Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting our alumni crew from the classes of 2003, 2004, 2012, and 2013. Can you believe it’s been 10 and 20 years? Laughs, tears, and joy filled the college as long-seen classmates, roommates, friends reunited. People from all walks of life, different corners of the world, and various careers came together, united by their time at RCN and a love for the unique atmosphere on campus.
We were extremely lucky to be visited by the sunshine throughout the four-day programme, which meant that people could paddle in the fjord, sit on the grass on the shore, hang out on the island, and hike up Jarstadheia.
A lot has changed around here since they graduated – the beloved bedrooms have been renovated, Snikkarbua is no longer in use and we have a baking house with real wood-fired pizza oven now. But one thing that hasn’t changed is our alumni’s dedication to making the world a better place. Yauheni Hladki, from Belarus, who graduated in 2002, expressed many of our alumni’s thoughts about what meant to study and live at RCN:
“One of the most integral parts of my College experience, apart from the rigorous academics was actually extracurricular activities, and especially the ones related to community service. It’s not something that would do back home. It was completely new for me because the school was always about academic excellence, and when you come here you realize that it’s something more important than that. I found it one of the most rewarding experiences that I’ve had here, it helped me to become who I am. It still helps me, in my professional life where I try to be empathic with others, and that’s what we learned here. It’s been ingrained into the UWC Red Cross Nordic fabric.Once again, I would like to thank the RCN, the fjord, the sun, the mountains, Norway and the Norwegian people for giving me this opportunity. That was a life-changing experience, and I’m deeply, deeply grateful for that!”
Our alumni community is not only passionate, but exceptionally skillful and full of ideas. During the reunion programme we invited feedback from alumni about the RCN educational model, fundraising, academics and residential life. The sessions were incredibly fruitful for us and we enjoyed hearing all of the insights from the people gathered in the room. We are excited to take the ideas discussed forward, especially in relation to how we can engage well with our alumni network.
Big thanks to the dream team who pulled off this event, and to all the alumni for making a huge effort to stay connected with us and each other. Here’s to the next round of reunions!
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