the end or the beginning?

How do you say goodbye to a place that has given you so much? A place that has caused heartbreak, but also been the source of immense joy and inspiration. How do these final hugs seal the words of “I’ll see you again”? How are we certain of this?

The truth is, we are not. But we continue to live as we have the past 2 years - in hope. In hope that the world too would open its ears and its heart as we have done here to the voices of the youth, the future change-makers. In hope that we will be as understanding of others with their differences as we have here, and appreciate what everyone has to offer to the world. In hope that as we pursue our passions, we never lose sight of our humanity.

As we embark on this next chapter of our life, we embrace the uncertainty that accompanies this transition back into the real world. As we try to incorporate elements of our new life into our old, piecing together the best of both, let us not approach the “real world” with an imperialistic and superior sentiment, but rather understand how our values and lessons learnt over the past 2 years can be shared with the people around us.

We have bid many farewells over the past month, many mocking chuckles at the phrase “It’s not goodbye, it’s until I see you again!”. While cliche, there is some truth in it — for UWC has sparked the nomadic nature within us, the desire to explore the unexplored, turn over untouched rocks and understand more than what meets the eye.

I arrived at UWC with structure and a clear-cut path for my life. UWC destroyed the structure, unpaved the path and overall left me more lost than when I first arrived. But in doing so it created a brand new path, more winded but also more adventurous - I have fallen off the path and also run down it super fast. I’ve been forced to build parts of a path I may not believe in or may not be comfortable in, all parts that have built character and made me a more holistic and empathetic individual. The people I’ve met along the path have ignited passions within me that in a way destroyed my structure but also taught me to appreciate the flexibility of life, of living in the moment. It is true that I have become more lost since I am arriving here, but I’m also much closer to the person I aspire to be, and I would not be where I am without UWC.