Time to say goodbye

 This blog post has been a long time coming, but it feels right to write it now, at the start of a new chapter, and a new year. I began this blog with the intention of telling stories and I hope that I've accomplished that. I also began it as a way to give myself tangible memories, and rereading old posts feels like a wave from an old friend. 

I got my final IB results two days ago and I think that marked the true end of my UWC experience. Thinking about those results has been something that's been weighing on me all through this long, awful year. Until the final paper was written, the final exam was sat, I felt that there was always the chance that I wouldn't finish the IB. No matter how much support I had from friends and family, I always had the knowledge that choosing to stop would've been so easy. 

I've had friends this year that have chosen to step back from the IB, either temporarily or permanently, and I'm so proud of them for prioritising their own health over a deeply flawed educational model. 

I didn't make that choice, but I've also had the privilege of living in a country with good healthcare and a government that is largely supportive. I can't overlook the degree to which my personal successes have their roots in luck and chance. 

I'm disappointed in my marks because I always am, which is something that I'm working on. I feel cheated of the final year of my secondary education that I could have had - I had wonderful teachers and I feel like much of the knowledge they would have shared was lost to the echoes of Zoom. I carry the knowledge that I could have done much, much better this year, but I'm trying to pass some of the pride that I have in my friends onto myself. I'm done, there is success in that. 

This blogpost could be very long. There's a lot to reflect on, but I like to think that over these past two years I've been constantly reflecting, and so, there is already a record of much of what I would say. 

Spending a year and change at Waterford Kamhlaba was the best and worst decision of my life. I made the best friends I've ever met. I found family, I learned so much, I had experiences that I would never dream of. There was deep value in that. On the other hand, it is a place where student voices are often overlooked, mental health is rarely prioritised, and you have to exert an enormous amount of energy in standing up for yourself - energy that could be better spent. I've chosen not to speak about many of my personal issues with WK while attending because I didn't find it especially constructive, but I have had experiences while there - both good and bad - that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. 

Now that I am done, I can look back with gratitude and hope that the next generations of students will find their voice and their bravery at Waterford - that they will make the changes that such institutions always find themselves needing, and they will be met by a faculty that is willing to listen to the voices of the future. 

Thank you to all the readers that have followed along these two years - I wish you safety and happiness in the New Year. Thank you to my fellow classmates and graduates. Thank you to Waterford Kamhlaba for giving me a home, and a whole world - true to its name. 

Much love,

Maia