June 2013 (pdf) - United World College Belgium

NEWSLETTER JUNE 2013 

AND HERE THEY ARE ! 

THE NEW SELECTED STUDENTS 2013-2015 

Simon Decat, Calum Murray, Louise Van Damme, Florence Wavreil, Bianca Boselli, Charlotte Levie, Doryane Lemeunier, Julian Liebaert, 

Nelson Hensmans, Cecilia Copeye, Madeline Delelienne, Nouria Khan

Doriane Lemeunier from Manhey. UWC Mostar 

"Hi, my name is Doryane Lemeunier, And I am certain that by beginning school at UWC Mostar this fall I am 

officially the luckiest girl in the world. My education being my biggest priority ever since I can remember, I have 

always shot for the stars by doing whatever possible to seize the best opportunities/education imaginable. 

Starting at age 11, I have taken the train every single morning to Luxembourg and later the train to Brussels (to 

pursue my secondary education) in order to obtain the best education available. Although this extensive 

amount of travel may seem as a pain to most, for me it has always been a blessing. Having a love for travel and 

adventures, I seek nothing more in life than finding interesting and exciting new opportunities that can be only 

offered once in a lifetime. That is why I am so honored to have been selected to complete the next two years of 

my adventure at the beautiful United World College in Mostar. Offering multi cultural diversity, an exquisite 

culture, and a world of new opportunities, I am beyond thrilled to begin this August at the best college I could 

ever dream of." 

Madeline Delelienne from Rhose-Saint-Genèse. UWC Nordic 

Hey! My name is Madeline and I come from Brussels. I am currently studying at Saint- 

André specializing in science-English. 

I joined a hockey team when I was 7 years old, and I can truly say that hockey is a real 

passion for me! I love teaching new hockey players the way my coaches thought me! I 

was a hockey coach over the past year and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Thanks to the British scout group which I also joined in Waterloo when I was 7, I have 

been able to discover nature and all it's hidden secrets. 

Having the opportunity to study abroad is great, and the fact that it is happening 

through UWC is amazing! UWC is a way to open your mind to new cultures, learning 

to express yourself in a way that you could have never imagined. I cannot wait to 

share my room with 5 different people all coming from different horizons. 

I expect from UWC to help me grow up and I am convinced that UWC can make this 

world a better place. I am very excited by this upcoming experience that will, with no 

doubt, change my future. 

Julian Liebaert from Brussels. UWC USA 

Hello! I’m Julian and I have a half Belgian and half German background. Currently I am attending 

the European School with a math-science option. I love to travel, where I enjoy the outdoors, to play 

the piano and I have a great interest in sciences. 

My life in Brussels has been a very cosmopolitan experience, also because of the European School. 

I feel very lucky to expand it to a whole new level in the next two years in the United States. I hope 

that my cohabitation with students from more than eighty different cultures can enhance my 

understanding of the world, its problems, but also of its beauties. I’m certain that during the two 

years at UWC we will all grow to be better, more understanding persons who can make an impact 

on the world of tomorrow. I think that it is not only the excellent academic education that will make 

my stay at UWC worthwhile; it will especially be the interactions with students and teachers from 

all over the globe that, I am sure, will make it such an enriching and intense experience. 

“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” – Albert Einstein 

Nouria Khan from Liège. UWC USA 

 

Hello! I’m Nouria and I’m 16 years old. I come from a background of mixed cultures, being half 

Belgian and half Indian. 

What attracts me the most about UWC is the fact that students and teachers from all over the 

world get together in one school to not only learn pure academics but learn and understand from 

each others experiences, thus enhancing cultural diversities. I am extremely grateful for this life 

changing opportunity and will make the best of it at UWC-USA! I also hope to spread the 

awareness of such schools to help built a larger community of global citizens. 

“You have to throw the stone to get the pool to ripple” – Glenn Tilbrook

FLORENCE WAVREIL from Brussels, UWC in Costa Rica 

Hello, I’m Florence and I’m 17 years old. I live in Brussels. I am finishing my fifth year, at the college 

Sacré-coeur of Ganshoren where I study math-science. But I also love languages. During my free 

time, I love playing music. I’ve been playing the flute for 10 years and the piccolo for 3 years. I like 

discovering new things and trying new experiences. I’ve always wanted to travel abroad and 

discover other lifestyles. So the first time I heard about UWC, I told myself I had finally found a way 

to make this dream come true. I was (and still am!) really attracted by this project: to live in a 

community with people coming from all around the world; to share ideas, knowledge, life’s 

experience; to discover different cultures, other life habits, the way people live around the world. I 

think UWC is an amazing opportunity to broaden our mind, to widen our horizons and to make the 

world an only a village. I think a better understanding between the different cultures will help the 

world to solve its problems. I want to be part of this experience to contribute in making a better world. UWC Costa Rica is very 

attractive to me because this college is involved in the environment preservation and biodiversity. Moreover it is totally different from 

Belgium. As I will be the only Belgian at UWC Costa Rica this year, I will be very glad to represent my country on the American 

continent! Let the adventure begin! 

Louise Van Damme from Tervuren. Mahindra UWC 

Hi! I’m Louise, I’m 15 years old and live in Tervuren. I study Greek-mathematics at the Heilig-Hartcollege of 

Tervuren. In my free time, I practice athletics and play the piano. I love to hang out with friends. 

It’s been nearly two months now since I found out that I will be leaving for Mahindra UWC of India. Going to 

MUWCI will be a search, a search for answers to many questions that I have. Questions about other cultures, other 

religions, different opinions,… and questions about myself, who I am, who I want to be and what I want to do in life. 

UWC gives me the opportunity to find it out myself, combining great education, learning through experience and 

gathering motivated students from all over the world with the same goal: to make a difference. 

People keep asking me if it isn’t hard, leaving everybody and everything I know, being so far away from home 

(9.264 km, to be precise). I keep answering that there are much more advantages than disadvantages. I can’t wait 

to start this life-changing experience, so bring it on! 

Charlotte Levie from Brussels. UWC AC 

Hello my name is Charlotte Levie. 

Since I was six years old I have taking interst in other culture and in world peace. 

I finished my fourth year of secondarie school in Saint-Boniface Parnasse in immersion. I am a native French 

speaker and I live in Brussels. 

My passion is music, olive singing and I accompany my self by playing piano. 

I hope that by going to UWC I could expend my view on the world and the world's multiple culture. 

NELSON HENSMANS from Bonheiden, UWC Maastricht, the Netherlands 

Hello, my name is Nelson and I am fifteen years old. I live in Bonheiden, a village near Mechelen. I am 

currently studying at a Belgian school called College Hagelstein where I just finished my fourth year. 

 

I love many kinds of sports like athletics, skiing, and soccer. Furthermore I like theater, literature and 

economy. On weekends I work at the local Oxfam Wereldwinkel store as a volunteer. 

Two years ago I met an UWC student. She impressed me with her story and I discovered that UWC was an 

excellent way to broaden your world and learn about the world and its interesting cultures and beliefs. It is 

not just about living in an international environment , but all about being international and meaning 

something to the world around you. 

I wanted to join UWC when I heard about it for the first time, and now my wish is coming true. I'm excited 

that I can participate in this wonderful journey. I hope and think that I will remember this experience as the 

best thing that has ever happened to me.

Calum James Murray from Brussels. UWC Maastricht 

My name is Calum James Murray. I am 16 and I currently live in Belgium. I go to a local French speaking 

Belgian school, where I study Latin-Sciences as an option. I am very interested in world history, politics, 

debating, speaking and writing. This is why I was immediately attracted to UWC and its IB programme as I 

felt that it corresponded with my interests and would allow me to expand my horizons. I am excited by the 

idea of living away from home for two years in the UWC community, my new temporary family. I 

participated last summer in a volunteer work camp in France organised by the Compagnons Batisseurs. 

This was so far the closest I am been to a UWC experience; I lived for two weeks with 19 people from 

different social and cultural backgrounds. That idea of exchanging cultural and social differences is also one 

of my main interests. The values of UWC match my own. One that I found particularly important was the 

respect for the environment. I believe that as a result of global warming the world is going to have to deal 

with major issues including resources shortages leading in turn to an increase as migration flows accompanied by an expansion of 

social tensions nationalistic tendencies. I want to be in a position to help society manage to its best such issues. To do so, it is 

important to be able to understand the cultural differences that we will inevitably be confronted with. I know that UWC will enable me 

to do just that. 

Simon Decat from Tielt. UWC Mostar 

I’m Simon. I like theatre, waterpolo, music and literature. I was born in Catavi in Bolivia, but my parents 

are Belgian. At the moment, I live in Tielt, but that won’t be for a long time anymore. The fact is that I 

have been given the amazing opportunity to broaden my horizons, to get submerged into other cultures 

and to live beautiful experiences. A unique adventure is awaiting me (and my future family) in UWC 

Mostar. In the end of August I’m leaving the motherland in order to settle down for two years in Bosnia 

and Herzegovina. I can’t wait for departure and make friends from all over the world. I love the idea of 

people from different cultures living and studying together and trying to contribute to a better world. I 

think Mostar is the perfect place for this. I hope to come back in two years not only as a Belgian-Bolivian but also as a multicultural 

person. 

Cecilia Coppeye from Jodoigne. UWC AC 

Hello, I'm Cecilia, I am 15, living as a native speaking Dutch in the Walloon region, and this was the start of my 

interest in different cultures! Next year you can find me in the beautiful castle of UWC Atlantic, immersed in a 

melting pot of a lot more different cultures...I currently attend a Flemish school (Sint-Albertus College, Haasrode), 

and my favorite time spendings are performing theater, windsurfing and playing hockey.I aspire a career in either 

politics, urbanism, environmental issues or demography (I have 2 years yet to decide :)). I found it very useful to be 

able to choose already today my 6 favorite subjects for the IB. On the sports level, joining the Aquatic Team at 

Atlantic for surfing, sailing and rescuing will be so exciting (although the water looks SO cold!). Also, what attracted 

me to UWC from the beginning are the social services, which I have been involved in on a small scale since I was a 

child.Thank you UWC, for giving me the opportunity to take part of the movement to create a more peaceful and 

sustainable future of our planet! 

Bianca Boselli from Brussels. Mahindra UWC

SOME TESTIMONIALS OF FIRST YEARS ON SOCIAL SERVICE. 

Lara De Schutter, UWC,USA 2012-14 

I'm a first year at UWC-USA. I have been involved for a year now in an activity called the HIV/AIDS peer educators. We're a group of 

students that 

educate students in schools all over NM on HIV, AIDS, STD's and sex through theatricall skits. At the beginning of the year, we were 

trained and we 

received a diploma certifiing that we are now HIV peer educators. 

We have presented in over 15 schools this year and we have travelled to Denver CO for project week to go to a service conference 

where we taught teachers and students the concept of student-teach-student. 

During that trip, we also went to present in a number of schools, and we worked at the Ronald MC Donald House where we cooked 

meals for children that technically live at the hospital. 

In addition, we have also organized a World AIDS day on the 1st of December last year where we had a workshop at school on the 

ethical implications surrounding 

the disease and this week we organized the school's "Soccer World Cup" which was a lot of fun! 

We also have a Youtube Channel but it's being reorganized in the following days so if you want i'll send you the link to it. On it we 

have all our skits filmed and we have a Q&A section too where students can ask questions 

related to sex and STD's. I have also become next year's leader of the group!! 

This is one of the most rewarding things that I have ever done in my life. Every time we present, we get students that come up to us to 

ask us more questions. The community in which the school is located has one of the highest 

teen pregnancy rates in the US. One of the schools in which we presented had over 15 pregnancies! When we come to present, the 

students are actually listening to us and they are actually learning things. 

Teachers even come up to us sometimes to ask us if we could present more. But the thing is, that in most schools the students need a 

parental authorization for us to present for them and in some schools 

we're not even allowed to mention contraception in our skits. This is somewhat challenging since our whole presentation is about 

protecting yourself from STD's and pregnancies. But this challenge is also one of 

the most interesting aspects of this group because I get confronted to another culture with another perspective on sex. 

China Summer Project 2013, Charlotte Boël UWC Atlantic College 2012-2014 

This summer I am going together with a group of approximately 25 students from Atlantic College to China for in total a month. Half 

of the students in the group are international, whereas the other half are Chinese. Together 

we are going to work three weeks near Lanzhou, in the province of Gansu. 

We will be teaching students in deprived schools basic English skills, but more importantly 

show them how big the world is! Most of those kids will never have travelled outside their 

province and know nothing about the world and different cultures. This is why we have a 

huge advantage in helping these children, as all of the volunteers come from different 

corners of the world. Each one of us has something special to bring to them. As for my 

service I am helping autistic children by singing basic English songs to them as “head 

shoulders knees and toes”, I hope to use the same method and resources in China and see 

how music could help them improve their language skills. This project has already been 

running for four years in Atlantic College, and as well as teaching in these schools, we will 

personally experience the tough conditions most of the children go though. In each school, 

a group of 4 students will stay for a week. The basic hygienic conditions that we expect in the western world are so much higher then 

what those children know! At school, they don’t have any access to tap water, and most of the time has to walk around an hour and 

half each day just to arrive to school! As fundraising idea but mostly to experience their daily walk, we have decided to organise a “on 

the road project” within AC. For 5 days, each one of us had to wake up at 5.45 am and walk until Llantwit Major, the closest village to 

the college and back, with a back pack filled of books. The second picture shows our arrival in Llantwit Major on the first day, at around 

6.30 am! We also organised a chinese market within the school where we sold Chinese souvenirs to our fellow students. All the 

money we earned will go to help the schools in Lanzhou. After the three weeks of social work we will be travelling from Lanzhou to 

Xi’an and Beijing. I am looking forward to this experience, as this is what UWC is about: going out in the world and making some 

difference! This summer project will enable me to transfer the knowledge and social skills that I have already learned about in UWC- 

AC in real life situations.

UPCOMING EVENTS 

July 

October 

November 

December 

First UWC Short Programme in Belgium!!! 

Infoday for new candidates: KBS-FRB rue Brederodestraat 2, 1000 Brussels 

Infoday for new candidates: KBS-FRB rue Brederodestraat 2, 1000 Brussels 

Christmass gathering parents of 1 st and 2 nd years. 

UWC MAKES EDUCATION A FORCE TO UNITE PEOPLE, NATIONS AND CULTURES FOR PEACE AND A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE 

UWC (United World Colleges) is a global non-profit, equal opportunities organisation that provides intercultural learning programmes 

for young people around the world. It is the pioneer and best practice leader in the field of global education for peace and justice and 

sustainable development. 

There are 13 United World Colleges located around the world, which each year accept new students to complete their final two years 

of secondary school. UWC also offers Short Courses in several countries during 2 weeks every summer. 

UWC students enroll for the International Baccalaureate and are extensively engaged with extra-curricular activities such as social 

services, sustainable development, leadership, conflict prevention, sports and the arts. 

UWC Belgium is the national representative body of UWC for Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels and the Ostkantons. 

We welcome your financial donations via the King Baudouin Foundation, rue Brederodestraat 21, 1000 Brussels. 

Gifts above €40 are tax deductible. 

Bank Account Number: 000-0000004-04. 

BIC: BPTOTBEBI. 

IBAN: BE10 0000 0000 0404. 

Mention ‘UWC Belgium’ with your transfer order. 

Donors living abroad can also make tax-efficient donations via “Transnational Giving”.Contact us for more information.. 

UWC Belgium vzw/asbl 

Avenue Wienerlaan 111 

1170 Brussels 

T. +32 (0)2 660 75 07 

M +32 (0)473 41 10 50 

E: info@uwc.be 

www.uwc.be 

Please send your email address to info@uwc.be if you wish to receive future editions of UWC Belgium News by email.

June 2013 (pdf) - United World College Belgium

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