Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

In my last post, I wrote about the minutiae of packing, and how simple things seemed stressful.

I wanted to acknowledge the fact that those thoughts come from a place of privilege – from a background where I’m able to worry about facewash and sheets instead of what I’ll do over school breaks; if I can afford to go home, and if I can’t, where I can stay.

Although I’ve been working more than full time for the past eight months to pay for tuition, I also come from a background where I don’t have to worry too much about whether I’ll be able to afford medical care, running shoes, or shampoo.

The movement at the heart of UWC is bringing together diverse people from all different backgrounds. This means that a large number of students are on full scholarships. I’m lucky enough to come from a family where although I have to work hard in order to make this work, we are able to make it work, and I don’t have to worry too much about what my family is sacrificing in order to make it happen.

My worries are so small in comparison to what I’m sure many of my year mates will face, or are facing. I was recently watching a documentary about WK, and one of the teachers talked about seeing a student who cried most days for the first few weeks because she knew she was eating more food than her family, and she knew that they were hungry.

I don’t know my classmates yet – I don’t know their backgrounds, their struggles, their fears. 

I remember a question during the interview, before I was accepted. One of the interviewers asked how I would handle having a roommate who might come from a different country, speak a different language, have a different background, and practice a different religion.

It was more than an interview question – it’s one of the questions at the centre of UWC. How do you learn to see others and their experiences through an intersectional lens? How do you acknowledge your privilege without feeling criticized? How does your background contribute to the diversity of UWC?