support the change

28 Apr

Posted at 09:24h in support the change
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In our 'emPOWERgirls Stories' we highlight the power women in UWC Maastricht's community. This week you can read about Sundus Al-Shibani, who comes from Oman and graduated from our school in 2014.

It was a dream come true for Sundus to be accepted to UWC Maastricht. The idea of living and learning with peers from all over the world appealed to her. In Oman she was merely exposed to people with similar perspectives and never really stepped out of her comfort zone. As she likes to challenge herself and acknowledge the room for personal growth, she applied to UWC, got selected and made her way to the Netherlands. Even though she was so eager to learn about various cultures, values and religions it took Sundus some time to overcome the shock as a result from the diverse student population. It was after a year that she saw so many similarities instead of differences. A mindshift that happened due to UWC creating this “pressure cooker”. Sundus also struggled to find a balance between the rigorous academics and all the social and extracurricular activities that she could endeavour into. But once she had faced this, nothing could stop her.  Based on her academics and the person that she had become, Sundus obtained a grant to study in the US. As one of the few Omani girls, she graduated with honours for her Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering. She is now very proud to be working for an energy giant that is committed to produce natural gas as part of it’s net-zero emissions objective. The diverse and international environment combined with her employer’s ambition to become more sustainable and create circular energy, fits Sundus like a glove. Her drive towards sustainability, her technical as well as social skills made her an outstanding candidate in the process that was set up especially to hire female engineers. UWC Maastricht's Female Empowerment Network, to empower the next generation of girls from countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) by offering them a place at school, forms a perfect match with Sundus' personal beliefs. With her decision to come to UWC, she inspired her cousin who followed her example to study abroad and broaden her horizon. And Sundus hopes to be an inspiration to many other girls in the region too.

Sundus Al-Shibani (Oman) | Graduated from UWC Maastricht in 2014 and is working as a Petroleum Engineer for Shell Oman..

22 Apr

Posted at 07:43h in support the change
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In our 'emPOWERgirls Stories' we highlight the power women in UWC Maastricht's community. This week you can read about Roua Adam, a Sudanese alumna who is planning on going back to her country to run a sustainable eco-enterprise one day.

Roua, a Sudanese graduate from UWC Maastricht is working in the tourism and hospitality industry. She started her internship in Aspen, USA to help a resort grow that operates in harmony with the laws of nature. A perfect combination of her urge to be mindful of our environment and her passion for hospitality. She liked it so much that when she was offered a job after graduating, it wasn't a hard decision to make.  One day, Roua wants to have her own resort in Sudan, in the town where she is originally from. She would provide jobs for the local community, teach them English and work with the neighbouring farms for local products; a sustainable eco-enterprise. Sudan has a lot to offer: mountains, rivers, pyramids and deserts. She is proud of her country and she hopes more people get to enjoy the beauty of it. Our alumna cherishes fond memories of her time at UWC. She grew so much as a person and was provided with a proper toolset to interact with people from all kinds of backgrounds, histories and views. The experience was so overwhelming that she only noticed what she had learned and experienced, when she took some distance from it all. Her memory of spending new years on campus has stayed with her. Being away from her Sudanese family, it was then she realized she had become her own independent self, and that she’d created her own UWC family around her. After her graduation, Roua returned to Sudan. Her first months outside of the UWC bubble felt strange as people have different views. “One can often get frustrated because you want to have discussions with people outside of UWC, but I also didn’t want to get into conflict with them. After a while I realised that it was ok to challenge various perspectives as long as it is done being done in a respectful manner”. Roua is very excited to hear about UWC Maastricht's initiative to empower the next generation of girls from her and other countries in the Middle East and North Africa by offering them a place at school. “Women are treated as second citizens to men in the MENA region. In Sudan, for example, boys are sent to school while girls are expected to follow and adhere to certain cultural aspects. UWC Maastricht's initiative to focus on young women in the MENA region will help plant the seeds of the future by tackling issues at a young age. By equipping girls with tools to unlock their full potential they can reflect on the social and economic aspect of the MENA region. Our future is in hands of the coming generation that will not be silenced for their sex/gender. UWC Maastricht's initiative will hand the tools of success to these young women, and allow them the chance to be something more by adding a vital contribution to the labor markets and meaningful and dignified work”.

Roua Adam (Sudan) | Graduated from UWC Maastricht in 2016 and is currently working in the tourism and hospitality industry in Aspen, USA.

13 Apr

Posted at 12:54h in support the change
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In our 'emPOWERgirls Stories' we want to highlight the power women in UWC Maastricht's community. This week it's Sarah Kotb's turn!

Sarah graduated almost 10 years ago, together with the first batch of residential students from UWC Maastricht. They have been a tight knit group ever since. She even lives with one of her co-years in Boston where they are both doing a PhD at Harvard. They have been saving up for the 10-years reunion in Maastricht in 2022.  Sarah was born and raised in Egypt, Alexandra. As she wanted more from the education that she was given in her local Catholic girl school, she was immediately intrigued when a friend joined a Facebookgroup of the United World Colleges. Only the application procedure seemed like a true adventure;  first she needed to convince her parents and then the selections all the way in Cairo. She recollects her UWC experience as an intense time with a constant drive to know more, be more involved in extra curricular activities and inspiring where her mentality and the way she looked at the world completely shifted. Even at Harvard she didn't experience this stimulating environment. While she was going through this personal rollercoaster, everything blew up in Egypt, where the revolution was in full swing. Instead of going home after graduation, she studied Liberal Arts in Vermont.  Her UWC experience impacted her important decisions in life. For example, to volunteer during her undergraduate studies as sexual assault operator or her decision to PhD in Economics in order for her to assist developing countries in a systematic way.  UWC’s initiative to focus on empowering girls by offering them quality education resonates with Sarah. She experienced first hand how the ceiling of expectations from girls and women is not a driver of great achievements. “Girls should experience the same basic human rights, a sense of feeling safe, be free” Only through education we can establish this. Moreover, it is not only about women, it’s about holding each other accountable for how we treat people. It’s not the women that have to step up. It’s about creating an environment for women to excel. In order to create that safe environment, we need powerful women and men!”

Sarah Kotb (Egypt) | Graduated from UWC Maastricht in 2012 and is currently doing her PhD in Health Policy at Harvard University, Boston MA, USA

25 Aug

Posted at 15:05h in support the change
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The new school year begins! Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, all schools in the Netherlands were closed for a period between mid-March and early June 2020. At UWC Maastricht, all students were offered remote learning and the educational process continued in a different but productive way....