UWC Maastricht: From one Journey to Another

March 12, 2024

From the sunny Cyprus to the rainy Netherlands, a whole journey that began the start of a new one.

That is the case for Dimitriana. When she came to study at UWC Maastricht, she was a bit in her own shell. Gradually she popped out of it, making some great memories on the way. She has bonded with people not only from her own Cypriot community, but with others as well. She really likes that UWC Maastricht has brought them all together to learn with and from each other.

Life on Campus

At the campus of UWC Maastricht, Dimitriana shares the dorms with 200 students from all over the world. Living with others will make you feel really responsible for yourself and your surroundings. It was the first thing Dimitriana says when talking about this. She mentions she is part of the Campus Care and Mensa Team, to help maintain the place. With living here for so long, she has grown to care for it, and even sees it as her home. UWC Maastricht has become more than a school to her.

Dimitriana likes the international perspective at UWC Maastricht. As it is a big community, she has found it easy to have people around her she can resonate and share the same interests with. Within the residences, she has made a lot of fond memories, one of them being Night Mail. It’s a small event where people write little notes to each other and she has hung them in her room. In her own words: “if I hadn’t met these people I wouldn’t have been as inspired as I am right now. And every day I feel even more grateful that I’ve met these people.”

Inspiration

Next to learning new things, Dimitriana has learned a lot about herself as well at UWC Maastricht. From a young age, she has known that she wants to do something with children, but it was not until her volunteering at UWC Maastricht’s primary school, she wants to go into teaching, or go the route of educational policy. Her goal is to help children on a deeper level and make a difference in their lives, like UWC did in hers.

Another big inspiration for Dimitriana is her English teacher, whose classes bring her much joy and are much more than just reading and writing essays. They provide a positive challenge and are a highlight of her school days, while also strengthening her relationship with her teacher. Through them, she learns how to deconstruct texts and how to link those to her own life. An aspect Dimitriana appreciates.

The Future

After UWC Maastricht, Dimitriana will start a study in education and a second major in English at a university in the United States, to follow her passion! Although she is really looking forward to this and to what it might bring her, she will miss the UWC Maastricht campus and the people she has met, especially the teachers. Nevertheless, she is already looking further. She would love to come back to UWC, especially UWC Maastricht, to work here. She wants to give back to the school, as it has given her so many opportunities. But that’s the future, for now, Dimitriana can be found in her favourite place, the library.