. During her time at RCN, Lea was a very passionate changemaker; she loved public speaking and politics, as her co-years and teachers would say. In addition to being one of the Speakers at the TEDX uwcrcn in 2023, as part of the LEAF EAC at RCN, she developed the LEAF education project. This digital platform aims to spread environmental education for low-income communities worldwide, which is now under the responsibility of her first years.

“RCN was, as Daniel Toa-Kwapong taught me, “my miracle.” At RCN, I had free space to develop my passions and to believe in myself and my big dreams. I learned more about responsible leadership and kind leadership and developed different ways of seeing the same thing, which I think is essential.” Currently preparing for her first year at St Olaf College In Minnesota (USA), Lea plans to continue taking the RCN mission wherever she goes and dreams of building a better future for her country.

Usually, Lea enjoys her summer by taking different opportunities to teach her new skills or help her apply the skills she has learned at RCN. Last summer, Lea was selected to be part of the Yale Young Global Scholars program; however, this summer, she decided to return home and start working on her dream of building a more democratic and equal Angola. Just 3 months before her graduation, Lea started idealizing and planning to organize a literature festival in the Namibe province (south of Angola), Festival Akwenge. Lea applied for funding from the Goethe Institut in Angola and organized this 2-day (7-8 June) festival for about 4 thousand children and teenagers from 7 schools in Namibe. Lea tells us, “The Idea of Akwendge was to make books and reading more accessible. Angola is a very unequal country, and all the opportunities are very centralized in the Capital (Luanda). So this project’s idea was to decentralize and democratize access to books. So my amazing team of volunteers and partners of the project and I decided to organize the events (storytelling sessions, debates, street libraries, etc.) to a non-capital city of the country and to the peripheric neighbors of that city too.”

This is the first time an event of this magnitude and concept is being done in Angola. Lea was invited to talk about it on radio broadcasts and TV shows in the capital (Luanda) and Namibe. Now that Festival Akwendge is done, she hopes to be able to receive more funding in the future to organize it again in other cities.