2008 Graduating Class

Shathel Haddad
Jordan
Pearson UWC, Canada
Macalester College
As I am finishing my last year of college, I am still continuing my journey, exploring cultures and searching for the passion that will give me the ability to give back. I am looking forward to the continuum of my UWC experience that has accompanied me in principle and in people during the last four years. I hope that I will continue my search for what is starting to formulate as my dream.

Jeremiah Hendren
USA
UWC of South East Asia, Singapore
Harvard College
Changing from the global focus of my time at UWC, I’ve enjoyed exploring a more local, community-centered approach to social change while at Harvard, working with various Boston-focused community organizations. My time in college has enhanced my conviction to become an educator, and I’ll probably spend the next few years deciding who, where, and what I want to teach. More immediately, I hope to polish my Arabic language skills somewhere in the Middle East and then, probably, enter a doctoral program, hopefully in California.

Georgina Herrera Moreno
Mexico
Mahindra UWC, India
Smith College
The most significant project in my time here was the creation of a UWC organization at Smith that is involved with other area colleges. Finding and enjoying my majors was an important achievement. My glorious, fall 2006 semester in Brazil expanded my Portuguese and my interest in the country and allowed me to complete requirements for my Portuguese and Brazilian studies major. I think the benefits of our relationship with our institutions are reciprocal and valuable.

Natasha Hilt
USA
UWC-USA
Macalester College
As a first-generation college graduate, I am involved with organizations around the Twin Cities that advocate for American Indian issues. Every summer was dedicated to gaining clinical and public health experience in health initiatives targeting ethnic and racial health disparities. Ultimately, my goal is to return to the Indian Reservation and work as a healthcare advocate for Native Americans. My UWC experience helped prepare me for the future and continues to help me build more friendships with alumni and mentors. 

Jonas Hiltrop
Germany
Li Po Chun UWC, Hong Kong
Macalester College
When I completed my UWC application, I did not anticipate the incredible journey that was to follow. Thanks to the Davis UWC Scholars Program, this journey extended far beyond my two years in Hong Kong. Macalester offered me the opportunity to explore my interests in a variety of fields. One of the most rewarding experiences has been my research in physics on thin-film solar cells. Learning about the engineering challenges of making this energy source competitive greatly inspired my plans for the future.

Marek Hlavac
Slovakia
UWC of the Adriatic, Italy
Princeton University
I could not be more satisfied with my experience at Princeton. As an economics major, I have acquired good analytical skills, which I put to use during my internship at the Adam Smith Institute. At the London-based think tank, I proposed policies that would expand educational options for low-income children. I also interned at Transparency International, a global anti-corruption NGO. None of this, of course, would have been possible without the generosity of the Davis family, to whom I will remain eternally grateful.

Edina Hot
Montenegro
Red Cross Nordic UWC, Norway
College of the Atlantic
My experiences here and at UWC taught me to value the different factors that play roles in individual personal development and learning processes. At COA, I took wide-ranging courses, including jazz, rock, and blues, feminism and fundamentalism, and mental illnesses, but my emphasis was on biological sciences. Besides the science courses, which enhanced my wish to specialize in epidemiology, the most rewarding experience was the work I did in the Jackson and MDBIL laboratory during the last two years.

Taylor Howard
USA
UWC-USA
Dartmouth College
I am captain of the Dartmouth Cheerleading Squad. I am also a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority and Diversity Deep Community. I used what I learned at Diversity Deep Community and the UWC to improve gender relations and issues of diversity within the Greek system over sophomore summer. On my off-terms, I volunteered with the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation and worked in the fashion magazine industry in New York. Post-graduation, I plan to continue working in magazines.

Alexis Howland
USA
UWC-USA
Brown University
The coming years seem intimidating, as I finally leave the academic system and forge a niche for myself in this adult world. I will always be excited to encounter a fellow UWCer. As our lives diverge, the essence that once bonded us will remain an integral conduit through which we are able to overcome the distance of time and experience and find once again the values that spurred us to become the people we are.

Katarina Hruba
Slovakia
Red Cross Nordic UWC, Norway
Macalester College
Almost six years ago, I was told that attending a United World College would be a life-transforming experience. Back then, I smiled incredulously; now, I concur. The two years spent in Norway and the subsequent four years at Macalester have enabled me to explore the immense cultural, academic, and intellectual diversity this world has to offer. I hope to continue with my exploration by going to a graduate school and pursuing a career in the field of political economy.

Allyson Humphrey
Grenada
Pearson UWC, Canada
Lake Forest College
As a mentor/tutor for 5th graders who come from low-income families, I have been humbled. My opportunity to study in Chile, where I worked with an organization to help eliminate extreme poverty, gave me hope. As president of one of the largest student-run organizations on campus, I learned patience. As a three-year resident assistant, I am able to help other students, and that has taught me discipline. Currently, I am working with other UWC students on a global affairs conference for LFC.

Janet Hung
USA
UWC of South East Asia,
Singapore
Wellesley College
Going to Wellesley made me realize that introducing myself as an ex-UWCer simply wasn’t enough anymore. With an extensive Davis population, it felt familiar to be received by a diverse, enlightened community who shared a common experience with me. Although I embraced this diversity, I also came to value the sanctity of individual cultures. My interest in cultural preservation has recently led me to Central Tibet — my work primarily addressing concerns over the dilution of traditional life to meet the demands of contemporary society.