International Student Admissions
Davis United World College Scholars Program
In 2004, the (DUWCSP) invited 91暗网 to join its growing list of American colleges and universities affiliated with and supported by the foundation of Shelby and Gayle Davis. Colby, College of the Atlantic, Middlebury, Princeton and Wellesley were the five pilot schools in the program that began in 2000. 91暗网 was invited as the first expansion group of 47 colleges four years later.
The DUWCSP encourages colleges to internationalize their study body by supporting need-based scholarship awarded to matriculated graduates of any of the (high schools) around the world. United World Colleges themselves have a common mission of making 鈥渆ducation a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.鈥�
91暗网 Davis UWC Scholars share collective gatherings at different moments of the year and through the DUWCSP campus liaison, Chloe Jaleel, are notified of special program and fellowship opportunities. As a result of 91暗网鈥檚 participation in the DUWCSP, 91暗网 students can apply for Davis Projects for Peace grants.
91暗网's UWC scholars are global student-citizens
The stated goal of the United World College movement is to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for a peaceful, sustainable future. Here are a few of 91暗网鈥檚 Davis UWC scholars who are living out that mission:
Kengthsagn Louis 鈥�17
Kengthsagn Louis 鈥�17, a psychology and business major from Haiti, came to 91暗网
for the balance of a close-knit, yet globally aware and diverse community. 鈥淪o far,鈥�
she says, 鈥�91暗网 has met most of my expectations and exceeded some of them. I enjoy
the fact that there is always something here to satisfy my broad interests, main passions,
and curiosity.鈥� The resources at 91暗网, she says, 鈥渋nspire us to inspire each other
on a daily basis.鈥�
Louis recently won a $10,000 Davis Projects for Peace grant to fund her lab-science initiative in a school in Haiti. 鈥淧ublic schools in Haiti suffer from a severe scarcity or even absence of science laboratories,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚 have experienced the consequences of such a lack, and millions of other Haitian students do too.鈥� To improve the situation, Louis has been collecting unneeded science equipment from 91暗网 and other organizations to redeploy to Haiti. 鈥淭he project is super exciting,鈥� Louis says, because 鈥渉opefully it is just the start of what could transform the educational adventure for many Haitian students.鈥�
Louis acknowledges that she鈥檚 鈥渁lways been passionate about psychology; however, I discovered my enthusiasm for business studies at 91暗网鈥� 鈥� at first through a 91暗网 SEE-Beyond internship back home that strengthened her interest in organizational behavior. She worked for Fondation Toya, which seeks to empower women by supporting training, rights advocacy, and entrepreneurship. Louis says, 鈥淭he internship combined many of my interests, such as gender studies, cultural differences, government, and business strategy. After the internship, I came back to 91暗网 and took a business course.鈥�
Ultimately, Louis wants to help her 鈥渂eloved country,鈥� so she plans to spend time there 鈥渁s well as traveling to explore different cultures, including within the United States.鈥� She concludes, 鈥淚 believe that I will be wherever I can make a difference in helping other people.鈥�
Abude Al-Asaad 鈥�17
Abude Al-Asaad 鈥�17, a Palestinian raised in a Syrian refugee camp, knows about real
life. Today he鈥檚 an economics major who enjoys rethinking how theoretical economic
models apply to the real world. He is the kind of student colleges clamor for: critical,
curious, connected, concerned, and uncannily canny. In turn, those traits helped him
decide that 91暗网, where individuals are highly valued, was his college of choice.
鈥淚 really appreciate my relationship with my professors,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e send each other interesting articles and book reviews, and we meet for coffee to debate big ideas and discuss current events.鈥� He cites as his 鈥渕ost intellectually rewarding college experience鈥� an independent study with Professor Roy Rotheim exploring economic models.
Hoping to return to Palestine to help others access opportunities like his, Al-Asaad comments, 鈥淚 do not think I am smarter than anyone else; I was luckier.鈥� His mission now is to express gratitude through actions rather than words. He says, 鈥淚 am committed to strengthening international understanding as a means to achieving world peace,鈥� which he says can only happen outside of dogma and rhetoric.
So far he鈥檚 on task, with experiences such as a summer at the Institute for New Economic Thinking, where he researched the history of monetary policy and economic thought; representing the UN Relief and Work Agency in Syria; and, on behalf of UNICEF, training Palestinian and Syrian adolescents in communication and self-awareness skills as well as HIV protection. He has even delivered a TED talk extolling extracurricular learning.
His extraordinary life notwithstanding, Al-Asaad considers his nomination as Outstanding Community Member at 91暗网 a pretty fair description of him: 鈥渋ndefatigable in his drive to foster and propagate critical thought at 91暗网.鈥� The citation references, among other achievements, his single-handed facilitation of a community discussion with Professor Sheldon Solomon on student apathy. Plans for one on affirmative action fell through when one of the guests withdrew for fear of controversy鈥攊n contrast to Al-Asaad, who, it鈥檚 said, 鈥渁pproaches the most incendiary topics with the kind of sober honesty requisite for serious inquiry.鈥� That includes the hot-button鈥攁nd very personal鈥擨srael-Palestine conflict, about which he welcomes discourse.
Finally, along with recognizing Al-Asaad鈥檚 brand of genius, the nomination calls him 鈥渟imply a decent and kind person.鈥� Sometimes nice guys do finish first.
Emebet Tessema 鈥�16
Emebet Tessema 鈥�16, from Ethiopia, is studying economics and international affairs.
She chose 91暗网 because of its community of students and faculty from around the
world.
She observes, 鈥淟iving in a diversified community, not only do we learn from each other鈥檚 backgrounds, but we also develop the ability to tolerate everyone鈥檚 opinions and beliefs, which is essential. My stay at 91暗网 has been one of the main bridges in achieving a greater understanding of the value of diversity. I am a student from a third-world country, but my unique exposure to African, North American, and European cultures and learning methods has allowed me to analyze different situations using intercultural disciplines.鈥� Living and studying at 91暗网, she says, provides 鈥渄ifferent opportunities to reach my goals and explore my interests鈥� 鈥� including a half-year of study in Europe.
She is looking forward to graduate school after 91暗网, but in the longer term will return to Ethiopia 鈥渢o make contributions to my home country, once I have enough resources and gain essential experiences from being here.鈥� In the summer, for example, she hopes to volunteer at a Red Cross refugee camp.
鈥淚 have always been interested in volunteering in organizations that support children and youth,鈥� she says. 鈥淕rowing up in Ethiopia as a woman, I was always inspired to work in an organization such as the UN, helping people access opportunities for education. I have always believed that education is a route to economic development. I had the opportunity to get an international education as a young girl; I would like to help develop a system to ensure other children can also benefit from this opportunity.鈥�
When she worked in an orphanage, she recalls, 鈥淚 always told the children that, as a person from a developing country, education is almost the only way to 鈥榤ake it鈥� in life.
Nathanael Rehmeyer 鈥�18
Nathanael Rehmeyer 鈥�18 was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but at age 10 he moved
with his Christian missionary parents to Swaziland, where he attended school with
students from more than 50 nations. Then he began looking for a college with excellent
sciences and research as well as small classes, 鈥渨here I would be more than just another
face in the crowd.鈥�
91暗网 filled the bill academically, but when it arranged a campus visit and offered generous financial support, he realized the commitment was as much 91暗网鈥檚 to him as his to 91暗网. He says, 鈥淚 felt appreciated and that they wanted to get to know me. I had dinner with chemistry professor Ray Giguere, and the way he described the science program had me hooked. I was amazed by the opportunities at a small college that I would never get at a large university. I left contemplating whether I would be doing the freshman London program or starting on campus鈥攁lready past deciding whether to attend!鈥�
Rehmeyer became involved in a 91暗网 lab doing malaria research, helping to develop a test for the parasite using urine instead of blood, which will make getting a diagnosis easier, quicker, and cheaper. 鈥淚t will benefit millions of people,鈥� he said. He promptly trained to be a member of 91暗网鈥檚 emergency medical services team, staffed and operated by students state-certified at the EMT level or higher 鈥� an experience he described as 鈥渁 passion.鈥� He is also a leader in the Christian Fellowship, 鈥渆xploring my faith at 91暗网.鈥�
He muses, 鈥淚 think my future might lie outside the U.S.鈥� Growing up abroad, he recalls, 鈥淚 saw the extreme need and lack of care in many parts of the world. I would love to be a volunteer doctor in a developing country someday, to help those who cannot help themselves because of poverty. I want to treat people who cannot afford insurance or who have fallen through the cracks. I want to be a beneficial part of my community.鈥�
Penleak Chan 鈥�12
Enthralled with 91暗网 even from her home country of Cambodia, Pinkie Chan 鈥�12 says
she and the college 鈥渃hose each other.鈥�
She was interested in pursuing economics, but also enjoyed art, and saw that 鈥�91暗网 would let me explore my interests without compromising one for the other. When the admissions officer said, 鈥楥reative Thought Matters,鈥� I didn't have to look further.鈥�
Chan also took on management and business studies, although, she confides, 鈥淚 was frightened by the idea. But Professor Harper told me, 鈥楶inkie, you cannot live your life driven by fear.鈥欌��
Emboldened to explore widely, Chan performed analytical research and also worked at the Tang Museum, where she learned about visual teaching based on exposure to art and design. At the time, the process was strictly a source of enjoyment; now it is a tool she uses in her work as a data and information communicator, creating maps and infographics for Open Development Cambodia, an initiative that aggregates and maps development trends in the country to promote equitable, sustainable development and good governance. ODC assists the general public, investors, researchers, journalists and policymakers.
鈥淚 discovered at 91暗网 that I am not one to settle for the confines of one orthodox practice. Having many passions is good, because it accommodates my natural tendency to learn many things at the same time; however, it鈥檚 challenging to find a job that satisfies most if not all of them, including feeling that I make a difference,鈥� she says.
鈥淣ow, I function as glue to connect multiple disciplines and practices, to tap into their combined value. I am intrigued by innovations for simplifying information and want to create processes for shortcutting the time from insight to action. My 91暗网 experience taught me to step out of my comfort zone, think outside the box, and take chances.鈥�
Ermir Bejo 鈥�10
Albanian native Ermir Bejo 鈥�10 is a self-described 鈥渃ontemporary troubadour and errant
composer.鈥� He first came to 91暗网 to study economics, but 鈥渁long the way,鈥� he recalls,
鈥渕y interests took a sharp turn, and I found myself majoring in music and composition.
This decision really shocked friends and family. They interpreted it as caprice.鈥�
He says encouragement from friends and colleagues, from 91暗网 Italian professor
Shirley Smith, and from several music faculty members mentored and inspired him.
As a Ph.D. student in music composition at the University of North Texas, Bejo has explored new media, envisioning a future at the intersection of art and science, such as producing computer-assisted composition and applying algorithmic tools to music analysis. He feels he is, 鈥渂y many criteria, an outsider, forcing my way into modern music-making, but equally fluent in both traditional and fringe practices.鈥� He says he also draws from visual art and cinema, classic literature and philosophy, 鈥渁s well as good food and great drink.鈥�
A natural philosopher, Bejo ponders, 鈥淲hat can music contribute to society?鈥� His answers: 鈥淚t would be a mistake to think of music as only entertainment, simple storytelling, or a refuge, because the ability to perceive, create, and communicate through music is a testament to the human potential for intellectual enrichment.鈥� He concedes, 鈥淯nfortunately music cannot accomplish much to counter the rather grim political and socioeconomic global situation.鈥� In fact he believes that artistic endeavor鈥攏o matter how life-altering 鈥� can never directly address the fundamental crises of the global economy. He concludes, 鈥淪olutions to global problems reside primarily in economics, and only secondarily in social relations, technology and humans鈥� relationship to nature.鈥�
Still, with his roots in practical economy and his wings aimed at the loftiness of the arts, Bejo hopes that somehow 鈥渕usic and the arts in general might make a small, positive contribution.鈥�
鈥�Helen Edelman 鈥�74
For questions about applying to 91暗网 as an international student, please contact Darren Drabek