UWC offers life-changing scholarship

Simon Watson (UWC Adriatic ’15) from Cayman Brac is pictured bottom right with classmates at UWC Adriatic in Duino, Italy, including (L-R) Tigran (Armenia), Alpcan (Turkey), Siyanna (Bulgaria), Ilijan (Italy), Elif (Turkey), Myrium (Italy), Mona (Lebanon), Phrase (Nigeria), Sneha (India) and Rebeca (Ireland).

(CNS): UWC Cayman Islands, the local national committee of the global educational movement, is seeking applicants for its 2015 selection process, which begins with a written application due Tuesday 3 February. Since 1952, the mission of the United World Colleges has been to bring young people together from diverse backgrounds and use education as a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.

This unique educational opportunity for pre-university study overseas is available to Caymanian students who will be 16 or 17 years old on 1st September 2015. UWC has national committees and selection contacts in over 150 nations around the world, all of which select young people each year to attend the fifteen prestigious colleges located across four continents.

UWC Cayman Islands is currently supporting four scholars in Canada, the United States and Italy. In previous years, Caymanian scholars have spent their last two years of secondary school in such far-flung places as Hong Kong, Wales, Costa Rica, India and Swaziland.

Commenting on this year’s recruitment process, UWC Cayman Islands Chairperson Aubrey Bodden (UWC-USA ’04) stated, “National committee representatives who are UWC alumni themselves have been visiting secondary schools and providing information to students across Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac since November 2014. We have had a lot of interest and look forward to receiving many applications this year from qualified students.”

Founded in 1984, the local national committee has selected over 60 Caymanian students and supported them through their years at UWC through scholarships and mentorship. UWC colleges offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma, one of the most widely recognised and highly regarded secondary qualifications in the world. After graduation, students remain committed to the UWC values of peace and justice and often go on to top universities in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, pursuing a variety of educational and career paths.

Bodden added, “Each year the selection process also inspires the committee members as we get to know these passionate young people and hear about their achievements as well as their goals for the future.” In relation to non-Caymanian applicants, she advised that other national committees can be found online at www.uwc.org and students are encouraged to reach out to UWC Cayman Islands for assistance with alternative application procedures.

In order to ensure selection is based entirely on merit and that this life-changing opportunity is available to as many deserving young Caymanians as possible, families may contribute to the costs of a UWC education but funding is awarded to successful students by the national committee to meet all financial need.

Scholarships are funded by donations from local individuals, companies, foundations and other organisations, including long-standing supporters Maples and Calder, Deutsche Bank, the Aall Foundation, Cayman Islands Compliance Association, the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Central and alumnus Linburgh Martin (UWC Atlantic College ’86). The national committee also carries out fundraising activities, such as the recent UNLIKE Cayman arts festival in September 2014 that also marked International UWC Day and celebrated its thirtieth anniversary.

Students can contact the national committee at uwccaymanislands@gmail.com to request a copy of the electronic application form or ask any questions they may have about UWC and the local selection process.