2008 Graduating Class

This section provides brief profiles and photos of the Davis United World College Scholars Program’s graduating Class of 2008.

During the preparation of this yearbook, each senior scholar responded to several questions from the Davis UWC Scholars Program. They wrote about the impact of their college experience on their lives, learning, and goals. Many also briefly described their plans and hopes for the future. The profiles that follow quote from their responses.

A B C D E-F G H I-J K L M N O-Q R S T U-V W-Z

	Nataliya Ilyashenko Russia UWC of the Adriatic, Italy College of the Atlantic I hope I am already making a difference in the world by having the most interdisciplinary major, human ecology, the study of complex interactions between humans and the environment. It is not just a subject for me; it is a lifestyle. This approach allowed me to experience a deep connection between cultures and sciences in various countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia. I am eager to become a qualified specialist in order to contribute to the international sciences.

	Plamen V. Ivanov Bulgaria UWC of the Adriatic, Italy Princeton University When I got admitted to the UWC of the Adriatic, I knew I could not be luckier. I realized how wrong I was two years later, when my Princeton University ‘Yes!’ letter arrived. Now, I understand with new awe how fortunate I have been: I have worked with the most passionate, learned from the brightest, and walked with the best. To them, to the UWC Shelby Davis Scholars, I wish good luck. Keep challenging yourselves, because your actions matter. The best is yet to come.

	Malgorzata Jarema Poland UWC of Atlantic, Wales Methodist University As a Davis UWC Scholar, I am walking the paths of knowledge, unearthing friendship and maturity. My grandfather was an accountant, and, at Methodist, I discovered his passion inside me. My dreams of becoming an ambitious professional are coming true, thanks to this opportunity. I have experienced more than I could ever imagine. And it is these experiences that make me the person I am today, filled with the sense of idealism and ready to share my knowledge with fellow citizens of the world.

	Andrés Hui Jennings USA Pearson UWC, Canada College of the Atlantic Human ecology has taught me that the world is a fragile place and that it is our job to conserve it for our future and the future of our families. I have been able to follow my heart, and by doing so, I have learned to speak three languages and expose myself to the realities of the world outside the USA, both good and bad. I will pursue a graduate degree and a line of work where I can make a difference at home and abroad.

	Jawad Sepehri Joya Afghanistan UWC of the Adriatic, Italy Earlham College In 2005, I attended the Japan American Student Conference at Stanford. Working at UBS in 2006 was a lesson in corporate and financial America, and, in summer 2007, I worked with Senator Evan Bayh on global issues. I want to achieve a durable, cultural revolution in the Moslem world, especially in Afghanistan. I view using a wheelchair as an underappreciated chance to incorporate innovation into daily life and send a message to the world that humanity is not about being able to climb stairs.

	Katarína Juríková Slovakia Mahindra UWC, India College of the Atlantic COA is a place where passion meets reason, where the desire to ask yet another question is not suppressed by barriers of academic disciplines, and where dreams are allowed to approach reality. COA allowed me to work with widows of the Guatemalan civil war, to dig deeper into issues of poverty, social injustice, and the global trade, to study photography in Mexico, and to question the paradigms of the world. Professors and friends from COA are a constant inspiration to me.