Reflections

     Time is often a cliche topic discussed by authors. Descriptions of hours dragging on for eternity can fill whole pages of novels; or to progress to the next exciting plot twist, time is described briefly: "three months later" or "the time flew by...". But a lot can change in those three months, or even in that hour that drags, and, as an English teacher of mine drilled into our semi-conscious minds one early Tuesday morning, horologic and chronometric time are very, very different.
     This past semester could be a prime case study of this idea. Each day still had 24 hours, and there was no discrepancy in the number of days per month, but as often happens at UWC these hours were filled to bursting. Being a UWC Second Year in the final semester has a funny way of changing how you think. All of a sudden you're hyper-conscious of the fact that there are only 63.4 days left of your time in this bubble... 63.2 days... 57 days... 35 days... 2 weeks... 48 hours.... And it becomes your responsibility to fill each of those days, hours, minutes with something that you'll remember, something you'll look back on and think "yeah, that was worth it. I'm so glad I did that".
     It sometimes gets comically blown way out of proportion. Way back in our first year, one of my best friends convinced me to run back to her room with her (all the way up a flight of stairs and down two hallways... ugh.) because "one day we'll look back and remember the time we went back upstairs together".
     No joke, we still reference that moment.
     It becomes a constant debate whether you should read the homework assignment now, or hang out with friends and save the assignment for 1am before you finally collapse into bed. Or should you go to the hotsprings, go for a hike, or attend a discussion? Is that concert worth going to or should I watch the suggested film for class?
     I realize this seems silly now. To have even had those options at my international boarding school in a castle nestled into the mountains of New Mexico is to have lived a dream. Each moment I spent at UWC shaped me in some way, whether it was laying around being lazy on a Saturday morning, discussing global affairs at dinner, waking up early to go running and catch the sun hit the tops of the pines, or studying for IB exams. And it was all worth it. There was never a wrong decision because for all of those moments, I came out of this experience as a stronger, more self-aware, more educated (hopefully...) individual. The whole point of UWC is to have had those late dayroom conversations that challenged me to think beyond my experience, or to have listened to my peers share their cultures in Social Anthropology, or to feel personally connected to both sides of the horror raging in Israel and Palestine because I had dorm-mates from each nation and I know they're experiencing it firsthand. For every time we chose to skip the homework (temporarily of course...), we inadvertently learned twice as much from each other.
     Time slipped by this semester. The hours dragged before college decisions were released, and in the final days they sprinted by faster than a cheetah on redbull. And now its done. We walked the stage, received our blue-covered diplomas, waved for our parents's cameras, zipped the suitcases. We held each other close because we didn't know when we'd next see each other. We laughed. We cried. (And had a really, really, really good time (lyric credits to Macklemore and shoutout to A and Z)).
     UWC was what it was. And it was wonderful. It's said that you never leave UWC, and- at the risk of sounding like a cult- I think that's true. It was unbelievably painful to physically leave a place that was so charged with emotion and memory, so ingrained into who I felt I had become as a person, a place I called "home". But it was also inevitable, and in its own way beautiful. The purpose for meshing so many countries and cultures together is for us to learn from each other and then take pieces of each other with us. For however idealistic and sheltered our bubble seemed, we now share it with everyone we encounter in the real world.
     And somehow we even managed to achieve our IB diplomas- hoorah!
     We have the memories and the knowledge, and we still have each other. There are frequent skype calls, text messages, snapchat photos. And there are many more good times to come. We'll have reunions, and group trips, and we'll always be able to look back on our time together as one of the best times in our lives.
     Oof, I think I've packed enough cheesiness into this post now. In short, I loved it. I look forward to continuing to be a representative of UWC as an alum- agh!- and to doing my experience justice. Especially that one time when we walked back upstairs together.
   

Dropped the Ball

Oops. It's clearly been two months since my last post, and I apologize for this lapse. It's been a very, very busy semester. Just to give you an idea:

* Annual Conference
* MAAD- Middle East, Asia, and Australia Day
* Midterms
* Project Week- Working with No More Deaths near the Arizona/Mexico border (something I definitely want to write a separate blog about!!)
* Trial Exams- basically practice IB exams for the second years
* College decisions
* Holi
* US Applicants on campus for admission selection process
* Blind Date

and much more! I'm trying to live in the moment (as I continue to juggle school and CAS of course) and enjoy my remaining time at UWC. In less than six weeks the Class of 2014 will have graduated from UWC and begin the rest of our lives. It's exciting of course, but also a bit frightening. However I have faith that we're all going on to great adventures; in the meantime- many more good times here in Montezuma.

Community Building

     The past couple weeks have been pretty exciting here at UWC-USA. Two weekends ago we held our Annual Conference (#conf2014), this year centered around the theme of non-violence and social justice. Through workshops, presentations, and casual chats with guest speakers, our students, as well as visitors from all over New Mexico and even Mexico, heard stories and words of wisdom relating to various social issues. Speakers included Oscar nominated film-maker and UWC alum Rick Rowley (of the film Dirty Wars), artist and volunteer Lily Yeh, Kingian peace-activist Kazu Haga, groups from the Beehive Collective and No More Deaths, as well as others.
     I personally really enjoyed this year's conference. With a theme much more related to what I want to do, it was incredible to see Rick's film and hear him speak about his experience in the Middle East and parts of Africa. He spoke of other trips in Central America and protests and movements in the U.S. (Independent Media Project) and the power of the people to demand honest news coverage. Last semester some of us also got to see Jeremy Scahill (the subject of Dirty Wars) speak in Santa Fe and it was intriguing to see one story portrayed through so many perspectives. Lily's work abroad and in the U.S. has dealt with community building through art. She spoke of working in New Jersey, China, and Rwanda and described the power visual art can have in healing and inspiring.
     This past weekend we also had guests, but this time for Alumni Connect- an annual gathering of six alums who speak with students about what they do and life after (or rather away from) UWC. We had five different classes and three decades represented, with alums working in government, feminist activism, social justice, the military, journalism, and healthcare. In classes and an evening panel, the alums shared stories and advice. As a second year, it was good to hear that leaving UWC does not mean ending this experience, but rather living how we've been taught, continuing to serve others, and pursuing our passions.
     Finally, some bittersweet news. This past week has been one that has challenged our community more than any other time this year. I think that as we're so privileged to be studying the world through our peers, experiencing these great events like Annual Conference and Alumni Connect, and often occupied by CAS and classes, it's easy to forget that we are in many respects just a bunch of kids. I won't go too much into what happened, but basically it came to light that our community (students, faculty, administration) are not as closely knit as we should be. There were many ways this issue could have been handled, and in the end the strategy was, in my opinion, effective. In a show of solidarity and will to change, maybe two thirds of the student body collected informally to discuss methods of community building and how to raise the overall trust and spirit on campus. Though challenging, I think that we as a student body proved that we have the power and the capability to mold our experience into one that is best for ourselves, for our community, and for our mission.
     It's been a busy fortnight, but one that has been largely positive. I look forward to the improvements we'll make as a school and the weekend as MAAD draws near.

Helping Others

One more plug for a friend. My co-year at Maastricht (UWC Netherlands) is working on a project against human trafficking. He and some friends will be walking from Maastricht, through Belgium, to Luxembourg City in an effort to raise awareness and funds to combat trafficking. He's asked for some help to spread the word and possibly raise donations. Please help him out and support this great cause:

https://www.facebook.com/WalkForTheirLives

Support Systems

Just a quick message to encourage anyone who believes in the UWC movement to support us. Shelby Davis (our wonderful sponsor) has offered to match the donations raised in 2014 up to one million dollars! The donations will be used to fund scholarships, the new agro-ecology research station, student initiatives, and other projects. Our mission is to "make education a force to unite people, nations, and cultures for peace and a sustainable future". Help us make a difference:

https://www.uwc-usa.org/page.cfm?p=749#agrostation

On the Horizon

Hi everyone, this blog is going to be a little different. Instead of telling you about an experience, I'd like to ask all of you for a bit of help.

As this is my last semester, I've been applying to universities and thinking a lot of about my future. I'm interested in studying International Relations, and hoping to work in a position that will allow me to make a difference in this world (yes, I understand that phrase is grossly overused, nonetheless, it describes my goal), be it policy-making, diplomacy, security, environmental work, government, NGOs, NPOs, international development, you name it. I've recently spoken with some acquaintances who've described their respective careers, very different but both totally plausible with my path as I currently envision it. Through these conversations I have come to realize just how important a summer internship would be- to gain experience and to learn what it really means to work in any of the aforementioned areas.

Here's where you all come in. Though I've been considering internships individually, UWC has taught me that connections can be quite beneficial. So I'm asking anyone who reads my blog for any ideas or suggestions or connections to any summer internships. Though I will only be a high school graduate, know that I will be committed and engaged in any opportunity I might find myself, that I will strive for success, learn quickly and eagerly, and dedicate myself wholeheartedly to any endeavor. I hope to find a position that will be both educational for me as well as a task through which I can feel mentally stimulated and challenged.

So if you're looking for some help this summer, or know of anyone who might be, or just have any suggestions, please comment below or email me (jnebrat95@gmail.com). Thank you!

The Home Stretch

     When I came to UWC, there was absolutely no doubt in mind that I was making the right choice. I knew that this was where I wanted to be, studying with 200 other kids from around the world, hoping to one day make a difference. I remember my very first glimpse of the castle, and quite honestly, I think a part of me still thought the whole concept of UWC was a dream until we rounded that corner and saw the red turret dominating the side of the mountain. "Montezuma": a tiny town in the middle of New Mexico, a place where the world comes together.

My first glimpse of UWC-USA- August 2012

     Yesterday I rounded the corner again, drove past the "Montezuma" sign, watched the red and gray become bigger, this time nestled comfortably into the mountains, a familiarity that can only be associated with a place called "home". But this trip was different. Now I was returning for my final semester at UWC.
     I cannot possibly express how wonderful my time here has been. I have made lifelong friends. I have grown as an individual, through studying, through attempting and loving new experiences, through opening my mind to a world of possibilities. And while I know that my UWC experience will only grow from this point onward- even beyond the campus gates- I cannot help but feel sad knowing that our time here is ticking down.
     It seems like everywhere we turn my co-years and I are checking off items on a list. Orientation? Check. Buddy Dance? Check. Third Semester? Check. Though we have five months remaining, I know how quickly they will pass, that very soon it we will be we who are standing on a stage, waving diplomas, saying good-byes.
     In the next few months my classmates and I will be receiving letters that will determine where we will be in the coming years. I cannot wait to see where my friends will end up; as talented and brilliant as they all are, I know everyone will go on to live grand new adventures, be they university, gap years, or whatever else.
     And I am excited for myself as well. Though I do not yet know where I'll find myself come August, I do know that I have been prepared for anything that may come my way. I hope to meet the future with excitement and with the energy to continue living my dreams.
     But for now, I have five more months to make the most of. Though there will be much working and studying and applying myself, I also look forward to making new friends, to making memories, to trying new things. This is the homestretch, the last leg of a journey that I will remember for the rest of my life. On what will I look back and smile?

Let Fourth Semester begin. Bring it on.